2006 Yearend Archive
Happy Birthday Peter. This picture was taken at the ITS Michigan Quarterly meeting at Nissan in Farmington Hills, MI on 11/09/2006
Intelligent Border Crossing Project Seeking Technology Partnerships and Feedback
To All Ontario-U.S. Border Users, Operators, Technology Providers and Stakeholders: The Intelligent Border Crossing project team has produced a Discussion Paper and a draft Concept of Operations report. We are seeking your feedback on how the proposed concepts may affect you, and how you can help implement the Intelligent Border Crossing with innovative technologies and partnership opportunities. Click this link to find out more.
RCOC VII Presentation to ITE Michigan
Gary Piotrowicz recently presented the following presentation to ITE Michigan at their meeting in Lansing. This timely presentation contained the following headlines.
· VII = Vehicle Infrastructure Integration
· Why VII Now?
· The Driving Force: Safety
· Paradigm Shift: Passive to Active Safety
· Driving Force: Mobility
· Applications – Weather, Active Signing, Traveler Information, Collision Avoidance
· Examples
The pdf presentation is here (11.47M).
Safe Routes To School
Another ITE presentation was by Lee Kokinakis PhD, who is Director of Active School Environments and Safe Routes to School, Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness presented a different aspect of transportation. Safety, Funding and getting school age children safely to school were featured.
Hyperlink to the pdf presentation(1.75M).
President’s Message for ITS of Michigan
It’s about the dream. This ITS business is about imagining what could be and bringing those dreams into reality. It’s what the Disney folks would call “Imagineering”. If we can dream it, we can do it. Some of those dreams are starting to come true with the deployment of the ITS system in Metro Detroit and new Traffic Operations Centers in Mt. Clemens and Grand Rapids. What’s more, we are learning how to use this technology to make travel safer and more efficient for Michigan travelers. The deployment of Vehicle Infrastructure Test Beds in Michigan is another step in making dreams about applying computer and communication technology come true.
Full Presidential Message August 2006
Agenda BOD Meeting - 12 Sept 2006 Automation Alley link
ITS Michigan Quarterly Meeting at UMTRI, August 22, 2006 - Vehicle Infrastructure Integration
Michigan is a national leader in the deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems, and is the focal point for Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII), where the auto industry and highway managers are coming together to provide high performance communications between vehicles and from vehicles to infrastructures.
ITS Michigan provides a unique forum for the makers, users and beneficiaries of ITS technologies; ITS Michigan's quarterly meetings feature nationally prominent speakers.
Click to read the complete brochure Map to the conference
The federal government’s perspective on wireless vehicle communications and the insight of a national leader in navigation will be part of the agenda for the Wireless Vehicle Communications Systems session, August 8, 2006, in Traverse City, Michigan.
Michael Freitas, Managing Director, ITS Joint Program Office, Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation and Harry Voccola, Senior Vice President, Government & Industry Relations, NAVTEQ will join the session’s distinguished panel.
For more about this exciting conference click this link
Click the "Save The Date" below for registration form and other details of the 2006 annual ITS Michigan Conference
VII Data Use Analysis & Processing RFP from MDOT released 3/6/2006
The VII Request for Proposals (RFP) from the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has been released today, March 6, 2006. The RFP can be found at www.michigan.gov/mdot under "Doing Business" followed by "Vendor/Consultant Services" and the "Requests for Proposals" under the "Specialty Services" section. All addenda and answers to all questions will be posted at the same location.
The purpose of this RFP is to develop prototype applications/systems, using the data from MDOT's various VII partners, to identify and quantify some of the impacts the VII program will have on a Department of Transportation, such as real-time traffic management, project planning, traffic engineering, safety analysis, and performance measurement. While there is a significant portion of the work associated with Information Technology and Software, the primary objective of the program is to identify and quantify how VII will impact the way MDOT and our partners in the public sector will do business in the future.
NHTSA, Virginia Tech Release Findings - Driver Inattention
Driver inattention is the leading factor in most crashes and near-crashes,
according to a landmark research report released today by the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Virginia Tech
Transportation Institute (VTTI).
Nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involved some
form of driver inattention within three seconds before the event. Primary
causes of driver inattention are distracting activities, such as cell
phone use, and drowsiness. “This important research illustrates the
potentially dire consequences that can occur while driving distracted or
drowsy. It’s crucial that drivers always be alert when on the road,” said
Jacqueline Glassman, acting administrator of NHTSA. Her remarks were made
during a news conference today at VTTI in Blacksburg, VA.
