In last week’s question, we mentioned studies that confirm the thesis that tolled facilities generally have a better safety record than non-tolled facilities. Do tolled facilities also have a better record in their ability to remove snow? Who gets down to the pavement faster? The maintenance crew of a toll agency or the comparable crew of a city or state department of transportation? And, if toll agencies have an advantage, what is the reason for this advantage? Please share your experiences and, if you have it, data.
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Posted by Jack Opiola
ReplyDeleteI think Tim McGuckin's response to last week's overall safety comments may need to be put or reinstated into this weeks responses. It fits equally well.
I also think it is not just a question of snow, but "Ice and Snow Removal". The clear mindset from this year's winter storms is snow because it is so visible; but ice is a far more dangerous condition and typically associated jointly with snow. It can be ice in its many forms or "black ice" which is far more dangerous due to its "invisible" nature, hence deadly consequences to unsuspecting drivers. In addition, even after snow removal, melting snow on the roadside and refreezing conditions during the day or night require vigilance and constant attention by the road operator. Toll Road's natural advantage of deriving revenue from vehicles using the road provides a simple and direct correlation to the need to provide access, which public roads and budgets can never match. The corresponding benefit of reliability in the minds of the users is just added benefit and may explain why toll roads garner a more positive image in the minds of the public despite the toll extracted.
Today's weather monitoring stations and in-pavement sensors provide us a timely and accurate prediction and monitoring framework to respond to winter weather conditions. Clearly, Intellidrive's 5.9 GHz V2V and V2I provide us an even better continuous weather monitoring capability. In addition, V2V communications brings the immediate information to the driver in the vehicle by its internal displays and the driver's immediately around that vehicle that a slip or traction issue exists. Testing has proven time and again that information provided inside the vehicle is far more effective than external VMS signs or general highway radio warnings. With GPS, the exact location can be reported via V2I communications to the road operator where the ice is forming or the previous chemical application base laid down is diluting and needs reapplication. This benefit, as Tim McGuckin so elegantly writes last week, is at no additional cost since it is inherent in the nature of the technology needed to toll vehicles anyway. With such a powerful and beneficial advantage, toll roads as future adopters will be able to offer even greater reliable service to the public. Now, just like snow removal, we just have to take action and do it!
Jack Opiola
Senior Partner
D'Artagnan Consulting
The good reputation of a toll road can be destroyed within 24 hours, and this would happen most of the time in winter (and it takes years to recover).
ReplyDeleteWe saw some years ago customers stuck all night on a toll road. The problem was not only snow, but also ice, and trucks blocking the road. Worse, the customers did not get enough information, had no blankets, no coffee, no tee. They were furious, and one can imagine the media coverage on the following days.
What is acceptable when the road is “free” becomes inacceptable when a toll is to be paid. Toll operators are supposed to fight “in a different league”.
Motorists expect toll operators to do what they consider “their job”, which is to offer a safe and reliable trip, even in adverse conditions. That means that a toll operator has to be prepared for the worse, and have specific emergency plans regularly updated, together with the associated communication plan.
Who is Snowing Whom?
ReplyDeletePeter Samuel, the editor and publisher of TollRoadsNews, this week has written a commentary about so-called “Climategate.” (You can read his commentary here: http://tollroadsnews.com/node/4629). He suggests that a “small cabal” of scientists is manipulating or destroying scientific data to create the “manmade global warming scare.” Samuel cites the especially cold winter in the northern hemisphere this year, comments from columnist George Will, and a letter from a group of skeptical scientists to EPA administrator Lisa Jackson to challenge the widespread belief that climate change is caused by manmade actions such as the increase in CO2 emissions in the atmosphere.
In the context of this week’s blog question about snow removal, it may be useful to consider whether we’re talking about snow as the white stuff that falls from the sky, or snow as the blizzard of opinions that argue either in favor or against the notion that global climate change is real.
Posted by Pat Jones
First on the question on who gets there faster, a toll agency or the state?
