ITS Program Helps District 4 and 6 Win $62.9 Million Urban Partnership Project

The FDOT’s ITS Program was a critical part of the application which helped Districts 4 and 6 win a $62.9 million dollar grant from the USDOT for 95 Express, a pilot program for high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes on I-95 in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties.

Announcement of the award under the Urban Partnership Program was made by U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters on August 14, 2007, in Washington, D.C.

Applicants for the program were required to show Four Ts as components of their proposals. 95 Express was strong in all categories:

• Technology (intelligent transportation systems)
• Tolling (congestion management)
• Transit (bus rapid transit)
• Telecommuting (including flextime programs)

FDOT’s ITS Program is vital to the function of 95 Express. When the lanes become operational, travelers will have the option of using two new HOT lanes on heavily congested I-95 between I-395 in Miami-Dade County and the Broward Boulevard Park-n-Ride in Broward County.

With the benefit of ITS technology, traffic in the HOT lanes can be monitored. With the use of ITS technology, 95 Express will implement a congestion pricing/variable toll approach. The variable toll approach is proposed in two phases: initially by time of day pricing, followed by real-time level of traffic pricing. Published rates for time of day pricing will be advertising in local media outlets as well as at each entry point along the 95 Express. The time of day pricing will have override capabilities to address situations where the tolls may require adjustment to maintain lane operation at 50 miles per hour. This approach is currently used on the 91 Express Lanes in Orange County, California, which have a similar configuration to the proposed 95 Express lanes.

Operation of the managed lanes will require extensive use of dynamic message signs, vehicle detectors, electronic tolling equipment, closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, and center-to-center (C2C) communications. Development of a variable tolling module is being pursued as an enhancement of the SunGuide™ Software platform.

The ultimate goal with 95 Express is a dynamic variable toll approach based on real-time levels of traffic. Toll rates will be displayed on variable message signs located in advance of and at each entry point along 95 Express. The intention is to provide travelers with the opportunity to use 95 Express lanes during congested periods, to shift to another mode of transportation, or to change routes. With less people traveling during congested periods, the remaining peak period travelers will have decreased delays.

95 Express will be operated via open road tolling and, in order to use the facility, vehicles will be required to have a SunPass® transponder. There are no proposed tolls for buses, motorcycles, hybrid vehicles, registered vanpools, and registered carpools with three or more occupants on the 95 Express. Single occupant vehicles and other motorists may elect to enter the 95 Express facility by paying a toll. The proposed registration for vanpools and carpools with three or more occupants will be led by South Florida Commuter Services. It involves an application process to register for a special non-revenue transponder for use on the 95 Express.

The first phase of the project, northbound lanes between SR 112 and the Golden Glades Interchange, is scheduled to be operational in late February 2008; as it will not require extensive construction. Southbound lanes from the Golden Glades are expected to open in December 2008. By June 2009, the north- and southbound lanes are scheduled to connect the Broward Boulevard Park-n-Ride to the Golden Glades. This means the project can become fully operational within two years.

The total cost of the project is estimated at $248 million. In addition to the funds from the Urban Partnership Program, the Florida Legislature has allocated $35 million. Additional funding will come from toll revenues.

This article was provided by Maribel Lena, FDOT District 6 Public Involvement Director. For more information, please email Ms. Lena at Maribel.Lena@dot.state.fl.us.

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Road Rangers and the Statewide Law Enforcement Radio System 800 MHz Radio Network

The FDOT continues in its effort to optimize our approved used of the Statewide Law Enforcement Radio System (SLERS) radio network. The principle goal for use of this network is to provide Road Rangers with the ability to communicate directly with Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) Troopers in providing traffic incident management and/or interoperability. According to preliminary studies provided by M/A-COM Mission Critical Radio, FDOT has had minimal loading on the radio network. Based on the following “lessons learned” provided by Jennifer Heller, District 5 Traffic Operations, the overall use of the network has proved outstanding.

