The primary objective of this research effort is to recommend cost-effective ways in which WSDOT can make exiting data sources more readily available throughout the agency. This is expected to involve the development of data transfer protocols and metadata recommendations that can be inexpensively built into future databases created by the Department, as well as added to existing WSDOT databases. It may (but may not) include other software recommendations. Regardless of what the final recommendations look like, the intent is to allow previously collected data to be easily discovered by users throughout the Department, who can then quickly understand those data, obtain them, and integrate them with data from other sources in order to perform the variety of analyses for which needs to exist within the Department.

The project team has completed work on the project prototype operations archive. We have tested the prototype and have suggestions on ways to improve it. Work on the final report was begun.

We will complete the draft final report, submit that report, and respond to comments received from WSDOT. The report findings and WSDOT comments will be included in the project "Development of a Statewide Traffic Datamart" funded for the 07-09 biennium.

Staff availability for this project was adversely impacted by a other high priority WSDOT projects. In particular, TRAC staff time was allocated to the WITS re-write effort at the end of Spring 2007, rather than to completing this project.

The prototype design, and experiences gained from use of that prototype, will serve as input to three separate efforts, the new, funded, research project "Development of a Statewide Traffic Datamart," the WSDOT's ongoing efforts to analyze the effects of various traffic disruptions on delays experienced by motorists, and the SHRP2 L02 project (development of a moniotinr gsystem for measuring system reliability.)