Going Green With ITS

Wouldn’t it be nice if we were able to drive through town without having to sit in traffic?

How much time and fuel would we save?

How much less pollution would we create?

Implementing intelligent transportation systems (ITS) can create a better flow of traffic that will lead to more consistent travel speeds, less stops, and lower emissions. With the benefits of ITS outweighing the costs by remarkable factors, why shouldn’t we take advantage of this opportunity?

Historically, large-scale ITS deployments in Florida have been focused on the limited-access roadway network. Local agencies are increasingly realizing the benefits of ITS—frequently in conjunction with decisions concerning implementation of traffic signal management systems, also known as advanced traffic management systems (ATMS). Some local agencies have already implemented ATMS components, such as closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, traffic signal systems, and detection. Given the increasing deployment of such ATMS, there is a need for development of a statewide plan to outline the direction that local agencies can take to improve the day-to-day operations of their arterial road systems.

FDOT’s Arterial ITS Plan would focus on improving arterial traffic operations in congested areas through improvements to ATMS-related software, infrastructure (controllers, detection, and communications), operations, and maintenance. This plan would provide FDOT with a roadmap to assist local agencies in expanding their ATMS programs, and would also be a tool to help fund arterial ITS deployments. This plan would also act as a database of all local ITS activity which would allow FDOT to be aware of any upcoming ITS projects and provide opportunities for coordination.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office contains a benefit-cost database that documents many ITS studies from across the United States. These studies show that the benefits of investments in ITS outweigh the costs by as much as 40 to 1. A few examples include:

• Signal improvements to an 11-intersection arterial in St. Augustine, Florida, showed reductions of 36 percent in arterial delay, 49 percent in arterial stops, and 10 percent in travel time, resulting in an annual fuel savings of 26,000 gallons and an annual cost savings of $1.1 million.1

• Georgia’s Fast Forward program, which made improvements to 32 traffic signal systems and 321 signalized intersections, shows a benefit to cost ratio of 32 to 1. Environmentally, nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions decreased 6 percent, carbon monoxide (CO) emissions decreased 3 percent, and volatile organic compounds (VOC) were reduced by 11 percent. This amounts to more than 236 tons of pollutant reduction from Atlanta area air.2

• Also in Georgia, the NaviGAtor incident management program reduced annual fuel consumption by 6.83 million gallons, and contributed to decreased emissions: 2,457 tons less CO, 186 tons less hydrocarbons (HC), and 262 tons less NOx.3

• In Oakland County, Michigan, retiming 640 traffic signals during a two-phase project resulted in CO reductions of 1.7 and 2.5 percent, NOx reductions of 1.9 and 3.5 percent, and HC reductions of 2.7 and 4.2 percent.4

• A study of Maryland’s statewide ITS deployment, known as CHART, found that the system reduced incident duration and saved approximately 4.1 million gallons of fuel in 2000.5

• By implementing coordinated signal timing on the arterial network in Syracuse, New York, total fuel consumption was reduced by up to 13 percent, average fuel consumption declined by up to 14 percent, and average vehicle emissions decreased by up to 13 percent.6

The second phase of the Arterial ITS Plan would gather data on the existing and planned ITS deployments along arterials. Metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) develop long range transportation plans to identify their regional transportation needs and projects that will help meet those needs. Congestion usually plays a key role in identifying areas where improvements are needed. Implementing ITS devices along congested corridors can help alleviate congestion without adding more rights-of-way. Numerous local agencies in Florida have already implemented ITS along their arterial networks. Some regions have a significant amount of ITS, whereas others are just getting started.

Through a data collection effort, 56 local government agencies furnished information regarding their ITS deployments. As the Arterial ITS Plan progresses it will continue to engage local government agencies as well as the FDOT Districts to ensure that their arterial ITS needs are being addressed.

With the development of the Arterial ITS Plan the Traffic Engineering and Operations Office will be able to provide support to this important statewide vision. Specifically, the Arterial ITS Plan will enhance the efficiency of Florida’s transportation network; increase mobility of people and goods; and assist in preservation of the environment by providing an arterial system that increases traffic throughput and assists in reducing recurring congestion.

This article was provided by John Hibbard, PBS&J. For more information, please contact Mr. Hibbard at (678) 247-2585 or email JLHibbard@pbsj.com.