Lessons Learned From the SLERS Radio Network as Stated by Jennifer Heller:

• The District 5 Road Ranger (D-RR5-1) Channel cannot be accessed by FHP Troopers. Troopers cannot talk to the Road Rangers unless they go to a channel that the Troopers and Road Rangers both have. Troopers and Road Rangers would both like to have this option.

• The Road Ranger radios are able to scan other channels and can hear the important information from either the dispatcher or the Trooper. We have found that our Road Rangers are hearing the information and are responding and arriving on scene prior to the regional transportation management center (RTMC) operators dispatching the information. There is an approximate 2 minute lag time. The Troopers now realize that the Road Rangers are scanning their channel, so they are making sure that the information the Road Rangers need is being communicated on their dispatch channel. This has been absolutely awesome.

• The RTMC operators are not using the loaned FHP console radios yet. A plan is in the process to implement a procedure to start using the console radios.

• For the Daytona International Speedway Pepsi 400 races, FHP used a Deland detail channel for communication. This channel was not available to the Road Rangers. Having this channel is a necessity not only for the many special events that FHP and Road Rangers work on, but also one that may be used during contra flow, if needed.

• For the midnight shift at FHP Troop D dispatch, consoles are patched together. When this occurs, the Road Rangers do not have the capability of scanning and hearing dispatches. The Road Rangers can change their channel, but then they are no longer on the designated channel. Switching back and forth is not very practical.

• The Road Rangers have learned that they need to pay attention to the radio. Because the radios jump towers frequently or because their radios are scanning, the Road Rangers have accidentally keyed up on a regular dispatch channel. However, this is not a major concern.

“Overall, having the radios is awesome,” said Heller. “I feel so much better regarding the security and well being of the Road Rangers working on I-4 now that they have these radios. It was wonderful for me to have the radio when we had I-95 at US 1 closed due to the fires, again. Listening to the communication at the scene was great.”

This article was provided by Randy Pierce, FDOT Traffic Engineering and Operations. For more information, please contact Mr. Pierce at (850) 410-5608 or email Randy.Pierce@dot.state.fl.us.

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Next SunGuide™ Software Release Enhances Time Dissemination

In last month’s issue of the SunGuide™ Disseminator, FDOT Districts 2 and 7 discussed their recent successes in posting travel time information on dynamic message signs (DMSs) in Jacksonville and Tampa using SunGuide™ Software. In addition, FDOT District 5 has been posting travel time information on their DMSs in East Central Florida using SunGuide Software since October 2006. FDOT Districts 4 and 6 will be following close behind, using their DMSs in Fort Lauderdale and Miami. But what about the areas in Florida that are more rural or that do not have extensive roadway detector infrastructure?

With a focus on providing a solution to this question, the FDOT ITS Program has embarked on a major enhancement to the SunGuide Software. The next SunGuide Software release has been in the planning and requirements definition stages for several months. Among the requirements included are enhancements to the SunGuide travel time subsystem. These requirements were reviewed and approved by the Change Management Board at their March 8 and April 5 meetings. On August 13, 2007, a Letter of Authorization was provided to Southwest Research Institute to begin work on this important SunGuide Software release.

The next SunGuide Software release provides functionality to collect and process direct travel time information from automated probe sources. This new functionality collects data from two sources of roadway and vehicle equipment:

• Automated vehicle identification (AVI) reader (i.e., toll tag reader) and
• License plate reader (LPR)

The application of these technologies to travel time information dissemination was demonstrated in the iFlorida Surface Transportation Security and Reliability Information System Model Deployment. Building on these iFlorida demonstrations, there are two AVI software drivers and one LPR software driver proposed in the next SunGuide Software release. This new SunGuide functionality provides FDOT District 5 with further efficiencies gained from system integration. Integrating the functionality first demonstrated by the iFlorida program into the SunGuide Software provides the FDOT Districts and their customers with the ability to collect and process direct travel time information from automated probe sources; thus creating economies of scale. Furthermore, FDOT District 3, in partnership with the FDOT Central Office, is currently selecting an LPR technology to deploy as a pilot project along Interstate 10 in Tallahassee. The provision of multiple AVI and LPR interfaces in SunGuide Software increases private competition and gives the FDOT Districts flexibility with the field equipment while maintaining consistency in the transportation management center.

