The much-anticipated RM3P project, Artificial Intelligence-Based Decision Support System (AI-DSS) was awarded in October 2023. It has been a long time coming, but the wait is finally over and we cannot be more excited!
The Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB), in September 2023, authorized the VDOT Commissioner to execute a contract with to implement AI-DSS in order to improve collaborative responses to incidents. A Project Kick-Off Meeting and Technical Workshops were convened in November 2023 in order to introduce the team, update milestones and schedules, identify and discuss important technical and logistical issues, and establish a seamless flow of communications across our many stakeholder communities.
The AI-DSS is the second component of RM3P to move forward towards deployment, joining the existing companion system, the Data-Exchange Platform (DEP). The DEP will feed real-time data on regional transportation conditions into the AI-DSS.
The RM3P Management Team is grateful to our many partners for enabling us to reach this important milestone. We extend our heartfelt appreciation to the stakeholders who have volunteered time and labored tirelessly to successfully complete the AI-DSS procurement. Thank you to the staff at VDOT’s Administrative Services Division (ASD), the Virginia Information Technology Agency (VITA), and the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) for your professionalism, persistence, and legal and administrative guidance as we navigated through the procurement process.
Additionally, we want to acknowledge the predecessor planning efforts that led to the birth of AI-DSS. Yes, we’re talking about Integrated Corridor Management (ICM)! The AI-DSS project builds on the concepts that emerged from the VDOT-led ICM Planning Studies, which emphasized multi-modal travel, reduced congestion, and making travel safer and commuting more reliable for Virginians. This vision of the AI-DSS (and RM3P generally) as a catalyst for economic growth and improvements in quality-of-life was first given voice by our regional stakeholders during the ICM planning effort. The ICM work, with guidance from our stakeholders, set the stage for the RM3P activities being performed today.