The NYSTA Thruway Statewide Operations Center (TSOC) is located at the Authority's Administrative Headquarters in Albany. Operating 24 hours a day/7 days a week, It is the central location for the coordination of all traffic incident response, emergency management, and dissemination of traveler information along the entire Thruway.
| Functional Object | Description | User Defined |
| Emergency Data Collection | 'Emergency Data Collection' collects and stores emergency information that is collected in the course of operations by the Emergency Management Center. This data can be used directly by operations personnel or it can be made available to other data users and archives in the region. | False |
| Emergency Dispatch | 'Emergency Dispatch' tracks the location and status of emergency vehicles and dispatches these vehicles to incidents. Pertinent incident information is gathered from the public and other public safety agencies and relayed to the responding units. Incident status and the status of the responding units is tracked so that additional units can be dispatched and/or unit status can be returned to available when the incident is cleared and closed. | False |
| Emergency Early Warning System | 'Emergency Early Warning System' monitors alerting and advisory systems, information collected by ITS surveillance and sensors, and reports from other agencies and uses this information to identify potential, imminent, or in-progress major incidents or disasters. Notification is provided to initiate the emergency response, including public notification using ITS traveler information systems, where appropriate. | False |
| Emergency Environmental Monitoring | 'Emergency Environmental Monitoring' collects current and forecast road conditions and surface weather information from a variety of sources. The collected environmental information is monitored and presented to the operator and used to more effectively manage incidents. | False |
| Emergency Evacuation Support | 'Emergency Evacuation Support' coordinates evacuation plans among allied agencies and manages evacuation and reentry of a population in the vicinity of a disaster or other emergency that poses a risk to public safety. Where appropriate, the affected population is evacuated in shifts, using more than one evacuation route, and including several evacuation destinations to spread demand and thereby expedite the evacuation. All affected jurisdictions (e.g., states and counties) at the evacuation origin, evacuation destination, and along the evacuation route are informed of the plan. The public is provided with real-time evacuation guidance including basic information to assist potential evacuees in determining whether evacuation is necessary. Resource requirements are forecast based on the evacuation plans, and the necessary resources are located, shared between agencies if necessary, and deployed at the right locations at the appropriate times. The evacuation and reentry status are monitored and used to refine the plan and resource allocations during the evacuation and subsequent reentry. It communicates with public health systems to develop evacuation plans and recommended strategies for disasters and evacuation scenarios involving biological or other medical hazards. | False |
| Emergency Incident Command | 'Emergency Incident Command' provides tactical decision support, resource coordination, and communications integration for Incident Commands that are established by first responders at or near the incident scene to support local management of an incident. It supports communications with public safety, emergency management, transportation, and other allied response agency centers, tracks and maintains resource information, action plans, and the incident command organization itself. Information is shared with agency centers including resource deployment status, hazardous material information, traffic, road, and weather conditions, evacuation advice, and other information that enables emergency or maintenance personnel in the field to implement an effective, safe incident response. It supports the functions and interfaces commonly supported by a mobile command center. | False |
| Emergency Response Management | 'Emergency Response Management' provides the strategic emergency response capabilities and broad inter-agency interfaces that are implemented for extraordinary incidents and disasters that require response from outside the local community. It provides the functional capabilities and interfaces commonly associated with Emergency Operations Centers. It develops and stores emergency response plans and manages overall coordinated response to emergencies. It monitors real-time information on the state of the regional transportation system including current traffic and road conditions, weather conditions, special event and incident information. It tracks the availability of resources and assists in the appropriate allocation of these resources for a particular emergency response. It also provides coordination between multiple allied agencies before and during emergencies to implement emergency response plans and track progress through the incident. It also coordinates with the public through the Emergency Telecommunication Systems (e.g., Reverse 911). It coordinates with public health systems to provide the most appropriate response for emergencies involving biological or other medical hazards. | False |
| Emergency Secure Area Alarm Support | 'Emergency Secure Area Alarm Support' receives traveler or transit vehicle operator alarm messages, notifies the system operator, and provides acknowledgement of alarm receipt back to the originator of the alarm. The alarms received can be generated by silent or audible alarm systems and may originate from public areas (e.g. transit stops, park and ride lots, transit stations, rest areas) or transit vehicles. The nature of the emergency may be determined based on the information in the alarm message as well as other inputs. | False |
| Emergency Secure Area Surveillance | 'Emergency Secure Area Surveillance' monitors surveillance inputs from secure areas in the transportation system. The surveillance may be of secure areas frequented by travelers (i.e., transit stops, transit stations, rest areas, park and ride lots, modal interchange facilities, on-board a transit vehicle, etc.) or around transportation infrastructure such as bridges, tunnels and transit railways or guideways. It provides both video and audio surveillance information to emergency personnel and automatically alerts emergency personnel of potential incidents. | False |
