One.network, a provider of platform-based, real-time traffic management and event information, has revealed that the US Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has approved the company’s Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) feed for deployment by transportation agencies, and use by any stakeholder who needs accurate and timely workzone information.
Starting immediately, the company will create a WZDx feed for any American agency that asks, free of charge.
The free initiative comes after one.network worked with FHWA’s WZDx team to ensure feeds will be compliant with program protocols. With its workzone data expertise, one.network is uniquely positioned to create FHWA WZDx compliant feeds at zero cost.
“We believe in work zone information standardization for safety and efficiency and we’re putting our own equity behind it,” said Adam Graham, one.network’s chief product officer. “In traffic management, sharing accurate and timely information with the widest possible audience is key. We have the technology to build these feeds and set them up for an agency within days, saving agencies the cost and effort to create their own feeds from scratch.”
The one.network WZDx feed is designed to deliver as many data streams into a feed as an agency needs to accomplish the mission.
Each WZDx feed will include comprehensive data on planned workzone activity, allowing drivers to avoid hazards and agencies to contribute to a national repository of workzone information coordinated by FHWA. GPS navigation apps including Google, Waze, and TomTom, connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) applications, organizations, and regional authorities, will all have access to the feeds.
According to one.network, its commitment to provide free feeds is the first and only initiative of its kind since WZDx was a concept. Representatives from the company have contributed to the development of WZDx since its early days by serving on FHWA committees and participating in discussions, including one.network’s Graham, who was recently elected to serve as the co-chair for both the WZDx Work Zone Data Working Group and the Specification Update Subgroup. The company plans to continue its leadership throughout the deployment to the entire US network.
“This is a right side of history initiative,” added Graham. “It’s crucial that we do everything we can to protect work zone crews and reduce the congestion that’s inherent, but often avoidable, around work zones. WZDx is a huge step forward and we’d like to congratulate FHWA for its leadership and vision.”
According to FHWA’s website, “The Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) Specification enables infrastructure owners and operators (IOOs) to make harmonized workzone data available for third party use. The intent is to make travel on public roads safer and more efficient through ubiquitous access to data on work zone activity. Specifically, the project aims to get data on workzones into vehicles to help automated driving systems (ADS) and human drivers navigate more safely.”
