Transportation Management Center Concepts of Operations

OrganizationAs with any operating entity, the organizational structure of the TMC directlyimpacts its ability to operate effectively, and should be recognized explicitly inthe concept of operations. In particular, in TMCs where the level of automationis relatively low, and where liability issues and accountability dictate thatdecisions are based on judgements of highly experienced professionals, thelevels and accessibility of management are an important component of theconcept of operations.SupervisionThe number of levels of supervision and the reporting relationships can stronglyinfluence both the quality of TMC activity and its ability to respond rapidly tochanging conditions. Typically, there is a single supervisor responsible forcontrol room operations to whom the operators report directly.In some cases there are intermediate levels, such as the lead operator positionin Toronto’s COMPASS TMC, and the assistant operations supervisor in theGeorgia NaviGAtor TMC. In Washington D.C.’s WMATA train control center,the assistant supervisor is actually the operations supervisor, with the supervisorhaving additional responsibilities beyond the control room operations.Presence of additional senior levels of management within the TMC varies. TheNaviGAtor TMC hosts additional levels of Georgia DOT management, includingsenior levels with statewide responsibility, as does the COMPASS TMC and theWMATA TMC (which is located in WMATA’s headquarters building). In thesecases, access to senior decision-makers andDecision-Making AuthorityThe level of decision-making authority for the TMC operator varies, notsurprisingly, based upon the skill levels of the operations staff and the level ofautomation provided.The advanced traffic management system software in San Antonio’s TransGuideTMC requires approval by the shift supervisor before any deviation is made fromthe system-recommended incident response. Similarly, at the Northern VirginiaSmart Travel TMC, operator latitude is severely limited due to the low skill levelof contract personnel retained as operators. At the other end of the scale, thelead shift operator at the Milwaukee MONITOR has broad authority to adjusttraveler information messages, and can interface directly with the onsite lawenforcement liaison in incident response.4-31