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2020 International Road Weather and Winter Maintenance Conference & Peer Exchange


Photo Credit: Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT)

September 21 – September 23, 2020
Atlanta, GA


CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS
Submit by: March 2, 2020

Conference Overview
In September 2020, the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Standing Committees on Winter Maintenance, and Surface Transportation Weather will hold their quadrennial conference in collaboration with the National Winter Maintenance Peer Exchange co-sponsored by Aurora, Clear Roads, and SICOP in Atlanta, Georgia. This 2020 International Road Weather and Winter Maintenance Peer Exchange will combine the best elements of the quadrennial TRB winter service conference and the biennial National Winter Maintenance Peer Exchange. The event will provide a unique opportunity for practitioners, academia, and the private sector from around the world to network and learn first-hand what techniques and technologies are being developed and deployed in the world of road weather and winter maintenance.

 

Presentations on the most current work in road weather and winter maintenance will be pre-recorded so when you arrive you will be ready to discuss the work and get the most from the breakout sessions designed to stimulate the exchange of ideas and identify specific goals and gaps for future work and research in the topic area.  Poster sessions will afford attendees the opportunity to engage the authors in one-on-one conversation about their work and how it might be relevant to your unique circumstances.

 

Conference Objective
The objectives of the 2020 International Road Weather and Winter Maintenance Conference & Peer Exchange provide a forum for the exchange of information on the state-of-the-art and state-of-the-practice in research and technology applications to Road Weather and Winter Maintenance Operations. The event will highlight national and international best practices. Conference attendees include winter maintenance and road weather practitioners, managers, planners, analysts, researchers, and those engaged in developing or supplying products and services to those industries. 

Call for Presentations Tracks
The conference organizers are looking for both practical and innovative presentations for the four technical tracks listed below. The conference will include both on-line and on-site components.  Selected abstracts will be featured in short video presentations that will be posted on-line in advance of the conference.  The presenters are also expected to participate in poster sessions on-site during the conference. The poster presentations and videos will serve as a lead in to the on-site breakout sessions and provide additional detail on selected topics used to promote open discussion, information sharing and networking. Presenters will be required to register and attend the conference to be included in the final program and website.

In addition to winter weather applications, abstracts submittals are encouraged that highlight the breadth of road weather management solutions including winter and non-winter weather and other environmental disasters.  Topics could include weather-responsive traffic management, roadway flooding management, resiliency to extreme weather events, and emergency operations.

Track 1:  Application of Emerging Technologies to Winter Maintenance and Road Weather

  • Autonomous and connected vehicle applications and impacts
  • AVL/GPS applications
  • Detecting and monitoring road and weather conditions
  • Case studies and applications
  • Drifting Snow & Avalanche

Track 2: Performance Improvement of Winter Maintenance Organizations

  • Human Resource Training
  • Motivating Personnel
  • Organizational Resiliency
  • Optimizing Plow Routes and Operations
  • Levels of Service
  • Performance Measures and Operations Management

Track 3: Resiliency to Extreme Weather Events and Emergency Operations

  • Case Studies and Applications
  • Technology and Materials
  • Repurposing Resources
  • Detecting and Forecasting Extreme Events under Winter and Summer Conditions
  • Environmental Sustainability and Impacts

Track 4: Weather-Responsive Transportation Management

  • Best practices and case studies in traffic and emergency management (including Cost-benefit analyses)
  • Roadway flooding management
  • Weather and the commercial vehicle community
  • Refining/redfining/reshaping/exploring public and private sectors roles in road weather management

How to Submit an Abstract
All abstracts should be: 

  • Submitted by Monday, March 2, 2020;
  • Between 400 and 600 words in length total; and,
  • Clearly convey the material that will be presented and any additional information about format or audience participation, as appropriate. 

Abstracts must be submitted electronically. Click Here to Submit an Abstract. 

Questions?  Please contact James Bryant

All conference participants will be required to register. For more information and to register for the conference click here.