Road Condition Reporting System (RCRS) Event Data Service API

1. Introduction
2. Audience
3. What Is Web API?
4. Requesting Access
5. Usage Limits
6. RCRS_Event_Data Service
   1. liveEvents Method
      • Properties
      • Example
   2. plannedEvent Method
      • Properties
      • Example
   3. winterConditions Method
      • Properties
      • Example
   4. Code Tables
      • ConditionID
      • County
      • Direction
      • EventType
      • LaneStatus
      • PoliceJurisText
      • ReportOrgID
      • VehicleRestrictText
      • VehicleRestrictTier
      • AffectedLanes
      • Occurs

Introduction

This document summarizes the RCRS_Event_Data external web service of the PennDOT Road Condition Reporting System (RCRS). This service provides Statewide event and winter road condition information to outside agencies and vendors.

Audience

This document is intended for agency or vendor developers who want to obtain RCRS event information for use in external systems. It provides an introduction to using the RCRS_Event_Data service and reference material on the available parameters.

What Is Web API?

From Wikipedia.org:

A web API is an application programming interface (API) for either a web server or a web browser. It is a web development concept, usually limited to a web application's client-side (including any web frameworks being used), and thus usually does not include web server or browser implementation details such as SAPIs or web browser engine APIs unless publicly accessible by a remote web application.

Endpoints

Endpoints are important aspects of interacting with server-side web APIs, as they specify where resources lie that can be accessed by third party software. Usually the access is via a URI to which HTTP requests are posed, and from which the response is thus expected. Endpoints need to be static, otherwise the correct functioning of software that interacts with it cannot be guaranteed. If the location of a resource changes (and with it the endpoint) then previously written software will break, as the required resource can no longer be found at the same place. As API providers still want to update their web APIs, many have introduced a versioning system in the URI that points to an endpoint, for example the Clarifai API: The endpoint for the tagging functionality within the web API has the following URI: "https://api.clarifai.com/v1/tag/". The "/v1/" part of the URI specifies access to the first version of the web API. If clarifai decides to update to version two, they can do this while still maintaining support for third party software that uses the first version.

Resource vs. service

Although "web API" is sometimes considered a synonym for web service, Web 2.0 web applications have moved away from SOAP-based web services towards more cohesive collections of RESTful web resources.[5] These RESTful web APIs are accessible via standard HTTP methods by a variety of HTTP clients including browsers and mobile devices. They have advantages over web services in that they tend to be less difficult to develop and less resource intensive (and thus usually run faster) since they do not need to perform as many data conversions as required by a SOAP-based service APIs.

Requesting Access

To access PennDOT's RCRS_Event_Data service, new users are required to complete and submit a Data Feed Request Form. Once the form is submitted, we will process your request and generate the necessary credentials for accessing the data feed. These credentials will be sent to you directly. Please ensure that all required information is provided accurately to expedite the process.

Service Limitations

Currently there are no request limitations for this service. Any limitations added in the future will be included in this section.

RCRS_Event_Data Service

The RCRS_Event_Data service is a Web API service that can be accessed from any client that can make an HTTP request and process a JSON response. Each method listed below can be accessed using a standard HTTP GET request. The format of the web service requests and responses will be described in this document.

This service uses HTTP Basic Authentication for credential authentication and authorization. User credentials must be encoded in base 64 and set in the authorization header of the service request. An example for setting the authorization header is shown below.

Secure Socket Layer (SSL) must be enabled by prepending "https://" to each service request.

Methods

liveEvents Method

The liveEvents method of the RCRS_Event_Data service returns Pennsylvania road events that are active in RCRS at the time of the request.

Properties

Example

HTTP Request

The following is a sample HTTP GET request using jQuery AJAX. The placeholders shown need to be replaced with the PDAuth credentials.

$.ajax({
url: 'https://eventsdata.dot.pa.gov/liveEvents',
type: 'GET',
data: '',
dataType: 'json',
beforeSend: function (xhr) {
xhr.setRequestHeader("Authorization", "Basic " + btoa(username + ":" + password));
},
success: function (result, status, XMLHttpRequest) {
//on success
},
error: function (XMLHttpRequest, status, error) {
//on error
}
});

HTTP Response

The following is a sample HTTP response from the liveEvents method.