In general, vehicle probe readers can be deployed several miles apart, as opposed to the typical deployment of spot detectors (i.e., inductive loop, radar, microloop, video, etc.) every one-third or one-half mile. This is a distinct advantage to those Districts that operate many miles of rural freeway and in areas that are not able to deploy and maintain extensive detection infrastructure. For areas of the state that do not have significant penetrations of vehicle toll tags, LPR provides an alternative solution.

An advantage of the travel time data collected from vehicle probe technologies is the direct measurement of travel time. This contrasts with the current use of algorithms in SunGuide Software to calculate travel time from spot speed data. Enhancements will be made in the SunGuide Software travel time subsystem to ensure consistency in processing travel time information from both spot speed sources and vehicle probe sources.

Additional and consistent data across all FDOT Districts enables significant progress on travel time reliability performance measures. The SunGuide Software travel time enhancements satisfy key user needs by enabling more accurate and efficient performance measures through reporting and providing on-demand operational feedback.

The design and development of this SunGuide Software release is approximately an eight month effort with the initial deployment estimated in early 2008. SunGuide users will benefit from the new and enhanced functionality described in this article. However, the next SunGuide Software release has even more to offer. Stay tuned for more updates on SunGuide Software in future issues of the SunGuide Disseminator.

This article was provided by Trey Tillander, FDOT Engineering and Operations Office. For more information, please contact Mr. Tillander at (850) 410-5617 or email Trey.Tillander@dot.state.fl.us.

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Inside the TERL

The FDOT has a goal of assuring that only a safe and uniform ITS and traffic control system is implemented in state of Florida. The Traffic Engineering Research Lab (TERL) plays a part in obtaining this goal by satisfying Florida Statute 316.0745 - Uniform Signals & Devices. This article provides a monthly look Inside the TERL at activities that help accomplish our goal.

Product Evaluation
The TERL currently has 56 submittals for devices to be added to the Approved Product List (APL).

At this time, 25 of these devices are under inspection by the product evaluation team. In some instances, the manufacturer is waiting to get their manufacturing process qualified by the TERL. In other cases, they have failed the evaluation and have not provided the necessary resolution to move forward. Traffic signal devices are evaluated against the FDOT’s Minimum Specifications for Traffic Control Signal Devices. ITS devices are evaluated against the recently published ITS specifications (Section 780 – 786).

Approved traffic control signals and signal devices can be viewed on the FDOT Web site at www3.dot.state.fl.us/trafficcontrolproducts/.

Approved ITS devices can be viewed at
www.dot.state.fl.us/TrafficOperations/Traf_Sys/ITS%20APL/TemporaryITSAPL.shtm. District personnel may request additional ITS devices for listing on the ITS APL as described by information located at this link.

Product Specifications
The following specifications are complete and under review for final approval:

1. Generator Panel for Cabinets,
2. Quality Assurance,
3. Driver Feedback Sign, and
4. Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) Cabinet. 

There are two additional specifications under review that cover the approval process for devices evaluated by the TERL.

Specifications with planned updates include: Light Emitting Diode (LED) Internally Illuminated Signs; LED Signal Head Module; and Changeable Message Signs.

The following new specifications are planned for development: Dynamic Message Signs For Arterials and Tolls; Master Hub Cabinet; Core Switch/Hub Switch for ITS Cabinets; In-pavement Crosswalk Lights; 24/7 Flashing Beacon (Battery/Solar); Countdown Pedestrian Signal; and Trailer Mounted Camera/Detector System.

Quality Assurance
Out of a total of 121 manufacturers that have submitted material for the FDOT APL Vendor Quality Assurance evaluation, 67 have successfully completed the evaluation and have been added to the qualified list at http://www.dot.state.fl.us/TrafficOperations/apl_vendor_qualification.shtm.

Seven dynamic message sign manufacturers have also completed the qualification evaluation (along with other testing requirements) and have been listed as qualified at  http://www.dot.state.fl.us/TrafficOperations/fdot_dms_info.shtm.

