Web-based Implementation of Winter Maintenance Decision Support System Using GIS and Remote Sensing, May 2005

Winter maintenance, particularly snow removal and the stress of snow removal materials on public structures, is an enormous budgetary burden on municipalities and nongovernmental maintenance organizations in cold climates. Lately, geospatial technologies such as remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS), and decision support tools are roviding a valuable tool for planning snow removal operations. A few researchers recently used geospatial technologies to develop winter maintenance tools. However, most of these winter maintenance tools, while having the potential to address some of these information needs, are not typically placed in the hands of planners and other interested stakeholders. Most tools are not constructed with a nontechnical user in mind and lack an easyto-use, easily understood interface. A major goal of this project was to implement a web-based Winter Maintenance Decision Support System (WMDSS) that enhances the capacity of stakeholders (city/county planners, resource managers, transportation personnel, citizens, and policy makers) to evaluate different procedures for managing snow removal assets optimally. This was accomplished by integrating geospatial analytical techniques (GIS and remote sensing), the existing snow removal asset management system, and webbased spatial decision support systems. The web-based system was implemented using the ESRI ArcIMS ActiveX Connector and related web technologies, such as Active Server Pages, JavaScript, HTML, and XML. The expert knowledge on snow removal procedures is gathered and integrated into the system in the form of encoded business rules using Visual Rule Studio. The system developed not only manages the resources but also provides expert advice to assist complex decision making, such as routing, optimal resource allocation, and monitoring live weather information. This system was developed in collaboration with Black Hawk County, IA, the city of Columbia, MO, and the Iowa Department of transportation. This product was also demonstrated for these agencies to improve the usability and applicability of the system.

Crossroads, Winter 2002

Newsletter for Iowa Deparment of Public Safety

Crossroads, Winter 2001

Newsletter for Iowa Deparment of Public Safety

Connections, Winter 2001-2002

Newsletter for Iowa Department of Transportation, Office of Public Transit

Iowa Aviation Bulletin, Winter 2002-2003

Quarterly newsletter published by the Iowa Department of Transportation's Office of Aviation that contains information of interest to aviation-related persons and organizations.

Iowa Aviation Bulletin, Winter 2003-2004

Quarterly newsletter published by the Iowa Department of Transportation's Office of Aviation that contains information of interest to aviation-related persons and organizations.

A-8a 2003 Summary of Food Stamp Errors - Active and Negative Cases, April 2003 - September 2003

Summary of food stamp errors.

Tools & Trends, Winter 2003/2004

Development tool for Iowa Communities

Crossroads, Winter 2003-2004

Newsletter for the Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau, Iowa Department of Public Safety

The Iowa African-American Journal, Winter 2002/Spring 2003, Vol. 8, no. 2

Newsletter for the Iowa Commission on the Status of African-Americans

Open Door, Winter 2003

The Open Door newsletter includes information about the latest happenings at the Iowa Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.

A8a Summary of Food Stamp Errors-Active and Negative cases, July 2004

A-8A summary of food stamp errors active and negative cases

Iowa Civil Rights Commission Communicator, Winter 1998, Vol. 16, no. 1

Newsletter produced by the Iowa Civil Rights Commission

A-8a 2003 Summary of Food Stamp Errors - Active and Negative Cases, April 2001 - September 2001

Summary of food stamp errors.

Fresh News; The Farmers' Market Newsletter, Winter-Spring 2002

Newsletter produced by Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship