EasyWay
Evaluation Expert Group (EEG) Document – EEG/11/7
Highways Agency Weather
Information Service
Final Version
Issue: 1st edition
Version: 1.0
Date: 5 March 2013
Peer review:
Distribution level: Public
Status: Final
TABLE OF CONTENTS
REPORT TEMPLATE
4
Project Reference: UK 1-35, (UK 1-36)
4
Project Name: Highways Agency Weather Information Service (HAWIS)
4
EasyWay Euro Region: CENTRICO
4
1.
Key Evaluation Results
5
1.1.
Impact on Traffic Flow
5
1.2.
Impact on Safety
5
1.3.
Impact on Environment
5
1.4.
Other Key Results
5
2.
Description of the Problem
6
2.1.
Site
6
2.2.
Issues Addressed
6
3.
Description of the ITS Project
8
3.1.
Service Area
8
3.2.
Key Words
8
3.3.
Objectives
8
3.4.
Systems and Technologies Applied
9
3.5.
Costs
9
3.6.
Status of the Project
9
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4.
Evaluation Planned
10
4.1.
Timing and Type of Evaluation
10
4.2.
Objectives for the Evaluation
10
4.3.
Research Questions
10
4.4.
Study Area for the Evaluation
10
4.5.
Expected Impacts
10
4.6.
Expected Methods
10
5.
The Impact of the Project - Results
11
5.1.
Technical Performance
11
5.2.
Results
11
5.3.
Reliability of Results
12
5.4.
Research Questions Answered
13
5.5.
Overall Assessment
13
5.5.1.
SAFETY
13
5.5.2.
EFFICIENCY
13
5.5.3.
ENVIRONMENT
13
6.
European Dimension: Transferability of the Results
15
Annex 1: Technical Annex
15
Selected Indicators
15
Breakdown of Project Costs
15
Data Collection Methods
15
Other Technical Aspects e.g. Modelling
15
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REPORT TEMPLATE
Project Reference: UK 1-35, (UK 1-36)
Project Name: Highways Agency Weather Information Service (HAWIS)
EasyWay Euro Region: CENTRICO
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1. Key Evaluation Results
Presented below is a brief summary of the results concerning this project.
1.1. Impact on Traffic Flow
The project concerned the deployment of an updated and more comprehensive weather information
service. Its data is used to manage the impact of adverse weather conditions on the network and
hence contribute to improving traffic flow prior to, and during adverse weather on the motorways and
trunk road network. Congestion management will be, and is expected to be improved as a result of
this project.
1.2. Impact on Safety
The business case predicts, and it is expected that, 1 serious accident will be saved every two years
as a result of implementing this project. This can be confirmed three years after implementation.
1.3. Impact on Environment
This measure is not applicable to this project
1.4. Other Key Results
All user requirements for improved functionality, quality of data and granularity of data have been met.
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2. Description of the Problem
The ever increasing need to operate the road network efficiently and effectively, to make use of real
time information on network performance, and to accommodate impacting factors, including the
weather, has emphasised the importance of obtaining year-round accurate weather information for
the Highways Agency. The Highways Agency is an Executive Agency of the Department for Transport
(DfT) responsible for operating, maintaining and improving the strategic road network in England on
behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport.
The Highways Agency has had a limited road weather information system in place for several years.
However, this was primarily set up for winter service running from 01 October to the 30 April each
year. It provided managers and operatives with the necessary weather information required to
undertake winter road treatments in response to adverse weather.
In recent years the Agency has extended its asset maintainer role to embrace broader network
management requirements. This includes the operation of regional and national control centres.
Furthermore, the Agency is targeted with the need to improve journey time reliability and improve
overall service to road users.
This has meant that an effective response to prevailing weather conditions has become central to
meeting Highways Agency management targets. In response, real time data and consequential
weather impacts on the network is needed on a continuous basis to support network management
decision processes.
2.1. Site
The Highways Agency Weather Information System (HAWIS) is a major development on the existing
system deployed several years ago. Not only is its functionality improved, but also its geographical
deployment has increased to cover the English Motorway network and elements of the Trunk road
network throughout England.
2.2. Issues Addressed
The issues that have been addressed as a result of the deployment of the new Highways Agency
Weather Information Systems are as follows:
1) Greater geographical spread of the systems across the motorway and trunk road network
allowing the Agency to gain a more comprehensive picture of the weather conditions across the
Agencies operational area.