For Your Information: How does product get added to the APL?
For a product to be listed on the APL, the submitting manufacturer must first have their manufacturing process qualified by the TERL. The vendor quality assurance evaluation consists of a detailed look into the actual manufacturing process and the quality control and assurance system used to make the product. Once the manufacturer has been qualified, step two can begin. Step two consists of evaluating the device itself to FDOT product standards. Once both steps have been successfully completed, only then can the product be listed on the APL. A manufacturer must remain on both lists to stay on the APL.

This article was provided by Jeffrey Morgan, FDOT Traffic Engineering and Operations Office. For more information, please contact Mr. Morgan at (850) 921-7354 or email Jeffrey.Morgan@dot.state.fl.us.

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Smart Cars Show Off in Florida

The next generation of ITS is likely to be dominated by vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure technologies that enable data and information exchanges among vehicles and various traffic control devices. Dubbed “vehicle-infrastructure integration,” or VII, these technologies are already well under development among the automobile and other vehicle manufacturers as well as the producers of traffic control devices, such as traffic signal controllers, preemption devices, and others (see more about VII in the SunGuide™ Disseminator, August 2004 and December 2006 issues).

The first public demonstration of VII technologies was a VII Showcase Demonstration at the ITS World Congress in San Francisco in November 2005. (A video of this demo can be viewed at http://www.floridaits.com/Newsletters/2007/09/www.itsa.org/userfiles/ITS%20America%20VII%20Video%202006.wmv). Since then, until this writing, there have been a total of 22 offerings of this demonstration throughout the U.S., including three in Florida (tied with California for the most demonstrations in any one state). There are two versions of this demo. Both demonstrations include a van or SUV with the in-vehicle equipment that demonstrates several technologies that will ultimately be standard equipment. Currently, the demo equipment is installed in rented vehicles on site.

The so-called, full VII Showcase Demonstration also includes a van containing the simulated infrastructure-side of the demo. Because this vehicle must travel to the various venues, its availability is obviously limited.  Instead, the VII Coalition created a smaller, more portable version called “VII in a Suitcase,” because all the needed infrastructure-side equipment is mounted in a case the size of a medium suitcase. This can be shipped from location-to-location along with the demo vehicle equipment, which is also shipped in similar containers.

The particular VII technologies demonstrated are as follows:

1. A traffic signal preemption technology in which a request for signal preemption is issued by the VII demo vehicle and granted by the signal controller. One-way emergency preemption has been around since the 1970s, but this new technology is two-way. This allows the infrastructure (signal controller) to confirm or deny the preemption request.  As a result, it gives the driver positive feedback of the status of the request with both visual (on a dashboard display) and audio messages. This has obvious safety advantages over the earlier preemption strategies. The new technology can also resolve conflicting preemption requests.
2. Work zones always present a more hazardous environment for travelers. This technology, visually and audibly, alerts the driver that the vehicle has entered, or more significantly, is about to enter, a work zone, alerting the driver to be more alert to hazards.
3. A common dilemma facing motorists is how much green time is remaining as they approach a traffic signal. This technology provides for real-time communi­cations between the vehicle and the controller so that the vehicle is aware of  the exact time remaining and, based on the speed of the vehicle and time remaining, can issue an alert if the driver needs to stop. The warning is given sufficiently in advance to permit a safe and stable stop, if needed.

All three of these demos, which are just a sample of what will ultimately be available, use real-time global positioning system (GPS) and wireless communications technologies.