| ITS Data Subscription Management | 'ITS Data Subscription Management' manages data subscriptions for an end user. It provides access to a catalog of available data, manages the necessary user information and rules that govern the data subscriptions, supports communications with data providers to collect data per the subscription rules, and makes the data available to the end user. It provides the local user interface through which a user can specify and manage subscriptions. It supports different mechanisms for collecting subscribed data for the end-user including one-time query-response as well as publish-subscribe services. | False |
| MCM Data Collection | 'MCM Data Collection' collects and stores maintenance and construction information that is collected in the course of operations by the Maintenance and Construction Management Center. This data can be used directly by operations personnel or it can be made available to other data users and archives in the region. | False |
| MCM Environmental Information Collection | 'MCM Environmental Information Collection' collects current road and weather conditions using data collected from environmental sensors deployed on and about the roadway. In addition to fixed sensor stations at the roadside, this functional object also collects environmental information from sensor systems located on Maintenance and Construction Vehicles. It also collects current and forecast environmental conditions information that is made available by other systems. The functional object aggregates the sensor system data and provides it, along with data attributes to other applications. | False |
| MCM Environmental Information Processing | 'MCM Environmental Information Processing' processes current and forecast weather data, road condition information, local environmental data, and uses internal models to develop specialized detailed forecasts of local weather and surface conditions. The processed environmental information products are presented to center personnel and disseminated to other centers. | False |
| MCM Incident Management | 'MCM Incident Management' supports maintenance and construction participation in coordinated incident response. Incident notifications are shared, incident response resources are managed, and the overall incident situation and incident response status is coordinated among allied response organizations. | False |
| MCM Infrastructure Monitoring | 'MCM Infrastructure Monitoring' monitors the condition of pavement, bridges, tunnels, associated hardware, and other transportation-related infrastructure (e.g., culverts). It monitors the infrastructure, collecting data from both fixed and vehicle-based sensors. In addition to specialized infrastructure monitoring sensors, it also monitors the broader population of equipped vehicles for vertical acceleration data and other situation data that may be used to determine current pavement condition. | False |
| MCM Maintenance Decision Support | 'MCM Maintenance Decision Support' recommends maintenance courses of action based on current and forecast environmental and road conditions and additional application specific information. Decisions are supported through understandable presentation of filtered and fused environmental and road condition information for specific time horizons as well as specific maintenance recommendations that are generated by the system based on this integrated information. The recommended courses of action are supported by information on the anticipated consequences of action or inaction, when available. | False |
| MCM Reduced Speed Zone Warning | 'MCM Reduced Speed Zone Warning' supports remote control and monitoring of reduced speed zone warning roadside equipment. It provides posted speed limits and associated schedules and information about associated road configuration changes including lane merges and shifts. It monitors field equipment operation and reports current status to the operator. | False |
| MCM Roadway Maintenance | 'MCM Roadway Maintenance' provides overall management and support for routine maintenance on a roadway system or right-of-way. Services managed include landscape maintenance, hazard removal (roadway debris, dead animals), routine maintenance activities (roadway cleaning, grass cutting), and repair and maintenance of non-ITS equipment on the roadway (e.g., signs, gantries, cabinets, guard rails, etc.). Environmental conditions information is also received from various weather sources to aid in scheduling routine maintenance activities. See also MCM Field Equipment Maintenance for maintenance of ITS field equipment. | False |
| MCM Winter Maintenance Management | 'MCM Winter Maintenance Management' manages winter road maintenance, tracking and controlling snow plow operations, roadway treatment (e.g., salt spraying and other material applications), and other snow and ice control operations. It monitors environmental conditions and weather forecasts and uses the information to schedule winter maintenance activities, determine the appropriate snow and ice control response, and track and manage response operations. | False |
| MCM Work Activity Coordination | 'MCM Work Activity Coordination' disseminates work activity schedules and current asset restrictions to other agencies. Work schedules are coordinated with operating agencies, factoring in the needs and activities of other agencies and adjacent jurisdictions. Work schedules are also distributed to Transportation Information Centers for dissemination to the traveling public. | False |
| MCM Work Zone Management | 'MCM Work Zone Management' remotely monitors and supports work zone activities, controlling traffic through dynamic message signs (DMS), Highway Advisory Radio (HAR), gates and barriers, and informing other groups of activity (e.g., traveler information, traffic management, other maintenance and construction centers) for better coordination management. Work zone speeds, and delays, and closures are provided to the motorist prior to the work zones. This application provides control of field equipment in all maintenance areas, including fixed and portable field equipment supporting both stationary and mobile work zones. | False |
