February 11, 2023
By Lane Kimble
MILWAUKEE — The dimmed lights and relatively small size of the room immediately draw your attention to the massive screen in front of you.
A large, animated map of Wisconsin fills the center of the screen, as eight boxes surrounding it simultaneously show live traffic cameras from around the state.
Meanwhile, a busy team of operators constantly shift their eyes from one screen to the next, one camera to another. Phones ring frequently and are answered instantly. This is the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s Traffic Management Center (TMC) and it is every bit as fascinating as it sounds.
Members of the WTBA Board and Staff had the unique opportunity Tuesday morning to tour the center in Milwaukee.
“This is about how you travel on Wisconsin highways,” WisDOT Traffic System and Management Engineering Chief David Karnes told our group moments before guiding us into the TMC. “We’re all about technology here… know(ing) up-to-date information in real-time. Everyone here is focused on that goal.”
Some of that technology is easy to spot.
A network of more than 500 cameras across Wisconsin provide on-demand views for TMC operators, who work at personal computer stations on eight-hour shifts. Those operators keep busy: in 2022, the TMC handled more than 38,000 events. More than 50% of those were disabled cars. Others included crashes between cars and collisions with bridges and other infrastructure.
Often times, a TMC operator will spot a crash seconds after it happens, calling in a report to appropriate agencies and providing needed assistance quickly. This information also appears on the DOT’s 511 website within one minute.
Other technology flows into and out of the TMC in a more behind-the-scenes manner.
Operators can gather road condition data through various means, including sensors built into some plow trucks. That information helps computers calculate conditions every 15 to 30 minutes during inclement weather, translating into the color-coded 511 map you’ve likely consulted before hitting the road.
The important information describing a crash, detour ahead, or the often-witty words of wisdom on black and yellow display boards also comes out of this room. At another booth, an operator monitors traffic flow on the Beltline in Madison (US 12/18), deciding when to toggle WisDOT’s new Flex Lane on and off to improve your drive time.
The TMC wasn’t always this advanced, though. The large display board (referred to as the “ATMS”) has been up for about five years. Prior to moving to its new Milwaukee location in 2007, the TMC was called the “TOC” (Traffic Operations Center.) It had video feeds, but not nearly as many and not nearly as advanced. Operators used VHS tapes to record camera feeds.
“We’re much more high-tech… moving ahead on that cutting edge,” WisDOT Traffic Engineering Chief Bill McNary said.
Moving forward, WisDOT staff say they are constantly working to make roads and work zones safer, however the agency isn’t ready to publicly share specific details on that work yet.