1Sunkari, S., “The Benefits of Retiming Traffic Signals,” ITE Journal, April 2004

2Fast Forward – Metro Atlanta Signal Timing Program (GDOT: Atlanta, GA, 2007)

3www.itsbenefits.its.dot.gov/its/benecost.nsf/ID/D8C9DC0B8F0769C28525733A006D5A17

4www.itsbenefits.its.dot.gov/its/benecost.nsf/ID/CF3707B5930738FF8525733A006D546B

5www.itsbenefits.its.dot.gov/its/benecost.nsf/ID/151060B2B05095D385256C6F006FF9D6

6www.itsbenefits.its.dot.gov/its/benecost.nsf/ID/A9953A0DFDDA7B4885256E9B0052FB24

* * * *

Return to top

Introducing Florida’s Expanded Commercial Vehicle Information Systems and Networks Program

Florida has made a substantial financial and programmatic commitment to the National Commercial Vehicle Information Systems and Networks (CVISN1) Program. Since 2000, Florida has invested well over $10 million in core CVISN program deployments. In order to capitalize on these investments and further leverage the state’s investments in CVISN deployments, Florida has moved into the next phase of CVISN known as the Expanded CVISN Program.

The Expanded CVISN Program builds on the successful technology and infrastructure deployments that took place during CVISN Level 1. While the CVISN program under Level 1 was carefully prescribed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the Expanded CVISN Program allows much greater flexibility to the individual states in the program’s components and design. States can define which projects make the most sense for them and meet their unique needs.

Florida’s Expanded CVISN Program will encompass 11 projects. These projects were developed by Florida’s CVISN team which is made up of several state agencies and industry representatives, including the Florida Trucking Association (FTA). FTA plays an active role in Florida’s CVISN program. They participate in the bi-monthly CVISN team meetings and FTA’s president holds a seat on the Florida CVISN Executive Steering Committee.

The Expanded CVISN Program projects will cross state agency boundaries and provide benefits to the commercial vehicle regulatory agencies and also to the commercial vehicle industry. As part of the program development process, CVISN partners will jointly prioritize the projects and develop the schedule for their deployment over the course of the next five years.

Florida’s Expanded CVISN Program project deployments are designed to enhance safety, security, and the mobility of motor carriers in Florida in many ways. Technology deployments will help enforcement personnel to target limited staff resources toward screening for the small percentage of vehicles that could potentially pose safety problems. Florida will deploy one or more virtual roadside facilities equipped with high-speed weigh-in-motion, license plate readers, length and width detection, and radiation detectors. Additional pre-clearance and pre-screening technology deployments will allow safe and legal motor carriers to avoid or limit pull-ins for inspection activities. Technology deployments will also aid the motor carrier community by streamlining the required regulatory activities, such as obtaining operating credentials or over size/over weight permits. Deployment of internet-based services allows the industry to apply for and obtain many required credentials 24 hours a day/7 days a week.

Another component of the Expanded CVISN Program is to look for additional opportunities to provide benefits to the motor carrier community. There are plans to evaluate Florida’s non-port of entry status. Under the current system commercial vehicles must have certain operating credentials prior to crossing the state line into Florida; failure to do so can result in a stiff fine. The current status potentially puts an undue financial burden on motor carriers entering Florida. The study will evaluate the feasibility of changing Florida’s status, conduct a review of what legislative changes would be required to change this status, identify best practices with regard to port-of-entry, determine the costs and benefits of changing to port-of-entry status, and provide recommendations.

The Container Number Database Project will be the first in the nation to capture (at highway speeds) and store container numbers. This database will provide origin and destination data for container movements in Florida. Additional capabilities for the Container Reader System will involve linkages to other databases, such as Florida’s Electronic Freight Theft Management System to check for stolen cargo activity.

Florida’s Expanded CVISN Program will be well-rounded and robust. It will capitalize on previous investments and successes to continue to optimize the safe and efficient movement of people and goods throughout the state of Florida, improve the state’s commercial vehicle regulatory environment, ensure commercial vehicle operations-related safety without undue costs to the motor carrier industry, and guide the development and installation of adopted CVISN projects and programs in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

This article was provided by Mike Akridge, FDOT Traffic Engineering and Operations Office. For more information, please contact Mr. Akridge at (850) 410-5607 or email Michael.Akridge@dot.state.fl.us.