| TMC Barrier System Management | 'TMC Barrier System Management' remotely monitors and controls barrier systems for transportation facilities and infrastructure under control of center personnel. Barrier systems include automatic or remotely controlled gates, barriers and other access control systems. It also provides an interface to other centers to allow monitoring and control of the barriers from other centers (e.g., public safety or emergency operations centers). | False |
| TMC Basic Surveillance | 'TMC Basic Surveillance' remotely monitors and controls traffic sensor systems and surveillance (e.g., CCTV) equipment, and collects, processes and stores the collected traffic data. Current traffic information and other real-time transportation information is also collected from other centers. The collected information is provided to traffic operations personnel and made available to other centers. | False |
| TMC Data Collection | 'TMC Data Collection' collects and stores information that is created in the course of traffic operations performed by the Traffic Management Center. This data can be used directly by operations personnel or it can be made available to other data users and archives in the region. | False |
| TMC Demand Management Coordination | 'TMC Demand Management Coordination' provides the capability to gather information on regional toll, parking, and transit usage and request changes to pricing and other mechanisms to manage overall transportation demand. | False |
| TMC Dynamic Lane Management and Shoulder Use | 'TMC Dynamic Lane Management and Shoulder Use' remotely monitors and controls the system that is used to dynamically manage travel lanes, including temporary use of shoulders as travel lanes. It monitors traffic conditions and demand measured in the field and determines when the lane configuration of the roadway should be changed, when intersections and/or interchanges should be reconfigured, when the shoulders should be used for travel (as a lane), when lanes should be designated for use by special vehicles only, such as buses, high occupancy vehicles (HOVs), vehicles attending a special event, etc. and/or when types of vehicles should be prohibited or restricted from using particular lanes. It controls the field equipment used to manage and control specific lanes and the shoulders. It also can automatically notify the enforcement agency of lane control violations. | False |
| TMC Environmental Monitoring | 'TMC Environmental Monitoring' assimilates current and forecast road conditions and surface weather information using a combination of weather service provider information, information collected by other centers such as the Maintenance and Construction Management Center, data collected from environmental sensors deployed on and about the roadway, and information collected from connected vehicles. The collected environmental information is monitored and presented to the operator. This information can be used to issue general traveler advisories and support location specific warnings to drivers. | False |
| TMC Evacuation Support | 'TMC Evacuation Support' supports development, coordination, and execution of special traffic management strategies during evacuation and subsequent reentry of a population in the vicinity of a disaster or major emergency. A traffic management strategy is developed based on anticipated demand, the capacity of the road network including access to and from the evacuation routes, and existing and forecast conditions. The strategy supports efficient evacuation and also protects and optimizes movement of response vehicles and other resources that are responding to the emergency. | False |
| TMC Incident Detection | 'TMC Incident Detection' identifies and reports incidents to Traffic Operations Personnel. It remotely monitors and controls traffic sensor and surveillance systems that support incident detection and verification. It analyzes and reduces the collected sensor and surveillance data, external alerting and advisory and incident reporting systems, anticipated demand information from intermodal freight depots, border crossings, special event information, and identifies and reports incidents and hazardous conditions | False |
| TMC Incident Dispatch Coordination | 'TMC Incident Dispatch Coordination' formulates and manages an incident response that takes into account the incident potential, incident impacts, and resources required for incident management. It provides information to support dispatch and routing of emergency response and service vehicles as well as coordination with other cooperating agencies. It provides access to traffic management resources that provide surveillance of the incident, traffic control in the surrounding area, and support for the incident response. It monitors the incident response and collects performance measures such as incident response and clearance times. | False |
| TMC In-Vehicle Signing Management | 'TMC In-Vehicle Signing Management' controls and monitors RSEs that support in-vehicle signing. Sign information that may include static regulatory, service, and directional sign information as well as variable information such as traffic and road conditions can be provided to the RSE, which uses short range communications to send the information to in-vehicle equipment. Information that is currently being communicated to passing vehicles and the operational status of the field equipment is monitored by this application. The operational status of the field equipment is reported to operations personnel. | False |
| TMC Passive Surveillance | 'TMC Passive Surveillance' collects time stamped vehicle identities from different detection zones, correlates the identities, and calculates link travel times and derives other traffic measures. | False |
| TMC Regional Traffic Management | 'TMC Regional Traffic Management' supports coordination between Traffic Management Centers in order to share traffic information between centers as well as control of traffic management field equipment. This coordination supports wide area optimization and regional coordination that spans jurisdictional boundaries; for example, coordinated signal control in a metropolitan area or coordination between freeway operations and arterial signal control within a corridor. | False |
| TMC Reversible Lane Management | 'TMC Reversible Lane Management' remotely monitors and controls reversible lanes. It provides an interface to reversible lane field equipment (traffic sensors, surveillance equipment, lane control signals, physical lane access controls, etc.) and to traffic operations personnel to support central monitoring and control of these facilities. | False |
