Alaska DOT highlights data tools, telematics and pilots to speed winter response

Christine Langley, data modernization and innovation director for the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, told the Senate Transportation Committee on Jan. 27 that DOT&PF is moving from reactive winter work toward predictive operations. "Data is what drives the best use of our resources," she said, describing real‑time feeds from traffic speeds, pavement sensors and weather models.

Andy Mills, legislative liaison for DOT&PF, said safety remains central to the shift. "Safety is 1 of our primary focuses," he said, as the department pairs new tools with existing emergency response roles after recent storms and typhoon mutual‑aid deployments.

DOT officials demonstrated public‑facing and internal systems intended to give travelers and managers better situational awareness. Langley described a public 511 dashboard that shows images, time‑stamped plow "breadcrumbs" and road priority levels; she noted nearly 1,200,000 users accessed 511 in 2025. DOT has also begun deploying Samsara dash‑cameras and telematics so supervisors can see operator views, sand dispense rates and blade position in real time.

The agency is preparing two additional releases. Drivewise, Langley said, is a free alerting tool aimed at commercial vehicle fleets with warnings for bridge heights, rapid slowdowns and steep descents. DOT Alerts will be a two‑way, geo‑fenced messaging channel to target communications to motorists and responders in a specific corridor rather than broadcasting statewide.

Lawmakers pressed DOT on a separate pilot: an AI‑managed pedestrian light to be installed in Kodiak next week as a vendor donation and research project. Langley said the unit is mounted for non‑signalized crosswalks and can follow a pedestrian across a crosswalk without user activation; the department chose Kodiak because it is a smaller pilot site. Senator Tobin asked about power, detection of children and animals and reliability in local conditions; DOT officials said they will share pilot results and video examples.

DOT said these tools also support after‑action analysis. Langley said combining operator telemetry with archived weather and traffic data will let the department review resource allocation and adjust future plans. The committee adjourned with members agreeing to follow up on deployment details and pilot results.