Western States Rural Transportation Consortium (WSRTC)

The Western States Rural Transportation Consortium (WSRTC) is a continuation and broadening of the original California Oregon Advanced Transportation System (COATS). COATS began in 1998 as a collaborative effort among the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the Montana State University, Bozeman's Western Transportation Institute (WTI) to investigate the use of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) in rural areas. The intent of the COATS project was to facilitate the use of ITS to enhance safety, improve the movement of people, goods and services, and subsequently promote the economic development of the bi-state region and to begin deployment of those solutions [1]. This included the use of ITS to provide solutions to transportation challenges in rural areas such as non-recurrent congestion, weather, safety, tourism, mobility and freight movement [2]. Listed below are COATS Phases and the major deliverables of each phase: COATS Phase I - July 1998 to June 2002 A regional ITS architecture Two Caltrans rural Traffic Management Centers (TMC) were constructed in Redding and Eureka Numerous Caltrans and ODOT ITS field element sites were installed Siskiyou Pass winter operations guidelines COATS Phase II ¿ July 2002 to June 2006 Evaluation of ITS Technologies in Rural Work Zones Case Studies of Maintaining ITS Devices in Rural Areas Communications and Power Improvements for Rural ITS Field Devices Oregon ITS Performance and Benefits Plan COATS Phase III July 2006 to June 2008 COATS Integrated Corridor Management One Stop Shop 2006 and 2007 Western States Rural Transportation Implementers Forum COATS Phase IV July 2008 to June 2010 2008 and 2009 Western States Rural Transportation Implementers Forum Radar Speed Sign Deployment Guidelines Fredonyer Summit Icy Curve Warning System (ICWS) Evaluation During the COATS Phase III effort, the Western States Rural Transportation Technology Implementers Forum (WSRTTIF) was created to bridge the technology transfer gap between practitioners. WSRTTIF consisted of nuts-and-bolts presentations that allowed frank discussions on how technology projects were implemented in the field. The WSRTTIF provided insight into not only the need for collaboration on rural ITS technology transfer, but also operations and safety research. The COATS Steering Committee determined that it was in the best interest of the project to broaden its area of service to the western United States. This included a refocusing on three primary areas, technology, operations and safety, while leveraging research dollars to provide reliable, robust solutions to common rural transportation issues. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the Western States Rural Transportation Consortium (WSRTC) is to promote innovative partnerships, technologies and educational opportunities to facilitate and enhance safe, seamless rural travel throughout the western United States. The WSRTC shall also provide a collaborative mechanism to leverage research activities in a coordinated manner to respond to rural transportation issues among western states related to Technology, Operations and Safety.

• Record URL:
  • http://www.pooledfund.org/Details/Study/469

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $1567495
• Contract Numbers:

  TPF-5(241)

• Sponsor Organizations:

  California Department of Transportation

  1227 O Street
  Sacramento, CA  United States  95814

  Oregon Department of Transportation

  355 Capitol St. NE
  Salem, OR  United States  97301-3871

  Utah Department of Transportation

  4501 South 2700 West
  Project Development
  Salt Lake City, UT  United States  84114-8380

  Washington State Department of Transportation

  Transportation Building
  Olympia, WA  United States  98504

  Nevada Department of Transportation

  1263 South Stewart Street
  Carson City, NV  United States  89712
• Managing Organizations:

  Washington State Department of Transportation

  Transportation Building
  Olympia, WA  United States  98504
• Project Managers:

  Brodin, Douglas

• Start Date: 0
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 20230331
• Source Data: RiP Project 42027

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Consortia; Education; Research management; Rural transportation; Safety; Technology; Transportation operations
• Geographic Terms: Western States
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01570493
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Federal Highway Administration
• Contract Numbers: TPF-5(241)
• Files: RIP, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jul 22 2015 1:02AM