Commercial Vehicle Information Systems and Networks – CVISN is a Federal (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration - FMCSA) initiative to improve motor carrier safety and enhance efficiency of administrative processes for industry and government.

* * * *

Return to top

Road Ranger Funding Rescue!

In early 2008, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Road Ranger program’s biggest concern seemed to be funding the deployment of 800 MHz radios to the Road Rangers for communicating with the Florida Highway Patrol. But as the economy slowed and tax revenues declined, that all changed. Budget shortfalls prompted the legislative evaluation of many established programs within the state.

The Road Ranger program was considered as a candidate for program reductions because many viewed the services provided as unnecessary in lean budget times. The Road Ranger services, such as changing tires, providing a cell phone to call a towing service, offering limited fuel assistance, and helping with minor repairs, were provided free of charge to the public and were viewed as an “auto club service” not an incident management tool.

Studies have shown that disabled vehicles on the side of the road can cause as much as a 25 percent reduction in roadway capacity. Removing these vehicles from the roadway, either through limited towing or repairs, helps return traffic to normal flow and reduces the likelihood of secondary crashes as well as decreasing delays incurred by travelers.

The public, in appreciation of the Road Rangers services, have continually sent emails and letters to the FDOT and the Governor’s Office thanking them for this assistance. These letters, while greatly appreciated, only exacerbated the problem of the actual need for this program. The major reason for the existence of the Road Rangers service is to establish maintenance of traffic; thereby protecting all first responders and allowing them to clear crashes more quickly and efficiently. This returns traffic flow to a normal state as soon as possible. Road Rangers provide beneficial services for all highway users —wherever they are on patrol.

Initially, the program was cut completely from the state’s budget. As word of the program cuts spread, the public made their voices heard and requested that funding be restored to a program that they felt was extremely beneficial. Because of the emphasis on the assistance aspect of the program, partial funding for the next fiscal year was re-introduced. Given the reduced funding, the contractors were permitted to seek supplemental funding through sponsorships and advertising revenues in an effort to maintain as many service routes as possible.

Contract addendums were drafted, reviewed, and revised by FDOT staff to ensure that the contractors were seeking sponsorships and advertisers that maintained the character and standards of the Road Ranger program. This addendum provided specifics on the vehicle appearance, types of advertising permitted on the Road Ranger vehicles, and it maintains the Central and District Office oversight of the sponsorship contracts.

Several Districts are currently in negotiations with companies interested in being a part of this very successful and positive Road Ranger program.

This article was provided by Mike Akridge, FDOT Traffic Engineering and Operations Office. For more information, please contact Mr. Akridge at (850) 410-5607 or email Michael.Akridge@dot.state.fl.us.

* * * *

Return to top

The Value of Critical Traffic Incident Management Review

Teamwork is the single most important solution in the contemporary operations model. Just like the high performance sports team, all teams must engage in developing an action plan, practice implementing the plan, and reviewing the plan afterwards to identify improvement opportunities.

The after-action review is often the most socially challenging step in process improvement; however, if facilitated correctly; it will become the most socially rewarding experience and foster a greater sense of team identification. Traffic Incident Management (TIM) Teams around the nation come together to plan, implement, and review responses to major incidents that occur on our roadways. While each respective response agency has already developed high performance teams… the next challenge is to further develop a multi-agency team that plans, cross-trains, implements, and reviews the total team initiative. TIM Teams refer to this process review and process improvement program as “Critical Incident Management Review.” TIM Team members call this after-action review “critical” because this particular word inherently means careful evaluation and conveys a sense of urgency. Additionally, as all TIM Team members know; it is because they care.

The Critical Traffic Incident Management Review (CTIMR) includes discussion of recent traffic incident management responses with a shared purpose to carefully evaluate each agency’s activity and the impact on other team member agency’s activities. The key to an effective CTIMR is to ensure that the actual people who were engaged in the response are also engaged in the review process. TIM Team members share their experiences and learn about the perspectives of others. By including the actual incident responders, the team can learn first-hand what actually took place from each agency member’s perspective. Team members offer each other compliments and express gratitude, adding to the strengths of the team identity. Additionally, team members can address any conflict and work for prompt resolution. TIM Team members work together to identify opportunities for improvement and the means to put the improvements into practice and to learn from each others experiential wisdom. This collective knowledge is far more formidable than the creativity of one, and supports the contemporary operational model designed to achieve collaborative advantage. Teamwork is the single most important solution in the contemporary operations model. CTIMR is of great value to all stakeholders, which actually includes all the people of this great state.

