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Roadway Management System

The Roadway Management System (RMS) is the primary means for defining and monitoring the state-owned highway network, maintaining an inventory of the roadway features, conditions, and characteristics, and providing decision-makers with the information necessary for funding, business planning, project design, and maintenance programming.

One of the most important aspects of RMS is having a viewable representation of a state road (SR). This is accomplished with a graphical diagram called a straight line diagram (SLD). PennDOT produces electronic versions of the SLD for every state road, in every county, annually.

Data stored and managed in RMS includes roadway geometry information, traffic information, pavement and shoulder history, maintenance history, municipal and legislative boundaries, intersections, roadside features, structure locations, railroad crossings information, pavement testing, condition survey information (including guide rail and drainage features), and posting/bonding information. One of the primary uses of RMS is the annual allocation of highway maintenance funds.

Many other PennDOT computer systems depend on information and data in RMS, including:

  • AHOP — Automated Highway Occupancy Permit System
  • APRAS — Automated Permit Routing & Analysis System
  • BMS — Bridge Management System
  • CRASH — Crash Recording System
  • ECMS — Engineering & Construction Management System
  • GIS — Geographic Information System
  • MORIS — Maintenance Operations & Resources Information System
  • MPMS — Multimodal Project Management System
  • MUSIC — Municipal Services Information Center
  • SIMOS — Sign Inventory Management & Ordering System

With so many users dependent on the data, it is vital the information be as accurate as possible, and that it properly reflects actual field conditions. Accurate segment markers are of obvious significance, since they are the tie between the database and the roadway. When segment marker signs are missing or improperly placed, the information we report may not be tied to the location we think it is.

Signing is important to many people within PennDOT, including pavement testing and distress surveys, design, construction, maintenance, highway occupancy permits, roadway posting and bonding, tort liability, turnbacks, planning and programming, traffic, municipal services, utilities, right of way, crash review and analysis, and emergency management. It also serves customers outside PennDOT, including the Federal Highway Administration, county 911 programs, state and local police, townships, local emergency management, consultants, delivery services (UPS, FedEx, etc.), fire departments, and utility companies.

RMS data can be obtained from all PennDOT District offices and most county maintenance offices, which are linked to the RMS network. For further information about RMS or the SR system, contact the RMS coordinator in each Engineering District office.