Location: Oklahoma, USA
Date: 2010
Industry: Transportation

The Challenge​
Collect, and classify traffic data from multi-lane highways and submit results over the Internet in real-time.
The solution
Deploying hundreds of automatic traffic counter and analyzer units across the state to collect, process, and send data to the central system.
The outcome
Saving millions of dollars’ worth of manual work and securing the DOT’s data quality and credibility.

$305 Billion

FAST act fund depended on the data submitted by Nawatt’s ATCC units.

Nawatt’s ATCC unit processes daily data of 100,000 vehicles on the highways of Oklahoma state

Automating traffic data collection and classification
The Challenge

Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) is responsible for collecting and processing data on from more than 300 highways across the state both in urban and suburban areas. As to comply with FHWA’s Highway Performance Monitoring System guidelines, the mission isn’t an easy one.

The Federal Highway Administration receives data from the state’s department of transportation, however, it only provides guidance for the data formats and classifications. Each state is responsible for its data quality and integrity. The questions, concerns, and criticism that come from research centers, universities, and contractors reflect directly on the state’s ability to accurately measure the performance of their highways.

Legacy roadside equipment used to be left for many days or weeks to record traffic data for later manual collection by the department’s staff. A possible malfunctioning sensor in such equipment could cost the department loads of invalid data and the probability of such incidents was very high due to the high number of units deployed.

The Solution
Innovative Traffic Systems & Solutions (ITSS) collaborated with Nawatt to provide a fully automated approach to help ODOT compile accurate and quality data. Hundreds of Automatic Traffic Counter and Analyzer units or ATCCs were deployed on the side of the highways to count and classify vehicles. The units process the readings and send NEMA-compliant data to a central system. The units’ design and versatility allowed for multi-lane highway deployment. Each unit can count using axle sensors, and inductive loops, and can also classify traffic with axle, speed, length, and headway. The ATCC unit can also classify traffic using advanced analysis of the passing vehicles’ signature. The units are energy-efficient and are permanently powered by solar panels while sustaining Internet connectivity and eliminating the need for any human intervention making it an ideal fit for the remote locations in the state.
The Outcome

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation saves millions in site data collecting, check-up, and maintenance. The department collects accurate data efficiently and submits quality results to FHWA’s Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS).

The Congress signed the Fixing-America’s-Surface-Transportation act or the FAST act as a response to the data submitted by the states’ departments of transportation.
The submitted data revealed an urgent need for improving the nation’s transportation infrastructure to enhance safety measures and efficiency, as well as improving business operation. Oklahoma highways ships $348 billion in goods every year making it a vital player in the state’s economy.

Nawatt’s solution stood as a major contributor to the data which helped to provide a boost of approximately 15% in national highway funding and 18% in the national transit funding over the duration of the Act program which expires in 2020.

About Innovative Traffic Solutions & Systems
ITSS is a leading transportation contractor based in Oklahoma, USA. They have been awarded many transportation projects with the department of transportation (ODOT). They set a mission of lowering the planning and maintenance costs in transportation infrastructure in the state. This targets more than 12,286 miles of highways and 6,805 bridges, as well as 953 miles of state owned railroad. The company has access to projects backed with a budget of more than $1 billion. For more information, please visit itrafficsystems.com.