The 100-Car Naturalistic Driving Study tracked the behavior of the drivers
of 100 vehicles equipped with video and sensor devices for more than one
year. During that time, the vehicles were driven nearly 2,000,000 miles,
yielding 42,300 hours of data. The 241 drivers of the vehicles were
involved in 82 crashes, 761 near crashes, and 8,295 critical incidents.
“The huge database developed through this breakthrough study is enormously
valuable in helping us to understand—and prevent—motor vehicle crashes,”
said Dr. Tom Dingus, director of VTTI.
In addition, a follow-on analysis to the 100-Car Study has also been
released. Focused on the types of driver inattention and their associated
risk, key findings include:
• Drowsiness is a significant problem that increases a driver’s risk of a
crash or near-crash by at least a factor of four. But drowsy driving may
be significantly under-reported in police crash investigations.
• The most common distraction for drivers is the use of cell phones.
However, the number of crashes and near-crashes attributable to dialing is
nearly identical to the number associated with talking or listening.
Dialing is more dangerous but occurs less often than talking or listening.
• Reaching for a moving object increased the risk of a crash or near-crash
by 9 times; looking at an external object by 3.7 times; reading by 3
times; applying makeup by 3 times; dialing a hand-held device (typically a
cell phone) by almost 3 times; and talking or listening on a hand-held
device by 1.3 times.
• Drivers who engage frequently in distracting activities are more likely
to be involved in an inattention-related crash or near-crash. However,
drivers are often unable to predict when it is safe to look away from the
road to multi-task because the situation can change abruptly leaving the
driver no time to react even when looking away from the forward roadway
for only a brief time.
The 100-Car Study and its follow-on analysis were co-sponsored by NHTSA, the Virginia Transportation Research Council (the research division of the Virginia Department of Transportation) and Virginia Tech. The background and results of both studies are available on NHTSA’s website under Research and Development at http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/departments/nrd-13/newDriverDistraction.html
ITS Michigan 11th Annual Conference & MDOT Vendor Demo
Please join us June 13, 14 & 15 for the eleventh ITS Michigan Annual Conference. This premier event will feature presentations by industry leaders, vendor booths of interesting ITS products and other exciting activities. The event Agenda is on the following link. We look forward to seeing you there for this exciting ITS extravaganza.
Click the link on the left to view the registration form and other important information. The hotel, driving and parking information can be printed by following this link.
New! Viewer Poll Below
Check out the new viewer poll below in this column! Please vote.
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The old polls can be reached by going to Upcoming Events then to the right column Past Polls hyperlink or by ....clicking here. The General Archive Link in the right column will also take you to the same spot.
Carmine's Presidential Message
I want to thank the members of ITS Michigan for giving me the privilege of leading you as president in the coming year. My intent is to carry on the tradition of strong leadership that has been a hallmark of this organization from its inception. I want to thank Tom Borton for his past year of thoughtful service as president and for his helpful counsel as we move through this upcoming year.
Throughout the next year, please share with me your suggestions for making this a better organization. Let me know of items that you want to bring to the Board or if there are projects or programs you want to see. I would also remind everyone that this is a volunteer organization and we can always use additional help, so feel free to jump in where you see a need.
Finally, I am reminded by a quote attributed to Casey Stengel, former manager of the New York Yankees who said, ”The secret of managing is to keep the guys who hate you away from the guys who are undecided.” I will try to heed his advice.
Governor Granholm Appoints Kirk Steudle as New MDOT Director
Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today appointed Kirk T. Steudle as director of the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). Steudle currently serves as chief deputy director of the department and has worked as an MDOT engineer for the last 19 years.
As director, Steudle will continue the Granholm administration's focus on preserving Michigan's transportation system and growing Michigan's economy through strategic transportation investments.
One of Steudle's most prominent assignments has been his service on the Asset Management Council, a state and local partnership that annually assesses the condition of more than 120,000 miles of roads in Michigan, regardless of jurisdiction.
"Kirk Steudle is an internationally recognized leader in transportation system management, and he understands that the condition of Michigan's entire transportation system is critical to economic growth, job creation, and quality of life," said Granholm. "His experience as an MDOT engineer and his commitment to state, local, and public/private partnerships will provide steady and innovative leadership."