ReplyDeleteThe answer – at least in Greece – is, the toll agency, for 2 main reasons: a) They have the resources due to more secure & stable funding and b) they have strict contractual obligations regarding the level of service, stated in most cases in concession agreements with the state for operating and maintaining tollways.
Attikes Diadromes, the Operator of Attica Tollway in Athens Greece, use 20 snow removal units for cleaning 45 centerline miles plus another 40 miles of on-off ramps. The same size of fleet is used by the state (Ministry of Works & Transportation) to clean all major arteries in the city of Athens – a total length of 260 miles, that is double the length of the Attica Tollway & ramps. However, in the case of Attica Tollway all lanes must be clean at all times, even if only one clean lane is enough to accommodate the (reduced) demand for travel in snowy conditions.
The same situation also applies on the national motorway network, where the level of preparation for winter maintenance has been significantly improved, since the motorways have been handed over to private toll agencies in 2008.
Co-operation with state agencies:
Issues that usually arise during snow removal operations include:
a)Various requests for provision of salt & snow removal vehicles to help local authorities. These are tackled case by case, some are accepted when there is scope for resource allocation outside the tollway, however as a private agency with very strict contractual obligations for snow removal & with the “public eye” always focused on the condition of a facility that people pay for every day, we are very reluctant in losing resources for servicing other state agencies, especially in the middle of a heavy snowfall (we have heavy snowfalls in Athens too!)
b)Inadequate police monitoring of trucks. A perfect snow removal operation by the toll agency may all go wrong when a truck enters the tollway despite the prohibition of truck travel during snowy conditions and gets involved in an accident (collision – diversion – road blocking). Co-operation with traffic police is therefore crucial in keeping close monitoring of traffic bans for some sensitive road users.
A crucial question: Should an operator close the facility in case of heavy snowfall? Who takes decisions? Who has the authority to close? What are the consequences?
In February 2004, extremely heavy snowfall in Athens resulted in closure of most of the major road arteries in the city, as well as the airport for 2 days. The traffic police ordered the closure of the western section of the Attica Tollway due to poor visibility and danger for vehicles and drivers that could be stuck in the middle of a snowstorm.
The operator closed half of the tollway and got a very negative reaction by the press and the public who could not accept that a toll facility can close due to adverse weather conditions. The same happened to the Athens airport – another concession project. Legal actions were also initiated against the Operator of Attica Tollway. The case is today closed as it was clear that closure was ordered by the traffic police due to a force majeure that could cause human lives. However, the question still remains: Is a private toll agency legally protected when weather conditions exceed all forecasts and make it practically impossible to maintain a transport facility open – even partially? That is an interesting topic for discussion and exchange of views on what happens in other countries.
Fanis Papadimitriou
Traffic & Maintenance Manager , Attikes Diadromes SA, Operator of the Attica Tollway, Athens , GREECE
Posted by Larry Yermack
ReplyDelete(On the subject of climate change)
Let me borrow an idea that Tom Freidman of the NY Times offered a few weeks ago. The reason that we buy insurance is to protect ourselves against the slight probability of something awful happening. We don’t expect our house to burn down but we do buy homeowners insurance to hedge against that possibility.
I don’t know if the probability of a catastrophic impact from global warming is 10% or 90%. The science is beyond my education, but it is clear that there is at least some potential for disaster, whatever the percentage. Would not a rational society take out “insurance” to protect itself?
With this as a framework, the issue becomes what is the most cost effective way to secure protection, changing the debate from “if” to “how.” We would then be talking about what to do and how much to spend rather than engage in the debate over doing nothing.
As we are all well aware we have been expericening a winter season of heavy and frequent snow storms. As toll road operators this winter has continiously tested our ability to respond to adverse conditions and keep our roads open and safe. Our patrons pay directly to use our roads and rely on our ability to get them cleaned in a timely and efficient manner. They expect us to do a good job even if the other local, county and state agencies cannot. The ingredients that contribute to a succssful ice and snow removal effort include several elements. Just throwing money at the problem at the last minute won't do it. The essential elements include; Accurate weather forcasting and monitoring; a well thought out and excecuted snow plan with adequate staffing, snow removal equipment and snow melting and deicing materials.