This article was provided by Don Olson, FDOT District 1. For more information, please contact Mr. Olson at (863) 519-2274 or email Don.Olson@dot.state.fl.us.

* * * *

Return to top

FDOT District 6 Announces Partnership with Florida International University’s College of Engineering and Computing

Inside a small room at Florida International University’s (FIU) Engineering Center, surrounded by clusters of cubicles and computer screens, a constant stream of cars, motorcycles, and trucks travel like ants through a twisted maze.

On two 70-inch monitors in the center of the room, FIU transportation engineering students are now able to observe and study live traffic feeds, compliments of a new partnership between the university and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District 6’s Transportation Management Center (TMC).

The intelligent transportation systems (ITS) lab includes a video wall, central software, servers, and operator workstations that duplicate, at a smaller scale, those that are used at the District 6 TMC. The ITS lab, located in FIU’s Lehman Center for Transportation Research within the engineering building, is set to officially open in September to coincide with the start of the fall 2008 semester. The Lehman Center was established in 1993 and is named after Congressman Bill Lehman. The center, which is committed to conducting research and training to improve traffic mobility and safety, is the only one of its kind in South Florida.

“The construction of the new lab is an excellent example of collaboration between public agencies and academia to address transportation system problems,” said Dr. Mohammed Hadi, a professional engineer and professor with FIU’s College of Engineering and Computing. “This is one excellent way that the Department of Transportation and our center can collaborate in research and education activities.”

Dr. Hadi said students will use the lab to research the impact of traveler information on traveler behavior. It will also give students the opportunity to conduct research related to traffic management, other ITS applications, and traffic flow theory and operations using actual field data.

“This sort of collaboration is critical to the transportation industry and should be widely and loudly celebrated,” said Debora M. Rivera, FDOT District 6 Traffic Operations Engineer.

With state-of-the-art hardware and software, the ITS lab will serve as both a research-based and educational facility. “The software used at the TMC will be installed here and as the students use the lab more and more, they will be able to provide feedback and possibly even suggest improvements to the TMC,” Dr. Hadi said.

Such software includes a module that will allow FIU students to share incident and traffic data in real-time with the District 6 TMC. “We have collaborated with the FDOT District 6 on ITS research and education activities for many years,” Dr. Hadi said. “This new facility will take these activities to a new level that has not been possible in the past.”

Javier Rodriguez, FDOT District 6 ITS Operations Engineer for the TMC, agrees with Dr. Hadi, saying he expects the benefits to go both ways. “We are so busy operating the actual system each day that we often don’t have the time and resources to do internal research,” Rodriguez said. “Now, FIU students will be able to assist us in that area in order to optimize our operations.”

Rodriguez said he hopes to one day form an agreement between FIU and the TMC in which TMC employees would be able to use FIU’s facility in future cases of emergency or evacuation.

“This is going to be one of only five such facilities in North America that I know of,” Dr. Hadi said. “One thing that is unique to this situation is not only the equipment but the level of collaboration between the university and the Department of Transportation, as well.”

This article was provided by Javier Rodriguez, FDOT District 6. For more information, please contact Mr. Rodriguez at (305) 470-5341 or email Javier.Rodriguez@dot.state.fl.us.

* * * *

Return to top

Inside the TERL

The FDOT has a goal to assure that only a safe and uniform ITS and traffic control system is implemented in the 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. Below is a look Inside the TERL at activities that help accomplish our goal.

Product Evaluation
Signalized Intersection and ITS Products
There are currently 88 applications submitted for listing on the FDOT’s Approved Product List (APL). Out of these applications, 59 have been approved for product evaluation. Out of the 59 approved applications, 30 products have been received for evaluation. Of the 30 products received, 17 products have received approval, 9 products failed, and 4 products are still under evaluation. The remaining products have not been received by the TERL and are awaiting first time submittal or re-submittal due to problems.

