/ SUCCESS STORY

ROADS SEPTEMBER 2014

Improved Weather Information Drives Operational Efficiencies for City After examining the efficiency of Derby City’s winter maintenance treatment practices, Mr. Dave Kinsey and the Derby City Council turned to Vaisala’s Road Weather team to build a new maintenance program designed around Derby City’s road network system. The innovative approach, using both Road Weather Information Systems and Vaisala’s RoadDSS® Navigator software, saw an immediate positive return on investment, which is forecasted to continue through coming years.

Looking for a Solution to an Urban Road Network Problem Located in the region of England, Derby is a city of approximately 250,000 people, covering an area of 30 square miles (78 km2 ) and is traversed by 455 miles (732km) of roadway. Historically, the city council winter maintenance treatment regime followed the decision-making of County Council, which is responsible for the road network surrounding the city. The County of Derbyshire is divided in to a number of forecast domains, the most southerly of which included Derby City. Treatment decisions for the city were therefore aligned with those of the more rural county network.

Challenge Solution Benefits ▪ The urban environment of ▪ Derby City installed a Vaisala ▪ Through the Road Weather Derby city provided defense Road Weather Station on the city Information System and Vaisala from hard winter conditions, road network, including non- RoadDSS Navigator, it was but maintenance practices were invasive road surface condition discovered that, on average, based on colder, rural routes and temperature sensors Derby City observed surface temperatures 1-2 degrees Gritter drivers were applying Observations were viewed ▪ ▪ warmer than rural areas preventative measures when through Vaisala’s web-based road conditions were safe, RoadDSS Navigator Software ▪ During the first winter, 2012/13, 25 fewer treatments were applied, wasting time and resources A thermal-mapping exercise was ▪ saving approximately £50,000 ▪ Derby City was without their completed, highlighting sections own Road Weather Information of the roadway that were relatively ▪ Winter of 2013/14 saw similar System, which provides local cold to the network average treatment savings; 21 treatments were prevented through early weather and surface condition Using Vaisala RoadDSS Manager ▪ January 2014 observations gave all users one concise location for all decision making information, from observations to policies and procedures Finding a Solution much more straightforward, removing the need to cut in to the road surface. “The software was easy During 2011, Mr. David Kinsey, It also offered the option to relocate the to use and provided a Streetpride Area Manager - Highways station more easily and cost effectively, and Derby City Council began to reflect number of reporting options if needed. According to Mr. Kinsey, “The on the city’s winter maintenance software was easy to use and provided resulting in less staff time treatment practices, questioning the a number of reporting options resulting taken in preparing third efficiency of the approach. Instinctively in less staff time taken in preparing third he believed that the infrastructure of party claim reports. With party claim reports”. Vaisala there is no hard the urban environment should offer some defense to the impact of adverse To further enhance the city’s winter selling, and they are ready weather conditions, meaning that maintenance services, during Winter to take feedback to further preventative salting activity should not 2012/13 Vaisala undertook a thermal research and development be required as often in the city as on mapping exercise across the treatment the more rural, and often colder, county network. This highlighted sections of of the products. Vaisala roads. Mr. Kinsey set about investigating the highway that were relatively cold also allowed us to ‘try the situation further, evaluating Derby compared with the network average. before buy’ demonstrating City treatment operations against Armed with this information, Vaisala’s the efficiency of the system nearest neighbor City and consultants designed three “cold” routes researching options for introducing the for the City. This now means that under and its decision-making city’s own Road Weather Information certain forecast conditions the City support capabilities System. Discussions followed, both has the option to selectively treat only before the actual purchase with the UK Meteorological Office and those sections of the network where Vaisala, about the potential benefits hazardous conditions are forecast. decision was made.” from delivering a service specifically This offers the potential for a financial for the city network. In summer 2012 saving in resources and salt. Mr. Mr. David Kinsey a Vaisala Road Weather Station was Kinsey reports: “We aim to have these Streetpride Area Manager – Highways installed on the city network and for the operational by winter 2014/15 and would Derby City Council first time, during the winter of 2012/13, be happy to report back at the end of a Derby City domain forecast was the 2014/15 season”. produced using observation data from “At the end of the 2012/13 season we the new station. trialled the Manager Software and decided to purchase it in advance of the current season”, Mr. Kinsey explains. Developing a Solution RoadDSS Manager is Vaisala’s decision This service enabled Mr. Kinsey and his support software (DSS). Mr. Kinsey liked team to make independent treatment the fact that with RoadDSS Manager decisions for Derby City. The benefits “Vaisala also allowed us to ‘try before were noticed immediately with the buy’ demonstrating the efficiency of the Derby forecast typically 1-2 degrees system and its decision-making support warmer than the Southern Derbyshire capabilities before the actual purchase domain, which had previously driven decision was made.” treatment decisions. During the first He is also happy with Vaisala’s readiness winter, 25 fewer treatments were carried to further develop the system. “We are out when compared to the Derbyshire in discussions now about some of the County operations. In real terms, this Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) we equates to approximately £50k savings would like to add to the system. For in the first year. example, an auto-feed of data from The initial reason for choosing Vaisala our gritter into the RoadDSS Manager was the option to install the non- software would improve our reporting invasive road surface condition and process, saving time and eliminating temperature sensors and access to the the potential for errors in copying Navigator software. By choosing non- information from one tool to another”, invasive sensors, the installation was he says.

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