Guidelines for Changeable Message Sign Messages

1. 5 March 2012 Texas Transportation Institute 1 Guidelines for Changeable Message Sign Messages

2. 5 March 2012 Texas Transportation Institute 2 Project Team

3. 5 March 2012 Texas Transportation Institute 3 Objectives CMS Message Policies, Guidelines, Procedures Identify current ~ regarding management, operation, and content Summarize existing analytical & empirical support

4. 5 March 2012 Texas Transportation Institute 4 Objectives CMS Message Policies, Guidelines, Procedures Good support: Make recommendations leading to standards Poor support: Make recommendations & prioritize for further research Produce document with technical guidance

5. 5 March 2012 Texas Transportation Institute 5 Intended Audience Operation of CMSs State, region, and local transportation agencies Managers & supervisors of TMCs

6. 5 March 2012 Texas Transportation Institute 6 Schedule ~ Task AIdentify Current CMS Policies, Guidelines, Procedures, Practices Kickoff meeting in Wash DC: May 7, 2001 Sampling Plan ~ Sub: May 28, 2001 Interview Forms ~ Mailed: Jun 2001 Annotated Bibliography ~ Sub: Nov 28, 2001

7. 5 March 2012 Texas Transportation Institute 7 Schedule ~ Task AIdentify Current CMS Policies, Guidelines, Procedures, Practices 3 Draft Summary Report ~ Current Guidelines, Policies, Procedures, Practices Originally due: Dec 15, 2001 3 Final Summary Report ~ Current Guidelines, Policies, Procedures, Practices Originally due: Jan 31, 2002

8. 5 March 2012 Texas Transportation Institute 8 Schedule ~ Task AIdentify Current CMS Policies, Guidelines, Procedures, Practices Meeting: Jan 14, 2002 Jon Obenberger, Thomas Granda (FHWA) David Register, Moe Zarean (SAIC) Instructions: Write (Task B.1 Report) what I know about good CMS message design including policies, guidelines, procedures

9. 5 March 2012 Texas Transportation Institute 9 Schedule ~ Task AIdentify Current CMS Policies, Guidelines, Procedures, Practices 3 Preliminary Research Recommendations ~ Sub: Jan 25, 2002

10. 5 March 2012 Texas Transportation Institute 10 Schedule ~ Task BSummarize Analyt. Support for Policies, Guidelines, Procedures, Practices Outline Draft Report on CMS Message Design ~ Sub: Mar 7, 2002 Draft Report on CMS Message Design ~ Sub: Apr 29, 2002

11. 5 March 2012 Texas Transportation Institute 11 Schedule ~ Task BSummarize Analyt. Support for Policies, Guidelines, Procedures, Practices 3 Draft Working Paper 4 Revised Working Paper

12. 5 March 2012 Texas Transportation Institute 12 Guidelines for CMS MessagesManualMessage Design Process

13. 5 March 2012 Texas Transportation Institute 13 Guidelines for CMS MessagesManual Introduction Background & significance of Manual Importance of TMC managers and operators to know how to design effective messages Summary of message design process

14. 5 March 2012 Texas Transportation Institute 14 Guidelines for CMS Messages Manual  Principles of CMS Operations Basic principles of CMS use Common types of applications Overview of issues for design/display of messages Relationships of message design and CMS purchase

15. 5 March 2012 Texas Transportation Institute 15 Guidelines for CMS Messages Manual  3 CMS Operations Policies Federal policies & guidelines Guidelines for developing state or region policies (23 items) Policy Policy statement example Justification and/or considerations

16. 5 March 2012 Texas Transportation Institute 16 Guidelines for CMS Messages Manual  CMS Operating Fundamentals Determine purpose of CMS Determine which CMS is appropriate Determine what to display Determine how long to display message Resolve message signing conflicts Display & verify message