2) Improved granularity of data acquisition along routes;
3) Extended data classes;
4) Improved data quality;
5) Improved weather data acquisition, processing and reporting;
6) Improve dissemination of data to managers and road users;
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7) Ability to make better use of data to improve road network management;
8) Creation of a single interface to obtain a ‘weather view’;
9) Ability to produce national and local weather forecasts,
10) Improved availability through better maintenance,
11) Improved perception of reliability of weather information generated by the Highways Agency.
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3. Description of the ITS Project
3.1. Service Area
The EasyWay Service area for this project is:
1) CS11 Traveller Information Services.
2) Activity – Weather Information Services.
3.2. Key Words
Key words to describe the nature of the project and the applications used are as follows as follows:
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Traveller Information
Weather
Information
Service
Real Time data
Weather Station
Environmental monitoring
Data Acquisition
Motorways
Trunk Roads
Winter Maintenance
Journey Time Reliability
Adverse Weather Conditions
Weather Central Service
Weather View
Weather Forecast
Safety
Congestion
3.3. Objectives
Related to EasyWay objectives and objectives of the project Sponsor
The EasyWay projects overarching objectives which are expected to be achieved by 2020 are as
follows:
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25% improvement in road safety by 2020;
25% decrease in congestion, facilitate travel and mobility of people and goods by 2020; and
10% reduction in the impact on the Environment by 2020.
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The introduction of the Highways Agency Weather Information Service contributes to supporting
improvements in safety through enabling Highways Agency Traffic Control Centres to alert media of
adverse weather conditions that might impact safety of road users, report this information using other
channels such as VMS and the Highways Agency Information Points, and undertake interventions to
reduce risk through effective winter treatment of roads.
Furthermore, comprehensive weather information enables national and regional traffic control centres
to reduce the likelihood of congestion by advising travellers not to make use of certain routes where
adverse weather is likely to result in abnormal congestion and consequential risk to life.
3.4. Systems and Technologies Applied
The systems deployed for the Highways Agency Weather Information Systems comprise of the;
 Deployment of approximately 250 environmental monitoring systems at the roadside that
measure air temperature, road surface temperature and conditions, wind speed, wind direction,
atmospheric pressure and humidity / precipitation.

Implementation of the Weather Central Service that brings together disparate weather
information sources including national severe weather warning services, flood alerts, weather
forecasts and current data from roadside sensors.
 Provision of a dedicated web service.
 Functions to undertake historic analysis and forecasts.
3.5. Costs
The actual cost of the systems deployed at the roadside and the back office systems implemented to
compile and report weather information to traffic control centres and users was approximately
€15.0m.
3.6. Status of the Project
This project was completed in 2012. There are a number of further minor enhancements expected to
be implemented in the coming years.
The project commenced implementation in 2010.
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4. Evaluation Planned
4.1. Timing and Type of Evaluation
This project will not be independently evaluated by the Highways Agency following its deployment.
The evaluation is therefore restricted to expected outcomes and results that are understood in outline
as of February 2013. These are in turn based on the comprehensive business plan for the project.
The deployment was completed in 2012.
4.2. Objectives for the Evaluation
This is not applicable
4.3. Research Questions
This is not applicable
4.4. Study Area for the Evaluation
The information regarding the results of this project is the site of the ITS deployment which is the
English Motorway and Trunk Road Network.
4.5. Expected Impacts
As the expected impacts are those anticipated in the project business plan, this information is
recorded under the results section below.
4.6. Expected Methods
This is not applicable.
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5. The Impact of the Project - Results
5.1. Technical Performance
The business plan expected certain benefits to be derived following deployment of the systems.
These are indicated below. Following a review of the project it is possible to state where these have
been achieved:
Expected Improvement
Greater geographical spread of the environmental
monitoring
Improved granularity of data acquisition
Delivered successfully
in 2012 ?
Yes
Yes
Extended data classes
Yes
Improved data quality
Yes
Improved weather data acquisition, processing and
reporting
Yes
Improve dissemination of data to managers and road users
Yes
Ability to make better use of data to improve road network
management;
Yes
Creation of a single interface to obtain a ‘weather view’;
Yes
Ability to produce national and local weather forecasts,
Yes
Improved availability through better maintenance.