{
"Values": [
{
"ActualDateTimeOpened": "",
"DateTimeVerified": "2019-08-27 14:31",
"IsHazmat": "F",
"HazmatPlacardID": "",
"HazmatMaterialName": "",
"IsFatality": "F",
"IsSchoolBus": "F",
"IsCommercialVehicleRollover": "F",
"IsCrashInConstructionZone": "F",
"IsPennDOTPropertyAndOrEmployeeInvolved": "F",
"IsAutonomousVehicle": "F",
"IsTransitOrTourBus": "F",
"IsFirstResponderWithMajorInjuryOrFatality": "F",
"IsTrain": "F",
"IsAmishConveyance": "F",
"IsAircraft": "F",
"IsBridgeStrike": "F",
"RestrictedSpeedValue": "",
"VehicleRestrictText": "",
"EventID": 581,
"EventClass": "3",
"EventType": "roadwork",
"ReportOrgID": "11",
"Facility": "HITE RD / TAWNEY RUN RD",
"Direction": "eastbound",
"FromLoc": "Intersection of PITTSBURGH MILLS BL in FRAZER [2TWP]",
"FromLocLatLong": "40.5662781980593,-79.7956370235785",
"FromLocMileage": "",
"FromLocDirection": "",
"ToLoc": "Intersection of MURRAY HILL RD / + BUTLER LOGAN RD in FRAZER [2TWP]",
"ToLocLatLong": "40.5705014313923,-79.7906322059793",
"ToLocMileage": "",
"ToLocDirection": "",
"IncidentLoc": "",
"IncidentLocLatLong": "",
"IncidentLocMileage": "",
"IncidentLocDirection": "",
"DateTimeEventOccurs": "2019-08-27 14:30",
"CreateTime": "2019-08-27 14:31:55",
"LastUpdate": "2019-08-27 14:31:55",
"State": "PA",
"County": "02",
"CountyName": "ALLEGHENY",
"LaneStatus": "lane restriction",
"AffectedLanes": "",
"VehicleRestrictTier": "",
"DetourInEffect": "F",
"IsInterstate": "F",
"Description": "Roadwork on HITE RD / TAWNEY RUN RD eastbound between PITTSBURGH MILLS BL and MURRAY HILL RD / + BUTLER LOGAN RD. There is a lane restriction.",
"DateTimeNotified": "2019-08-27 14:31",
"IncidentMuniName": "FRAZER [2TWP]",
"PoliceJurisText": "",
"Is511Event": "F",
"StateRouteNo": "1014",
"CountyFrom": "02",
"CountyFromName": "ALLEGHENY",
"BeginSegPoint": "00540627",
"CountyTo": "02",
"CountyToName": "ALLEGHENY",
"EndSegPoint": "00602118",
"CountyInc": "",
"CountyIncName": "",
"IncSegPoint": "",
"IsTemporaryTrafficControlDevicesInUse": "F",
"HaulerRestrictionInEffect": "F",
"IsHaulerRestriction24x7": "F",
"NoPermitTravel": "F",
"MaxLengthRestriction": 0,
"MaxWidthRestriction": 0,
"MaxHeightRestriction": 0,
"MaxWeightRestriction": 0,
"EventRepetitionDetails": {
"RepetitionID": "One Time Event",
"Occurs": "N/A",
"SkipHolidays": "N/A",
"StartDate": "N/A",
"EndDate": "N/A",
"DailyStartTime": "N/A",
"DailyEndTime": "N/A"
},
"Detours": [
{
"DetourID": 6982,
"Direction": "E",
"VehicleType": "B",
"ColorID": "4",
"TotalLength": 5.144,
"Narrative": ""
}
]
}
]
}

plannedEvents Method

The plannedEvents method of the RCRS_Event_Data service returns Pennsylvania road events that are planned in RCRS at the time of the request.

Properties