The operations and maintenance of transportation facilities are becoming increasingly important to states and municipalities around the country. One key component of effectively operating any freeway or arterial street transportation system is a centralized operations center. Traffic or Transportation Management Centers (TMC) are by no means new developments, but today many of the newer centers reach beyond the traditional jurisdictional boundaries and roles to provide seamless coordination across multiple modes. This paper summarizes the development of one such center, the Chicago Traffic Management Center (Chicago TMC) -an effort spearheaded by the City of Chicago's Department of Transportation (CDOT), Bureau of Traffic (BOT) -and provides the reader with insights into the planning and development hurdles and successes of a centralized command and control center for a large city.
Abstract