The long and crazy winter is finally nearing its end but then the impact of this prolonged bad weather can be felt even after that last speck of snow is gone.. As shown in this below video by a Michigan driver, the potholes resulting from the winter weather are ridiculously deep and rattles your vehicles pretty badly..

These tire-munching monsters are not only wrecking the vehicles that go over them but they also cause severe damages to your wallet as well. If that is not enough, swerving drivers who intend to avoid these ginormous potholes pose serious road safety challenges to oncoming vehicles, especially in the night.. Plight of road surfaces, particularly in rural areas, is the same in many parts of the country where mother nature showed wrath.. It only means one thing –  the tax payers can expect some seriously high “patching” bills along with the vehicle repair bills as the spring blooms.  With many states already way deep in the red after exhausting their winter maintenance budgets (spent on salt, ice removal, etc), this is going to be really hard to digest..  The American  Automobile Association (AAA) warns that the annual tab for motorists in the USA dinged by potholes is nearly $6.4 billion. Nearly $4.8 billion is spent each year to repair damage to cars resulting from Americans ‘run-ins with potholes, utility cuts and other dangerous road conditions—almost four times the $1.3 billion a year spent on road repairs by state highway departments.”

So, how bad is it for the Washington, DC metro area? Listen to the AAA on these astronomical numbers: “Driving on roads sorely in need of repair costs Maryland motorists $1.598 billion a year in extra vehicle repairs and operating costs, or ‘$422 per motorist,'” according to the American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure. In Virginia, drivers spend $1.344 billion a year, or $254 per motorist, while It costs District of Columbia drivers $311 million a year, or $833 per motorists, according to ASCE.  Aside from the direct cost of repairs, don’t forget to factor in the time wasted on negotiating the workzones when the pothole crew work hard to fix the mess. In all, it is safe to say we are screwed!

The U.S. DOT’s ITS Professional Capacity Building Program, in the ITS Joint Program Office, partners with training providers and industry associations to develop and deliver ITS-related training.  This email provides an update on several training opportunities from the Consortium for ITS Training and Education:

Consortium for ITS Training and Education (CITE)

Improve your skills and become more resourceful via CITE’s upcoming blended course offerings; includes discussion board forums which provides students with a strong sense of community.  Each course runs approximately 6-8 weeks.

Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS) Equipment and Operations – (June 22 through July 31, 2012) http://www.citeconsortium.org/courses/RWIS-blended.html

Adverse weather is our common enemy in road maintenance, traffic, and emergency operations. Transportation agencies are well aware of the operational and logistical challenges of such weather. Many agencies are fighting this age-old battle by implementing Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS). The goal of this course is not only to discuss RWIS initiatives and considerations but also explore individual state and local deployment challenges through workshops, exercises, and self-assessments, which will leave participants with an action plan tailored for their specific needs.

Principles and Tools of Road Weather Management – (September through October, 2012) http://www.citeconsortium.org/courses/RoadWeatherMgmt_Blended.html

Through this course, participants are exposed to various strategies for addressing road weather problems, including Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS) and the development of crosscutting decision support systems to respond effectively to weather situations. This course is part of the Specialized Learning Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) curriculum established by the ITS Professional Capacity Building (PCB) program.

Weather Responsive Traffic Management (WRTM) * New (October through December, 2012) http://www.citeconsortium.org/courses/WRTM-blended.html

This course provides information and guidance to transportation system managers and operators to help them effectively manage traffic flow and operations during adverse weather conditions. At the end of the course, participants will understand the WRTM concepts framework strategies and be able to describe the types of data, analysis tools, and performance monitoring necessary to effectively manage traffic during weather events.

If you are interested in taking either of these courses, please contact Denise Twisdale (301-403-4592) or Kathy Frankle (410-414-2925).  All course materials are on-line but students have access to course instructors through three pre-scheduled conference calls.  Cost is $250 each, $550 for all three (3); free for state, local and Federal employees (sponsor code F2012).  Register today; don’t delay! http://www.citeconsortium.org/registration.html