A modeling study compared the benefits of using road weather information systems (RWIS) with the costs of reacting to prevailing weather conditions and found that RWIS technologies could reduce snow and ice control costs by as much as 10 percent.
Date Posted
09/21/2000
Identifier
2000-B00011
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Benefit-Cost Assessment of the Utility of Road Weather Information Systems for Snow and Ice Control

Summary Information

A computer model quantitatively compared the "benefits" of using road weather information system (RWIS) data to the "cost" of reacting to prevailing weather conditions. Early test results from several state highway agencies showed that snow and ice control costs could be reduced by as much as 10 percent using RWIS technologies. Computer models showed a benefit-to-costs (B/C) ratio of approximately 20.0 when comparing pro-active forecasting support with no forecasting support. When using only RWIS sensor systems the B/C ratios were small and ranged from -1.5 to almost 1.0. For the combined system of sensors, road thermography, and forecast support the model produced a B/C ratio of approximately 5.0. Average computed level of service improvements were on the order of 20 percent. Reduction in the number of Type I omission errors was as much as 90 percent.

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