The main focus of the Traffic Data and Systems research area can be seen on the TOPS-maintained WisTransPortal. The WisTransPortal provides many services, products, and data analytics related to traffic operations and safety information.
About the WisTransPortal
The WisTransPortal Data Hub has been developed through ongoing collaboration between the Wisconsin Traffic Operations and Safety (TOPS) Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) Bureau of Traffic Operations (BTO) to support emerging requirements for transportation operations, planning, and research. The system provides a central source of traffic operations, safety, and intelligent transportation systems (ITS) data for Wisconsin highways, with specific capabilities for data archiving, real-time services, and server applications development. In recent years, the WisTransPortal has been expanded to support research and analysis capabilities along the local road network as well, particularly in the area of traffic safety.
Requesting Wisconsin Crash Data
The TOPS Lab provides Wisconsin crash data and copies of police crash reports as a service to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) Bureau of Traffic Operations. Crash data is available upon request to anyone in the general public, including government, engineering consultants, media, law firms, non-profit organizations, and individuals. The crash database, provided by WisDOT Division of State Patrol, contains records for all police reported crashes in Wisconsin from 1994 through the current year. Information on the location of the crash, vehicles involved, and general crash attributes are available. Personal data have been removed.
Crash Database Improvement
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), in collaboration with local law enforcement representatives and other stakeholders, has embarked on an agency wide initiative to improve crash data collection and safety analysis capabilities by updating the existing Wisconsin MV4000 crash report form. The redesigned form will be rolled out on January 1, 2017 and will serve as the basis for a new crash database management system that will be deployed at the same time. Several important changes will accompany the rollout of the new crash report form including a requirement for all law enforcement agencies to submit crash reports electronically through the Wisconsin Badger TraCS system and an internal WisDOT reorganization that will transfer stewardship of the crash data from the Division of Motor Vehicles to the Division of State Patrol.