The three offerings of the VII Demo in Florida were as follows (participant numbers are approximate):

1. April 3, 2007, at the Orlando-Orange County Convention Center (future site of the combined 2011 ITS World Congress and ITS America Annual Meeting) in conjunction with the FDOT’s 2007 Annual ITS Working Group Conference. A total of 120 people participated in the demo (also see the May 2007 issue of the SunGuide Disseminator).
2. May 23, 2007, at the Prime Osborn Convention Center in Jacksonville, in conjunction with the roll-out of the First Coast ITS Master Plan (also see “ITS Master Plan,” SunGuide Disseminator, July 2007). About 30 people rode the demo van at this venue.
3. June 28, 2007, in Sarasota, in conjunction with the joint Annual Retreat of Floridians for Better Transportation and the Annual Meeting of TEAMFL. Rain reduced the potential participation at the venue, but a total of 50 people did participate, including the newly named FDOT Secretary, Stephanie Kopelousos; Kevin Thibault, Asst. Secretary for Engineering and Operations; Lowell Clary, Asst. Secretary for Finance and Administration; and Jim Ely. Director of the Florida Turnpike Enterprise; as well as several executive directors and members of various metropolitan planning organizations.

The press coverage was very good at all three venues. More information about VII, in general and the demos in particular, can be found at ITS America’s Web site at http://www.itsa.org/viitechdemos.html. The three Florida offerings of the VII demo were all sponsored by the VII Coalition and ITS America, and were hosted by FDOT, ITS Florida, and local agencies in each venue.

Sponsors include:

This article was provided by Charles Wallace, Telvent Farradyne (Charles.Wallace@telvent.abengoa.com), Pete Vega, FDOT District 2 (Peter.Vega@dot.state.fl.us), and Mary Hamill, Global-5 (MaryKHamill@global-5.com).

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For more information on ITS Florida, please check the ITS Florida Web site at http://www.itsflorida.org/ or contact Diana Carsey, Executive Director, at (727) 409-5415 or email CarseyD@verizon.net.

If you wish to contribute an article to the SunGuide Disseminator on behalf of ITS Florida, please email Mary Hamill at MaryKHamill@global-5.com.

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Editorial Corner—Vehicle Probes: A New Approach to Data Acquisition

Vehicle probe technology is emerging as a means of monitoring traffic without the need for deploying and maintaining equipment in the right-of-way. In contrast to speed sensors, vehicle probes directly measure travel time using data from a portion of the vehicle stream. Commercial vehicle probe data services primarily include the use of cell phones and automated vehicle location (AVL) data. Early demonstrations of such systems relied heavily on a single method or technology. However, services are emerging that combine information from multiple probe sources and technologies, as well as data from existing fixed-sensor networks, into a comprehensive traffic information service.

Adoption of these services is being driven by the high cost of deploying and maintaining fixed-sensor networks and the growing demand for traffic information, both from travelers and transportation agencies. The proliferation of low-cost wireless data communications is fueling the consumer’s appetite for accurate real-time travel data. Timely reporting of slowdowns, incidents, and road closures allows drivers to optimize their routes. Customer satisfaction, which was once based primarily on the quality of ride and the spatial extent of the highway network, is now being driven more and more by congestion management in urban and suburban areas. Customers expect public agencies to communicate the essential data to allow them to avoid congestion.

Transportation agencies are driven to monitor the system performance as a whole. Traffic data collection within a transportation agency has traditionally been application-specific and geographically constrained. Examples of this include the need to actuate a traffic signal and collect speed and count data for planning purposes. This “stovepipe” method is being replaced by comprehensive traffic monitoring across the entire roadway system. Such an approach feeds not only legacy applications, but also supports advanced traveler information services (ATIS), travel time displayed on dynamic message signs, and performance management objectives; and, overall, it helps to optimize existing highway operations.

The I-95 Corridor Coalition (Coalition) is a partnership of state departments of transportation, regional and local transportation agencies, toll authorities, and related organizations, including law enforcement, transit, and port and rail organizations. The partnership area ranges from Maine to Florida (including the District of Columbia) with affiliate members in Canada. Coalition members work together to reduce congestion, increase safety/security, and ensure that the entire transportation network supports economic vitality through out the corridor. In order to achieve the Coalition’s mission of “working together to improve multimodal transportation services in the region through information sharing and coordinated management and operations,” the Coalition initiated a regional traffic monitoring project in 2006 based primarily on vehicle probe technology. This project will establish a continuous source of real-time transportation status information along a major portion of the corridor. The data from this project is envisioned to serve advanced traffic management systems (ATMS) and ATIS throughout the corridor as well as support a myriad of other internal engineering and planning applications.