A lifelong Michigan resident and graduate of Lawrence Technological University, Steudle began his career at MDOT in 1987. Prior to serving as chief deputy director, he was the MDOT's Bay region engineer and deputy metro region engineer. Steudle and his wife have two children.
Steudle replaces Gloria J. Jeff who has announced her resignation effective March 3, 2006.
ITS Michigan would like to thank Gloria for her work at MDOT and wish her well in her future endeavors. Gloria was a leader nationally and in Michigan in integrating ITS into the everyday fabric of transportation. At the same time we are confident that Kirk Steudle will continue to make ITS a priority as we work together to find ways of improving the efficiency and safety of our transportation system.
Sunday Oakland Press
VMS can enhance safety - experiment shows
Worldwide 5-15 per cent of accidents are speed-related, making it a core issue in road safety. Adverse weather conditions such as fog, rain, etc., hamper the psycho-physical abilities of drivers and affect their driving abilities. With poor visibility, hazardous conditions increase. In most countries, drivers are generally not provided with real time information on the safe speed that they should be driving at a given road section. What is available to them are the posted static speed limit signs. If road authorities can provide information on speeds and weather conditions, it can facilitate a change in behaviour of drivers in terms of their speed, which will improve road safety. Variable Message Signs (VMS) are one of the best tools available for providing dynamic and real time traffic advisory information to the drivers. The complete article is here. To gain access to the article a simple, free registration is required.
MDOT Press Release - Wales/MDOT
February 22, 2006-- Representatives of the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) met today with Welsh Assembly Government officials to solidify an agreement to share knowledge and best practices about Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) and VII (vehicle infrastructure integration). Michigan and Welsh officials hope to increase economic activity and collaboration in Michigan and Wales as a result of working together. Among the Welsh officials at the meeting were: Andrew Davies, Minister for Economic Development and Transport; Welsh Assembly Government, Leighton James, head of technology, information and road safety, Welsh Assembly Government; and Anne Reynish, vice president, Welsh Development Agency. Representing MDOT was Chief Deputy Director Kirk Steudle.
3M Canoga SW Michigan Training Session
Traffic Sensing System technical training was presented by Earl Hoekman of 3M Canoga to 15 SW Michigan ITS technical specialists. Sponsored and hosted by URS Corporation of Grand Rapids, the training attracted 15 MDOT, City of Grand Rapids, Carrier & Gable and URS Intelligent Transportation System specialists. The well attended six hour event, featured the Canoga line of products with special emphasis on idiosyncrasies of installing 700, 800 and 900 series devices for achieving the engineered results designers intended.
3M Canoga............(800) 258-4610
Carrier & Gable.......(800) 451-6854
URS Corporation.....(800) 888-2132
TRB e-Sessions are now available
These really good sessions are available from the recent TRB 85th annual meeting. View and listen to select presentations given at TRB’s 85th Annual Meeting as part of TRB’s e-Session series. The TRB e-Session series is designed to bring information presented at TRB conferences and meetings to those who were not able to attend. Sessions now available in this year’s Annual Meeting e-Session series include the following. Additional sessions are expected to be added to this list in the coming weeks.
* Session 220: Disaster Planning for Low-Income and Disadvantaged Communities
* Session 262: Transportation 2025 and the U.S. Department of Transportation: Dialogue with the Administrators
* Session 278: Katrina: Demographics and Infrastructure of Disaster and Reconstruction
* Session 353: Pavement Lessons from 50-Year-Old Interstate System
* Session 384: Transportation Infrastructure Damage and Lessons Learned from Hurricane Katrina
* Session 389: Identifying Future Transportation Trends Affecting the Transportation Planning Process: Issues and Responses
* Session 418: National Freight Policy: Toward an Action Agenda
* Session 431: Transportation Management in a Crisis: Lessons Learned from Katrina, Rita, and Other Hurricanes
* Session 479: Rail Transit Recovery from Natural Disasters
* Session 504: Impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on Gulf Ports and Waterway Operations: Roundtable Discussion
* Session 553: Recovery and Rebuilding Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
* Session 563: Feminization of Aging: Transportation Implications
* Session 630: Truck Lanes and Road Pricing, Part 1: Reality of Today
* Session 652: Getting There from Here: Transportation Organizations 2025
* Session 682: Truck Lanes and Road Pricing, Part 2: Roads of Tomorrow
* Research Collaboration: How Can We Improve Our Partnerships? A Workshop
This link will take you to the sessions listed above
STMicro to market chip to detect bird flu in humans
PARIS (Reuters)—STMicroelectronics is planning to market a disposable laboratory microchip that can confirm within about an hour a human case of bird flu at a limited cost, the European chip maker said on Wednesday.