Approved products can be viewed at the following Web pages:

• Signalized Intersection products - http://www3.dot.state.fl.us/trafficcontrolproducts/
• ITS products - http://www.dot.state.fl.us/TrafficOperations/Traf_Sys/ITS%20APL/TemporaryITSAPL.shtm

Product Specifications
There are currently four product specification in the development stage and four planned for the near future.

APL Vendor Quality Assurance System Evaluation
A manufacturer is required to be qualified before a device can be evaluated for listing on the APL. There are currently a total of 82 qualified manufacturers, of which 32 manufacturers have recently been re-qualified. Re-qualification is due on a four year basis.

This article was provided by Jeff 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.

* * * *

Return to top

ITS Florida—ITS and Environmental Benefits

Everyone has noticed that food and energy prices have been increasing substantially within the last year. While this is happening, traffic congestion continues to worsen in American cities of all sizes1; and climate change is becoming a relevant policy topic of discussion in transportation circles.2 Estimates indicate that 2.9 billion gallons of fuel per year are wasted due to traffic congestion.

While little quantitative evaluation has been done, specifically on global environmental impacts, specific evaluations of various intelligent transportation systems (ITS) projects indicate that improving system performance could dramatically reduce fuel consumption and related carbon emissions.3 Small-scale studies generally show positive impacts on the environment. These impacts result from smoother and more efficient flows in the transportation system. However, environmental impacts of travelers reacting to large-scale deployment in the long term are not well understood.

In most cases, environmental benefits can only be estimated by the use of analysis and simulation. The problems related to regional measurement include the small impact of individual projects and large numbers of exogenous variables, including weather, contributions from non-mobile sources, air pollution drifting into an area from other regions as well as the time-evolving nature of ozone pollution.

Beyond assessing the traditional monetary benefit/cost analysis of ITS deployments, the public and private sectors are committed to evaluating the environmental benefits associated with ITS. For example, ITS America (ITSA) plans to work with the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to quantify the emissions reductions that can be achieved by implementing ITS at a reasonable cost. According to ITSA’s General Counsel and Director of Environmental Affairs, Leslie Bellas, “the environment can highlight the need for new transportation policy.”4 One of the challenges is that the benefits need to be examined on a technology-by-technology basis; however, in many cases multiple technologies are deployed at the same time. For example, while electronic toll collection (ETC), a technology that allows vehicles to pay fees without stopping, offers measurable reductions in emissions, congestion mitigation strategies as a whole involve many more variables. As part of its effort to quantify benefits, ITSA will examine the recent findings that congestion pricing in London resulted in pollutant emission reductions to determine how emission reductions related to congestion pricing might be measured in the United States.

USDOT is also anticipating the environmental benefits of ITS. In its 2003 Update of ITS Benefits & Costs, several ITS applications were mentioned and environmental benefits showcased.5 For example, a simulation of a transit signal priority system implemented on a Helsinki, Finland, bus line, has indicated a 3.6 percent reduction in fuel consumption, while implementation of an adaptive signal control system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, has yielded emission reductions of 3 to 6 percent and fuel savings of 4 to 7 percent. After implementation of coordinated signal controls in four U.S. localities, modeling results found reductions in fuel use ranging from a 2 percent savings in Phoenix, Arizona, to a 12 percent decline in Richmond, Virginia. In the case of ramp metering (such as the one being implemented in Miami), a simulation study of the Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, system found 2 to 55 percent fuel savings for vehicles traveling along two modeled corridors under varying levels of travel demand. Even incident management programs, such as the Road Rangers, provide an environmental benefit to society by reducing incident-related delay that leads to fuel savings and related emissions reductions. Finally, model calculations of emissions using the EPA Mobile-5a model and traffic field data indicated ETC decreased carbon monoxide by 7.3 percent, decreased hydrocarbons by 7.2 percent, and increased nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 33.8 percent at the Holland East Toll Plaza in Florida. NOx increased as a result of higher engine speeds.

In many aspects, Florida is already a lead state supporting the use of ITS to reduce congestion and efficiently manage its roadways which results in an effective system performance and provides an environmental benefit. Current and recent ITS deployments include the Urban Partnership Agreement for I-95 Express Lanes in Southeast Florida, ETC and traffic management programs (e.g., SunPass®, E-Pass), advanced transportation management systems, Florida’s participation in the vehicle infrastructure integration program, statewide and regional efforts implementing the 511 traveler information system, commercial vehicle operations, and ramp metering, among others.

