Transportation Management Center Concepts of Operations

CoordinationIntroductionInterorganizational and intraorganizational coordination and cooperation areessential for the TMC to accomplish its mission effectively. The concept ofoperations should identify the role of each cooperating agency and organizationin accomplishing the mission/vision/goals/objectives of the TMC, proceeding tosuccessively more detailed levels of description of the methods in which theorganizations interact. The most fundamental analysis documents:List of TRANSCOMMember AgenciesConn. Dept. ofTransportationMetro TransportationAuthorityMTA Bridges &TinnelsNJ Dept. ofTransportationNJ TransitNJ Turnpike AuthorityNYC Dept. ofTransportationNY State Dept ofTransportationNY State PoliceNY State ThruwayAuthorityPalisades InterstatePark CommissionPort AuthorityTrans-Hudson Corp.Port Authority of NewYork and New Jersey• The circumstances which bring about interaction• Between whom the interaction takes place (which organizations, at whatlevels)• How it takes place (vocal, telephone, radio, fax, e-mail)• What the interaction contains (what information, what request)• How each party responds to the interaction (information, action, request foradditional information or support)• How the interaction continues or resumes (monitoring and reporting of statusof causative situation; thresholds for additional action)• What triggers termination of the interaction (return to baseline conditions)• How the interaction is documented• How the termination is confirmedThe level of interaction may be high, constituting an ordinary component ofmost activity, particularly in TMCs housing several agencies, such as Houston’sTranStar facility or San Antonio’s TransGuide TMC.TRANSCOM in the New York/New Jersey/Connecticut region began its existenceessentially as a “switchboard” for interorganizational interaction, receivinginformation from one organization and distributing it to others. TRANSCOMadded value by taking a regional view, and requesting or recommending actionsby organizations other than the one(s) originating the information. For example,a major problem in the Lincoln Tunnel could result in requests for changes ofsignal timing, transit capacity, lane allocation, and various traveler informationactions on the part of several agencies whose jurisdictions would be impacted,and whose resources could contribute to an effective response to the incident.An element which the concept of operations must consider, particularly whendealing with sharing of video or information from law enforcement agencies, isthe level and method of providing security to information which may besensitive.4-25