The Franco-Italian group is developing a test that could be available to health care providers this autumn with Singapore-based medical diagnostics company Veredus Laboratories Pte Ltd.
What does this have to do with ITS you might ask? Being in a sensitive border area in a pandemic might cause a change in policies involving immigrationthis device is an instrument that Intelligent Transportaions Systems could use to increase the flow of traffic through the border areas. Here is the full story to review.
SmartSensor Advance debuts in Arizona
Wavetronix has announced the first permanent installation of the new SmartSensor Advance device – in the city of Scottsdale, Arizona, where the new sensor will be used for intersection dilemma zone management and control in an effort to reduce the number of intersection-related accidents...................“Our primary goal is to reduce accidents by allowing the high speed approaches more time, when needed, to clear the intersection,” Dressel says. “We hope this technology helps reduce the severity of accidents, and eliminates the incidence of angle accidents,” he says, adding that if the current SmartSensor Advance installation operates as intended, the city will consider future installations in other parts of Scottsdale ....more
Wayne County opts for Codespear Software
Birmingham, Michigan-based Codespear today announced that Wayne County, Mich., has selected its software to create emergency communications directly with the county’s residents, businesses and public-safety agencies.
Built on the same platform that Wayne County uses to allow public-safety officials to communicate interoperably over disparate private-radio and commercial networks, the alert system....more
UMTRI wins US$25 million contract to help drivers avoid crashes
ANN ARBOR, Mich.The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) has been awarded a $25 million contract by the U.S. Department of Transportation to develop technologies to help drivers avoid crashes.
UMTRI, along with partners Visteon Corp., Eaton Corp., AssistWare Technology Inc., Honda R&D Americas Inc., Battelle and the Michigan Department of Transportation, will develop and test a new, integrated crash warning system in a fleet of 16 passenger cars and 10 heavy-duty trucks. ....more.
MDOT releases RFP for I-696 VII Mesh
The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is seeking professional services for the project contained in the attached scope of services.
If your firm is interested in providing services, please indicate your interest by submitting a Proposal. The Proposal must be submitted in accordance with the latest "Vendor Selection Guidelines for Service Contracts”, available on the MDOT website.
For efficiency sake, MDOT is asking that the vendor firm provide 5 paper copies (1 unbound and 4 bound) of the Proposal to the MDOT project manager named in the scope of services.
These copies must be received by March 10, 2006 @ 12:00 PM. Fax and electronic copies are not acceptable. The complete RFP can be downloaded as a pdf from the MDOT website. The RFP can be found at www.michigan.gov/mdot under "Doing Business" followed by "Vendor/Consultant Services" and the "Requests for Proposals" under the "Specialty Services" section.
Michigan/Motorola Explore Super Highway
Motorola
and Michigan to explore wireless super highway...
RCOC tells ITS Michigan: Who We Are
The Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) maintains the largest county road system in the state of Michigan. The system is second in size only to that of the Michigan Department of Transportation system. RCOC also is known nationally as one of the most progressive county-level road agencies, having been involved in cutting-edge transportation technology, known as Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) for more than 12 years. Today, RCOC remains on the cutting edge of transportation technology...click for more
I-75 Freeway / Arterial Integration
The Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) is the lead agency on the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) project known as the the I-75 Integrated Corridor Management system. This project will integrate freeway and arterial traffic management operations in the heavily traveled I-75 corridor. The first phase of the project will include northbound I-75 and Opdyke Road from Square Lake Road to Lapeer Road. This corridor is home to the Pontiac Silverdome, the DaimlerChrysler North American Headquarters, the Palace of Auburn Hills, Oakland Technology Park and many large employers. The I-75/M-59 interchange, which is scheduled to be reconstructed in the near future, bisects the corridor.