Yes
Improved perception of reliability of weather information
generated by the Highways Agency.
Too early to confirm
but indications are this
has improved.
Too early to confirm.
Three years of
operation needed for
the analysis.
Reduction in number of serious accidents
5.2. Results
The Agency developed the business case to deploy a more flexible, lower cost service which could
deliver data to the right people in a timely manner and to the right level of accuracy.
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The Agency assessed each component of the solution, from the management and operation of
environmental monitoring equipment at the road side, the functions required by users, and the
requirements for the provision of national and local weather forecasts. This enabled the Highways
Agency to evaluate how each element could be improved to support time-critical operational decision
making.
The requirements were used to procure the new systems and as a result, the new HAWIS now
delivers an all year round service provision with wider, improved and standardised access to forecast
and actual weather data. The new service uses open protocols. This allows detailed information
concerning roadside conditions to be fed directly to traffic control centres, allowing automated setting
of signs and more timely and localised weather forecasts to be created.
Ultimately, this will improve overall service delivery to road users at a more economic cost, allow them
to modify their proposed journeys in line with the conditions, and improve overall safety.
The Net present value (NPV) calculations indicate a value in excess of £100,000 per year. If HAWIS
achieves the expected saving of one serious accident every two years nationally, the system will pay
for itself in 1 year. Whether this has been achieved cannot be confirmed at this early stage after
deployment of the improved systems. Three years of accident data will be required to report this
expected outcome with any accuracy.
As well as savings through reductions in traffic accidents, the system will also reduce traffic delays,
improve emergency response activity and drive fuel economy. These are all aligned with the
objectives for EasyWay. The benefits/cost ratio (BCR) for winter maintenance activity as a whole is
widely accepted as 8:1 of which a 2:1 ratio is attributed to the weather information systems supporting
decision making.
The introduction of the Highways Agency Weather Information Service contributes to supporting
improvements in safety through enabling Highways Agency Traffic Control Centres to alert media of
adverse weather conditions that might impact safety of road users, report this information using other
channels such as VMS and the Highways Agency Information Points, and undertake interventions to
reduce risk through effective winter treatment of roads. See above for the expected benefits to cost
ratio and expected saving in accidents.
Furthermore comprehensive weather information enables national and regional traffic control centres
to reduce the likelihood of congestion through advising travellers not to make use of certain routes
where adverse weather is likely to result in abnormal congestion and consequential risk to life.
5.3. Reliability of Results
The results and outcomes currently understood following the deployment process can be considered
accurate to the extent that they are based on best information available following introduction of the
systems in 2012. A full independent evaluation is not programmed, but early indications of the results
are given above.
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5.4. Research Questions Answered
This is not applicable.
5.5. Overall Assessment
Below is a brief summary of the main findings in terms of their impact on European objectives under
the headings below.
5.5.1. SAFETY
It is too early to assess this with any rigour, but the expectation is that one serious accident will be
saved every two years across England.
5.5.2. EFFICIENCY
It is a little too early to access, but there is a strong indication and expectation that there will be an
improvement in management of the network particularly ahead of adverse weather, when adverse
weather is forecast, and during adverse weather conditions as more accurate real time data will be
available to support decision making.
5.5.3. ENVIRONMENT
This is not applicable.
On the following a plan is included that illustrates where adverse weather conditions impact road
operation. Data from the HAWIS has been used to help compile this information.
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6. European Dimension: Transferability of the Results
The HAWIS service has gone live in 2012 and the learning would be transferable to other European
National Road Authorities.
Other Authorities would benefit from deployment of a service similar to HAWIS where adverse
weather conditions are experienced or their road networks are heavily trafficked and susceptible to
congestion.
Annex 1: Technical Annex
Selected Indicators
The selected indicator for this project was 500Km of new service to be deployed. On conclusion of the
project, this indicator was more than succeeded.
Breakdown of Project Costs
The actual cost of the systems deployed at the roadside and the back office systems implemented to
compile and report weather information to traffic control centres and users, was approximately
€15.0m.
Data Collection Methods
This is not applicable to this evaluation report.
Other Technical Aspects e.g. Modelling
This is not applicable to this evaluation report.
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