This article was provided by Michael Loyselle, FHWA. For more information, please contact Mr. Loyselle at (850) 942-9650 ext 3041or email Michael.Loyselle@fhwa.dot.gov.

For more information on ITS Florida, please check the ITS Florida Web site at http://www.itsflorida.org/ or contact Sandy Beck, Chapter Administrator, at itsflorida@itsflorida.org.

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.

1TTI. 2007 Annual Urban Mobility Report. http://mobility.tamu.edu/ums/media_information/press_release.stm
2USDOT RITA Center for Climate Change and Environmental Forecasting. http://climate.dot.gov/dotprog.html
3USDOT RITA ITS JPO. Draft Safety White Paper. July 30, 2008. http://www.its.dot.gov/itspac/read_aheadJuly_august08/tab2_Draft_safety.htm
4ITS Benefits the Environment: Interview with ITS America’s Leslie Bellas. http://www.ntoctalks.com/articles/bellas.php
5FHWA. ITS Benefits and Costs 2003 Update. http://www.itsdocs.fhwa.dot.gov/jpodocs/repts_te/13772.html

* * * *

Return to top

Editorial Corner—Are We There Yet?

An Assessment of Transportation Operations in Florida
Looking over the years of being a part of Florida’s transportation community, I have the privilege of being able to reflect on how business was run “yesterday” in comparison to today.

Some 20-30 years ago, transportation textbooks were mostly about the relationship between drivers, vehicles, and roadways. Today, we still use these learning tools, but our attention is focused on accommodating all of our transportation customers—vehicle drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, bus riders, etc. In a nutshell, today we lean more towards customer satisfaction.

Another major difference I have observed is that we now focus more on operations in the present even though roads are planned with a view of 20 years in the future. We have done an awesome job of providing more information to our customers and safer management of our freeways and arterial roadways using intelligent transportation systems, traveler information, and incident management, to name a few.

Through much research, information sharing, and hard work, Florida was the first state in the nation to secure funding for systems operation deployments, routine maintenance, and operations. This was a major component of mainstreaming intelligent transportation systems into operations and then operations into the transportation work program. With this secured funding, our transportation community has been able to build a solid customer oriented program.

We have come a long way in alleviating traffic congestion in the state of Florida. That said—we can go much further. Ten, 20, 30 years ago, the way to ease roadway congestion was to build our way out. With increasing construction costs, and less available land, this is no longer a very good solution.

	If you open any transportation textbook you see the transportation elements drawn in a straight line. In the past five years we have put operations into this equation; however, the circle is still incomplete.
	It is important that we connect operations and planning to complete the circle. Planning understands the funding and long range issues, while operations understands the importance of providing customer services and achieving high levels of customer satisfaction.

I’ve been passionate about completing this circle and, to this end I’ve been active in the national endeavor with support from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and the Transportation Research Board.

I am proud to have been a part of Florida’s transportation community and to have seen the progress made. Throughout my career with the FDOT, I have had many mentors and worked side-by-side with my colleagues; all have helped me mature professionally, for which I am very grateful.

This editorial was provided by Lap Hoang, FDOT Traffic Engineering and Operations Office. Mr. Hoang has recently retired.

* * * *

Return to top

Announcements

Congratulations!
Please join us in congratulating Mark Wilson on his appointment as the State Traffic Engineer!

* * * *

Don’t Miss This Great ITS Conference!
The 15th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems & ITS America’s 2008 Annual Meeting and Exposition is shaping up to be the largest event in the world for ITS leaders, policy makers, and other industry professionals. An expected 10,000 transport executives and ITS professionals from around the globe will come together at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City from November 16-20, 2008. Over 200 sessions will make for an outstanding program featuring more than 750 industry experts and world renowned speakers who will cover a broad range of ITS issues that are important to you.

This event will also feature the largest fully-integrated demonstration of deployed and marketable ITS technologies ever. Vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-roadside communication technologies and applications will be highlighted. This demonstration will include innovative mobility solutions operating on the streets and highways of New York. Live demonstrations will showcase advanced ITS technologies that provide effective management of public facilities, protect public investment in transport infrastructure, and enhance and expand mobility options.

For the latest information on the 15th World Congress on ITS, visit http://www.itsworldcongress.org/.

* * * *

Return to top