Wayne County officials unveiled a state-of-the-art command center Monday that will help commuters be more aware of slick conditions on the roads this winter.
The command center, which was completed in the spring, is the final piece of a triad of integrated technologies implemented by the Wayne County Roads Division.
It is located at the Central Maintenance Yard in Romulus.
Commuters are able to use a web-based technology called Compass to track operations of snow plowing.
“Compass is a public site where people can go online and see what routes are cleared. They can see which routes (plow) trucks have covered. They can click and watch real-time video footage as well. The cameras are mounted on the passenger side of the trucks,” said Cindy Dingell, the deputy chief operating officer for the Wayne County Department of Public Service.
Dingell said the command center combines the Compass site with all of the other efforts the department makes during winter weather conditions.
“This technology is serving as a tool to help us have better communication with our drivers and take care of the whole system. We can see where the drivers are and which roads they have already been on.
“If someone calls in about a slick condition, we can look at the monitor in our command center and dispatch the closest truck,” Dingell said.
The screen inside the command center is 10-feet by 4-feet. There are also multiple computer stations, video conferencing capabilities and a 24-hour call-in center.
Dingell added that, because they have a contract with the Michigan Department of Transportation, they can also monitor freeway traffic cameras and vehicle dashboard cameras.
“This system is one of the first of its kind in Metro Detroit and in the United States,” said Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano.
“It’s another example of how Wayne County is improving services to citizens while making the best use of our resources,” he said.
Wayne is the only county is Michigan that has a public interface site like compass. To view the site go to www.compass.waynecounty.com. Road hazards can be reported to the command center by calling 1-888-ROAD-CREW (1-888-762-3273). The complaint is registered in the command center’s electronic reporting system which is designed to address road hazards quickly and efficiently.