The purpose of the project is to optimize traffic flow through the corridor by taking advantage of unused capacity on all roads, including the I-75 freeway and parallel arterial roads...click for the full text
A Call for Interest
WASHINGTON, DC, Sept. 14, 2005 - ITS America announces a Call for Interest for the 16th Annual Meeting and Exposition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ITS America is asking interested parties to propose session or speaker topics and potential speakers or presenters for the Annual Meeting's educational sessions.
http://www.itsa.org/itsnews.nsf/key/DB06?OpenDocument
Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII) Primer
For some time this site and many other have carried articles regarding VII. Everyone has assumed that VII is a term known and loved by everyone. ITS Michigan has located two ITS America Primer on VII and a VII Lessons Learned documents that explain more about what VII really intends to deliver. The pdf format of these documents is presented via the links above and both are small so that even the most bandwidth challenged can enjoy reviewing these VII basics.
More Vehicle Infrastructure Integration
The concept of the Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII) program holds the promise of forever changing the way MDOT and the public-sector do business in regards to operations and maintenance. However, much work is required for VII to be implemented in the United States. The technical and institutional challenges are extensive and will require time to overcome. Furthermore, VII is not even possible without the ability for vehicles to communicate data with the roadside infrastructure, and for backhaul communications to potentially carry this vast amount of data to control centers....more
Greg Krueger Presentation at ITS Georgia
ITS in Michigan has a very colorful history as evidenced by the 200 miles of freeway in metro Detroit covered by the MITS Center, the 600+ traffic signals operating under SCATS in Oakland County, and new or improved deployments in the City of Detroit, Macomb County, Lansing and Grand Rapids ....More of The Presentation.... (4676K file)
SAFETEA-LU and ITS
Powerpoint Summary from ITS America (713K file)
Schultz VII Milwaukee Presentation
MDOT's James Schultz made a presentation to ITS Forum 2005 in Milwaukee last Tuesday, 13 September. MDOT has pursued an active national leadership role in VII development and will deploy a testbed in SE Michigan in the not too distant future. The presentation can be viewed or downloaded here (987K file).
The topics covered are given below.
•Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII)–Definition–Driving Forces: Safety & Mobility–Enables Wide Range of Applications• VII Deployment–Architecture–Communication Paths–Deployment Options•VII Project Plan–US DOT Key Initiative–Teambuilding•If We are Successful?
VII Tech Working Group Meeting
The following Michigan VII Testbed presentation was made in Washington, DC to the national VII Tech Working Group. The full PowerPoint presentation can be reviewed here (this is a 750K file). In addition, MDOT gave a VII Presentation at the ITS Forum 2005 in Milwaukee on Sept 13th. This presentation will be presented here as it becomes available.
Taking Advantage of ITS Data
One of the participants in a roundtable at a recent joint meeting of the AASHTO Standing Committee on Planning and AASHTO Subcommittee on Systems Operations and Management made the following observation: "We're not using the ton of data we're collecting..... link to the rest here.
Caltrans & Travel Times
Michigan is a leader in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS). California is a leader in these areas as well and it is interesting to compare benchmarks regarding how to use these systems effectively. Detroit Metro drivers have, for years, benefitted from estimated travel times posted on the 60+ DMS around the Detroit Metro area. A current LA Times article describes how Caltrans has implemented a travel time pilot program. It is available on this link.
Wealth of ITS Information
This is a site we have linked to before and is a wealth of National level ITS Deployment Information. It is worth spending some time purusing the site. There is current information from 2005.
ITS Georgia Unveils New Web Site
The new ITS Georgia web site is now accessible via the following link http://www.itsga.org
ITS Training and Education (CITE)
The Consortium for ITS Training and Education (CITE), in conjunction with the FHWA ITS Joint Program Office (JPO) Professional Capacity Building (PCB) Program, have introduced a new web-based course on how to develop and deploy systems while complying with Federal requirements for use of a systems engineering process. This "Introduction to Systems Engineering" course begins on September 23rd and is only $100 for the instructor-led version. See the attached press release for more information.
December BOD Meeting
The next ITS Michigan Board of Director’s meeting will be Tuesday, December 13 th at 9:00 am at Altarum Institute, 3520 Green Court, Suite 300 Ann Arbor , MI (map attached). In addition to the regular agenda, Altarum will be giving a presentation on their Restricted Use Project.
2005 ITS World Congress
Dear State Chapter Leaders,
I have attached a powerpoint presentation that highlights the 2005 ITS World Congress, which will be held November 6-10, 2005 in San Francisco, CA. Please share this presentation with your members at upcoming chapter meetings and/or distribute via email. The event will host 5,000-10,000 industry leaders from across the world and will feature the Innovative Mobility Showcase (IMS) -- an interactive event that will allow ITS industry professionals and consumers the opportunity to experience ITS firsthand!