17. 5 March 2012 Texas Transportation Institute 17 Guidelines for CMS Messages Manual  Principles of CMS Message Design Overview of issues for design Design of Basic CMS Message Initial guidelines for reducing Basic CMS Message Meanings of words/phrases Classification of diversion routes

18. 5 March 2012 Texas Transportation Institute 18 Guidelines for CMS Messages Manual  Dealing with Long Messages Guidelines for reducing message length Splitting messages into two frames Deleting �dead� words Abbreviations

19. 5 March 2012 Texas Transportation Institute 19 Guidelines for CMS Messages Manual  Establishing the Maximum Message Length Maximum number of units of information

20. 5 March 2012 Texas Transportation Institute 20 Guidelines for CMS Messages Manual  8 Formatting Messages Message element priorities Examples of correctly formatted messages Examples of messages that violate principles with recommendations

21. 5 March 2012 Texas Transportation Institute 21 Guidelines for CMS Messages Manual  Dynamic Features on CMSs Flashing a one-frame message Flashing message lines Alternating one line in a two-frame message

22. 5 March 2012 Texas Transportation Institute 22 Guidelines for CMS Messages Manual  Developing CMS Operations Guidelines Listing of items to include in CMS operations guidelines

23. 5 March 2012 Texas Transportation Institute 23 Guidelines for CMS Messages Manual  Appen A Message Design Process: Incident Appen B Message Design Process: Roadwork

24. 5 March 2012 Texas Transportation Institute 24 Research Topics, Issues, and Priorities Priority Scale Very High High Moderate Low Very Low

25. 5 March 2012 Texas Transportation Institute 25 Research Topics, Issues, and Priorities Priority 1 Dynamic Features on CMS Flashing an entire message Flashing one line of a one-frame message Alternating one line of text and keeping two lines constant (redundant) on a two-frame message

26. 5 March 2012 Texas Transportation Institute 26 Research Topics, Issues, and Priorities Priority 1 Cycling Time for Two-Frame CMS Message 4 sec/frame vs. 2 sec/frame with repetition 3 sec/frame as per Older Driver Handbook

27. 5 March 2012 Texas Transportation Institute 27 Research Topics, Issues, and Priorities Priority 1 CMS Message Design and Format Issues Propensity to divert with problem type Interpretation of qualitative delay messages (e.g., MAJOR DELAY, DELAY, MINOR DELAY) Inconsistent formatting of messages among state agencies relative to existing guidelines

28. 5 March 2012 Texas Transportation Institute 28 Research Topics, Issues, and Priorities Priority 1 CMSs in Highway Work Zones Conditions and applications for CMSs Best placement of CMSs for specific applications

29. 5 March 2012 Texas Transportation Institute 29 Research Topics, Issues, and Priorities Priority 1 Provision of Real-Time Travel Time Information Driver interpretation of �historical� travel time Which is best? Travel time or other direct measures of impacts (e.g., delays, speeds) Propensity for diversion Credibility of daily posting of travel time

30. 5 March 2012 Texas Transportation Institute 30 Research Topics, Issues, and Priorities Priority 2 Improvements/Better Understanding of Operational Approaches Effects & Credibility in the absence of incident Blank sign Congestion information Public service announcements Upcoming roadwork Other

31. 5 March 2012 Texas Transportation Institute 31 Research Topics, Issues, and Priorities Priority 4 Bilingual Messages (near border areas) How much demand? Impacts on understanding of messages? Impacts on reading time of messages? Displayed with English version? When is it useful?

32. 5 March 2012 Texas Transportation Institute 32 Research Topics, Issues, and Priorities Priority 5 Use of Symbols Amount of demand for symbol messages Types available to include in messages New types that might be effective Effectiveness of combining with text Legibility & Understanding

33. 5 March 2012 Texas Transportation Institute 33 Feedback from TMC PFS Members Guidelines for CMS Messages Manual What is missing? What should be deleted? Comments on organization? Disagreements with specific content? Why? Suggest something better with support. Disagreements with specific message formats? Why? Suggest something better with support.