| TMC Roadway Equipment Monitoring | 'TMC Roadway Equipment Monitoring' monitors the operational status of field equipment and detects failures. It presents field equipment status to Traffic Operations Personnel and reports failures to the Maintenance and Construction Management Center. It tracks the repair or replacement of the failed equipment. The entire range of ITS field equipment may be monitored including sensors (traffic, infrastructure, environmental, security, speed, etc.) and devices (highway advisory radio, dynamic message signs, automated roadway treatment systems, barrier and safeguard systems, cameras, traffic signals and override equipment, ramp meters, beacons, security surveillance equipment, etc.). | False |
| TMC Service Patrol Management | 'TMC Service Patrol Management' supports dispatch and communication with service patrol vehicles that monitor roads to aid motorists, offering rapid response to minor incidents. | False |
| TMC Signal Control | 'TMC Signal Control' provides the capability for traffic managers to monitor and manage the traffic flow at signalized intersections. This capability includes analyzing and reducing the collected data from traffic surveillance equipment and developing and implementing control plans for signalized intersections. Control plans may be developed and implemented that coordinate signals at many intersections under the domain of a single Traffic Management Center and are responsive to traffic conditions and adapt to support incidents, preemption and priority requests, pedestrian crossing calls, etc. | False |
| TMC Situation Data Management | 'TMC Situation Data Management' collects, assimilates, and disseminates vehicle probe data collected from roadside short range communications equipment and centers controlling transit vehicles, toll collection points, and route-guided vehicles. It estimates traffic and road conditions based on the aggregated probe data and disseminates this information to other centers. | False |
| TMC Speed Warning | 'TMC Speed Warning' supports remote control and monitoring of reduced speed zone warning roadside equipment. It provides the location and extent of the reduced speed zone, the posted speed limit(s) with information about the applicability of the speed limit(s) (e.g., time of day, day of week, seasonality, relevant vehicle types) and information about associated road configuration changes including lane merges and shifts. It monitors field equipment operation and reports current status to the operator. | False |
| TMC Traffic Information Dissemination | 'TMC Traffic Information Dissemination' disseminates traffic and road conditions, closure and detour information, incident information, driver advisories, and other traffic-related data to other centers, the media, and driver information systems. It monitors and controls driver information system field equipment including dynamic message signs and highway advisory radio, managing dissemination of driver information through these systems. | False |
| TMC Traffic Management Decision Support | 'TMC Traffic Management Decision Support' recommends courses of action to the traffic operator based on current and forecast road and traffic conditions. Traffic incidents, special events, maintenance activities and other events or conditions that impact capacity or demand are monitored. Historical data and models are used to compare the impact of potential courses of action and make recommendations to the operator. Decisions are supported through presentation of filtered and fused network-wide road and traffic conditions that identify network imbalances and recommended courses of action. The recommended actions may include predefined incident response plans, signal timing plan changes, DMS/HAR messages, truck restrictions, lane control strategies, metering strategies, and adjustment of variable speed limits. Multimodal strategies may also be recommended that include suggested transit strategies and suggested route and mode choices for travelers. Once a course of action is selected, traffic operations personnel implement these actions within the Traffic Management Center and coordinate the response with other centers in the region. | False |
| TMC Traffic Metering | 'TMC Traffic Metering' provides center monitoring and control of traffic metering systems including on ramps, through interchanges, and on the mainline roadway. All types of metering are covered including pre-timed/fixed time, time-based, dynamic and adaptive metering strategies and special bypasses. Metering rates can be calculated based upon historical data or current conditions including traffic, air quality, etc. | False |
| TMC Traffic Network Performance Evaluation | 'TMC Traffic Network Performance Evaluation' measures traffic network performance and predicts travel demand patterns to support traffic flow optimization, demand management, and incident management. It collects traffic data from sensors and surveillance equipment as well as input from other Traffic Management Centers, emissions management, transit operations, and event promoters and uses this information to measure traffic network performance. It collects route planning information from transportation information centers and integrates and uses this information to predict future traffic conditions. The planned control strategies can be passed back to the transportation information center so that the intended strategies can be reflected in future route planning. | False |
| TMC Variable Speed Limits | 'TMC Variable Speed Limits' provides center monitoring and control of variable speed limits systems. It monitors data on traffic and environmental conditions collected from sensors along the roadway. Based on the measured data, it calculates and sets suitable speed limits usually by lane. It controls equipment that posts the current speed limits and displays additional information such as basic safety rules and current traffic information to drivers. | False |
| TMC Work Zone Traffic Management | 'TMC Work Zone Traffic Management' coordinates work plans with maintenance systems so that work zones are established that have minimum traffic impact. Traffic control strategies are implemented to further mitigate traffic impacts associated with work zones that are established, providing work zone information to driver information systems such as dynamic message signs. | False |
