Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, General Consulting Engineering

---

Call Center Improvements 

Drive was contracted to optimize the Pennsylvania Turnpike's call center operations and improve the customer experience. The project involves analyzing six internal departments and the contracted E-ZPass Customer Service Center of over 150 CSRs to identify opportunities to standardize and improve call center operations. Drive provided key data analysis, shadowed customer service staff, recommended best practices, and supported the implementation of technology improvements. Through this effort, the Pennsylvania Turnpike has improved customer access by implementing self-service, automating popular customer service processes, and allocating personnel to perform customer service via social media. 

ITS Maintenance and Technology Operations and Maintenance RFP Development 

Drive Engineering assisted the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission in updating the current ITS and communications systems maintenance contract through the Request for Proposals process. The existing contract provided maintenance services primarily for ITS and communications systems; however, operational deficiencies, service gaps, and a rapidly changing technology environment necessitated improvement of contract requirements. 

Systematic reviews of the existing RFP and the awarded Technical Proposal were performed. National best practices were researched, and contract gaps documented in a Gaps Analysis. Interviews with key staff at leading agencies in ITS, Communications, and technology operations and maintenance best practices (e.g. FDOT, Caltrans, MDOT, and VDOT) corroborated identified gaps and improvements. Based upon this research, the new contract was designed to improve contract flexibility, contractor performance, and service quality.

The existing systems encompassed mission critical assets and included the ethernet microwave system, Internet Protocol (IP) networks, Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone systems, ITS field devices, analog and digital LMR systems, and TOC systems. The revised contract provisioned for as-needed services such as connected technologies, smart work zone deployments, and device replacements. The new contract will continue to include maintenance activities but has been expanded to include program management, engineering services (environmental, civil, structural, electrical) and operational support. 

P3 Procurement RFP Development  

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission pursued a public-private partnership (P3) with a developer to design, build, finance, operate and maintain a fiber optic broadband network within the turnpike right-of-way, for the benefit of the Commission and its users, as well as for the benefit of the developer and its customers. Drive Engineering developed the original technical provisions for the 500-mile Fiber Optic Network and re-drafted the provisions based upon industry feedback. The ITS and Systems requirements were mainly developed by Drive while Michael Baker lead the development of the remaining P3 RFP package.   

ITS Device/Communications Inventory

Drive developed an iPad application to support the asset management effort and the inventory of Pennsylvania Turnpike sites. Drive designed, built and used the application to inventory nearly 100 roadside locations. Also performed project management activities and managed a crew of two additional technicians involved in the inventory. Drive currently maintains the inventory, gathers data for new sites and also houses the overall system database. The project involved opening, inspecting and documenting cabinets for over 400 devices including CCTV, DMS, HAR Beacons and Transmitters, RTMS Detectors, RWIS and Wireless Repeaters.