ReplyDeleteUse of electronic technology and devices such as automatic deicing systems, local weather monitoring stations with in pavement temperature sensors, mobile vehicle mounted pavement temperature sensors, hourly activity and condition reports, and remote video cameras all contribute to fighting a storm.
The most essetial element, however is the workforce and supervisors who actually do the fighting. Snow removal crews and support staff should be rotated for peridic sleep, rest and meal breaks to ensure they remain fresh and sharp for the duration of the storm including the cleanup. Skilled mechanics are needed to ensure damaged or broken down snow remvoal equipment is returned to the roadway as quickly as possible. Patron accidents and breakdowns also need to be removed from the roadway as quickly as possible as too not impede the snow removal effort. Lastly once the storm is over and as the support staff is tallying up its costs, all equipment needs to be repaired and returned to service: Lastly pot holes need to be filled and deicing material inventorys need to be restored before the next storm.
Who knows maybe next winter will be easier. Maybe not. No matter what we need to be prepared for the worst.
Ralph Bruzzichesi P.E.
Assistant Director of Maintenance
Garden State Parkway Roadway
I don't know who does a better job (IBTTA members of course!) but I do know that some of our members budget a significant amount of money for snow removal each year. For example, in 2008 IBTTA members in North America alone budgeted over $70 million for snow removal. Over 95% of those funds are spend in-house. For more information you can find a table at: http://ibtta.org/Information/?navItemNumber=3893
ReplyDeleteJeff Campbell
Manager of Research and Information
IBTTA
As a toll agency operator, I certainly think that toll facilities enjoy an advantage over other cities or municipalities in terms of snow removal. There are a number of reasons for this, but some are the most simple and straightforward. First, when we plow, we do not have to deal with the issue of street parked cars, always a bane of those engaged in snow removal operations. Similarly, we do not have to deal with the issue of snow emergency routes. But perhaps most importantly, 90 percent of the time, we are able to move snow directly off the roadway proper.
ReplyDeleteAnother advantage we possess over some towns and municipalities is the size of our standing maintenance crews. Put simply, we have the manpower needed to deploy snow removal crews on a 24 hour, 7 days a week basis. We even have the capability to put our staff on “snow alert,” with 5 or 6 individuals required to stay over at our administration building so that they can commence operations as soon as snow begins to fall.
I suspect that the effectiveness of snow removal operation may vary between the different types of toll operators as well. For instance, as a bridge agency, we have a much more limited expanse of roadway that requires our attention during snowfalls than say a turnpike operator. We also enjoy a certain advantage of geographic proximity to the roadways which require snow removal.
For example, each of our seven toll bridges are fully equipped with their own administration buildings. The larger of these bridges are also equipped with large salt storage facilities. This helps ensure we never run out of supplies.
Similarly, with a dedicated crew of toll personnel -- and bridge officers at our non-toll facilities – we are able to rapidly identify and address problems areas as they may arise. Whether its black ice or snow on the roadway, our personnel are on site to monitor and ensure a timely response. This provides us with a clear advantage over other agencies or entities engaged in snow removal operations.
In summary, I would say that certain aspects of our operations provide us with clear advantages over our municipal counterparts – and even other toll facilities – in terms of timely and effective snow removal. This is not necessarily a poor reflection on other agencies, but a reflection of some of the inherent advantages we enjoy over our counterparts.
Frank G. McCartney
Executive Director
Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission
I agree with Frank and Ralph and would say that our smaller (bridge & tunnel and approach roadways) property, coupled with long term, experienced employees, enable us to be pretty well-prepared for snow removal at our facilities. And yes, we probably do spend more resources, proportionally, on snow. That said, we've talked a lot over the past couple of years about what our standards SHOULD be. Do we have to be at blacktop, when the roads around us are not? At what cost? We've cut back significantly in recent years on the resources we spend on snow, and I don't think there's been any significant negative impact on our customers.
ReplyDeleteVictoria Kelly
Director, Tunnels, Bridges & Terminals
The Port Authority of NY & NJ