On April 27, 2007, the Coalition developed and released a Request For Proposal (RFP) for a probe-based traffic data service. It is anticipated that a contract will be awarded by the end of 2007, with traffic data available by summer 2008. This contract will procure real-time speed and travel-time data on roadways within the corridor as well as provide consulting services to integrate the data into member agencies data systems.

Critical points of the RFP are summarized as follows:

• No particular probe technology is specified. The approach is limited only to methods that do not require additional physical equipment to be located in the right-of-way. Vendors can take advantage of data from existing systems that rely on field assets, such as loops, radar, or toll-tag systems.
• Specifications regarding the quality of the data were determined based on the intended uses of the data. The specifications limit the error in reported speed (and associated travel time) under varying roadway conditions.
• The accuracy of traffic data will be independently validated.
• The vendor retains ownership of the data for resale in commercial markets. The Coalition retains rights to the data to support all intended applications.
• The vendor must be able to support ITS standard protocols.
• The initial contract is for three years, with options to renew for an additional seven years.
• Coverage will include I-95, beltways, parallel freeways, parallel signalized arterials, cross-linking freeways, and cross-linking arterials.
• Coalition members may expand coverage within their own jurisdictions through the contract.

The Coalition is moving forward with an aggressive program to procure travel time and speed data as a pure traffic data service for the Coalition and its members. When implemented in 2008, this service will provide a comprehensive traffic monitoring system without the need for additional fixed sensors in the right-of-way. By specifying the quality of data, ownership, and dissemination rights needed to support Coalition and agency applications, vendors have the freedom to propose innovative solutions with minimal constraints. By pooling the resources of several states, this project attempts to bridge jurisdictional boundaries in order to provide long-distance travelers with information relevant to inter-jurisdictional highway travel. Additionally, this project will provide the information needed to support implementation of long-distance diversions that are characteristic of major incidents that have a multi-state impact. Member agencies will benefit by receiving traffic flow information to support their 511 traveler information services, display travel times on variable message signs, and manage traffic during incidents. Coalition members will also be able to utilize the contract to expand coverage within their jurisdictions, develop informational Web sites, and integrate traffic data with existing traffic management systems.

This editorial was provided by Stanley E. Young, University of Maryland. For more information, please contact Mr. Young at (301) 403-4593 or email SEYoung@umd.edu.

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Announcements

FDOT Receives Management and Operations/ITS Council Project Award for the Institute of Transportation Engineers
AUGUST 5, 2007, WASHINGTON, DC— The FDOT District 4 SMART SunGuide™ ITS Program received the Management and Operations/Intelligent Transportation Systems (M&O/ITS) Council Project Award at the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) 2007 Annual Meeting and Exhibit, which was held August 5-8, 2007, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The FDOT District 4 SMART SunGuide ITS Program was recognized for its innovative techniques to manage the daily operations in the traffic management center, which includes automating performance measures, creating a severe incident response vehicle, and developing SMART Viewer software.

The M&O/ITS Council Achievement Awards recognize individuals as well as public and private partners for outstanding contributions to the advancement and implementation of ITS technologies. Awards are presented for the development and/or implementation of notable projects that demonstrate the use of ITS technologies to improve the efficiency and/or safety of transportation facilities.

For a complete listing of all ITE 2007 award winners, visit the ITE Web site at http://www.ite.org/.

ITE is an international educational and scientific association of transportation professionals who are responsible for meeting mobility and safety needs. Through its products and services, ITE promotes professional development of its members, supports and encourages education, stimulates research, develops public awareness programs, and serves as a conduit for the exchange of professional education.

Founded in 1930, ITE serves as a source for expertise, knowledge, and ideas through meetings, seminars, and publications, and through its network of more than 17,000 members working in more than 92 countries.

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Mark Your Calendars For NRITS
On the shores of the Michigan coast, the 2007 National Rural ITS (NRITS) Conference will be held in Traverse City, MI on October 7-10, 2007.

For more information, visit the NRITS Web site at http://www.nritsconference.org/.

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