The Transportation Mangement Center (TMC) is the central hub for all things transportation-related in the state of Vermont. The TMC acts as the nucleus for collecting, monitoring, verifying, and responding to traffic conditions, often disseminating important information to other agencies and the public. The TMC is the communications base for the Agency and facilitates radio communications throughout the state. Weather, storm alerts, and road conditions are transmitted to the Agency regularly and the media is kept informed of road conditions as well.
Mission Statement: Detect, verify, and respond to incidents affecting mobility on Vermont’s transportation infrastructure. Provide the public and state agencies with timely, accurate, and impactful travel information to promote safe and efficient travel 24 hours per day. Support maintenance districts and practice reliable and consistent communication into and out of the TMC.
About Us: The TMC connects the Agency of Transportation to the State Police Dispatcher centers, Vermont Emergency Management, other state agencies, and the motoring public. The center operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Operators manage traffic at the TMC by coordinating with responders and stakeholders, controlling Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) equipment, and developing and implementing incident response plans.
Functions/Responsiblities: TMC Operators are primarily responsible for:
- Traffic Incident Management - Operators are responsible for receiving and disseminating incident information by documenting, activating, and updating information in an Advanced Traffic Management Software (ATMS) system that pushes data to a tri-state Traveler Information System (TIS), New England 511, and to the navigation application called WAZE. Operators activate Dynamic Message Signs (DMS) with incident information as well as post to Twitter and Facebook.
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Recurring Traffic Management - Regularly occurring congestion on high demand roadways or travel through work zones during construction and maintenance projects is managed by the TMC in a similar manner to singular traffic incidents promoting safety and increasing mobility for typical travel throughout the state.
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Special Event Management - TMC operators support special events by improving traffic flow in the areas to, from, and around the event by communication through DMS boards, monitoring impacts, and posting information on social networks.
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Road & Weather Coordination - TMC operator's role prior to, during and after a weather event varies based on the type and severity of the event.
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Emergency Operations - TMC Operators support the operations of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) when disaster events occur. They work with the VTrans Duty Officers to keep the flow of information to the public and other state agencies as up-to-date as possible.
Traveler Information: By distributing traffic information to travelers they are more aware of road conditions and can make informed decisions regarding alternative routes. Mobility can also be improved as drivers diverge to other roads and incident response times are reduced due to more effective working environments for the responders
- Resources for travelers: Traffic Cameras, 511 Website, Road Conditions Report, WAZE, VT Alert
Traffic Management: Managing traffic involves both responding to unplanned incidents as well as recurring operational planned incidents. Incidents are non-recurring situations that range from minor accidents that affect traffic flow in an isolated area to hazardous weather events that affect the entire state. Recurring events are recurrent congestion that may be a result of ongoing construction or limited roadway capacity. Both can cause significant amounts of congestion, particularly during morning and afternoon commutes.
Direct Communication: State and local response agencies coordinate with TMC operators via radio, phone, or email for traffic management efforts so that TMC operators can dispatch and deploy Agency of Transportation personnel and resources.
Indirect Communication: Operators monitor traffic heat maps available from Google and Waze. This can be used as a detection tool or as a verification tool to confirm questionable information.
Internal Communications: Operators are in constant communication with the Maintenance Bureau regarding road conditions, road maintenance, road debris, crashes, and congestion.
Intelligent Transportation Systems: ITS technology can be defined as the application of information technology to surface transportation to achieve enhanced safety and mobility, while also reducing the environmental impact of transportation.
The current ITS infrastructure in VT includes Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras, Dynamic Message Signs (DMS), Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS), as well as cellular modems and solar power systems that support this infrastructure. These devices serve as the primary method of communication to travelers and TMC operators. The CCTV cameras and RWIS sensors provide to the TMC operators a clearer picture of traffic flow and weather conditions on major roadways.