Should you have any questions regarding the World Congress, please contact Edgar Martinez (ITS America) at 202-721-4223 or emartinez@itsa.org. Further information about the World Congress can be found on the ITS America website at http://www.itsworldcongress.org/.
Best Regards,
Bryan Schrum
Membership Manager
ITS America - Technology Transforming Transportation 1100 17th Street, NW,
Suite 1200 Washington, DC 20036
202.721.4239 office
202.484.3483 fax
http://www.itsa.org
Motorola Mesh Network & VII
SCHAUMBURG, IL, July 26, 2005 - ITS America members Motorola, Inc. and General Motors (GM) are outfitting select race tracks and vehicles around the world with Motorola's MOTODRIVE(TM) Architecture. This architecture incorporates a mesh network at its core, and is being utilized to conduct trials of Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII) technology. The Motorola digital voice two-way radio gear and the new MOTODRIVE Architecture helped the GM Corvette Racing Team win in the GT1 class with a first and second place finish at the famous 24 Hours of LeMans endurance race this June.....more
Video clearly on Motorola’s screen
Aug 23, 2005 MRTmag.com
DENVER--Motorola is wasting little time in leveraging last year's acquisition of peer-to-peer network developer MeshNetworks. The company offered a preview of its Intelligent Video Surveillance and Control solution -- which will ride over Motorola's 4.9 GHz mesh network -- at the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials conference here ....link to the rest.
TRB - VII & Role of the Driver
Proxim Blasts into Mesh Radios
Proxim Wireless Corp. announced during this week's Association of Public-Safety Officials conference here the availability of its wireless municipal mesh network solution that operates in the 2.4 GHz and 4.9 GHz bands and offers broadband connectivity to municipalities where it is cost-prohibitive to install network wireless edge access devices.
The company offered a demonstration of the system at APCO. It previously had been field-tested in Jackson, Wis., which is now fully deploying the system. The key component is a dual-radio node that offers four built-in antennas that offer both horizontal and vertical polarizations, which increases range in both the 2.4 GHz and 4.9 GHz bands.....more
The Role of the Driver in Vehicle Infrastructure Integration and
Cooperation (VII/C) - Research Needs is being held Wednesday, September 21,
2005 - Friday, September 23, 2005 at the Embassy Suites Hotel Dulles -
North in Dulles, Virginia.
For details, to register, or to decline the invitation, please visit the
website below (declining the invitation prevents reminder emails). Your
response is greatly appreciated.
www.TRB.org/Conferences/VII-C
(If the link above does not work, please copy & paste the address into your
web browser.)
We look forward to hearing from you soon!
Sincerely,
Transportation Research Board
Motorola WiMAX from MRT eMagazine
Motorola said it would improve its ability to bring WiMAX (802.16e) solutions to market more quickly by increasing research and development efforts and placing a greater emphasis on “technology relationships.”Follow this link for more.
Congress Approves 2005 Transportation Bill
The House and Senate each overwhelmingly passed final legislation July 29 reauthorizing the nation’s federal highway and transit programs through FY 2009. The House approved the measure 412 to 8 and the Senate vote was 91 to 4.
The bill (HR 3) will be known as SAFETEA-LU, or the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users.
The six-year, $286.4 billion transportation bill now heads to the White House where the President has pledged to sign the bill into law. There remains some question as to when that will take place, with some experts believing that a signing ceremony next week is the most likely outcome ....more and this additional link leads to a TMAW page on the subject.
General Motors OnStar
General Motors will install backup batteries for its OnStar system in some models beginning with the 2006 model year.
The battery will enable OnStar to function when an accident or other event disables a vehicle's power.....more
VII-Statewide strategies for Michigan
DEARBORN, MI, Jun 2, 2005 - ITS America President and CEO Neil Schuster joined several ITS America members along with representatives from the U.S. Department of Transportation and AASHTO on the program at the 10th Annual Meeting of ITS Michigan held last week at Ford World headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan.....more.
More on VII at MDOT!
Visualize a national system that equips vehicles to warn drivers of potential hazards and changing road conditions, and uses technology to manage traffic and relieve congestion locally and throughout an entire regional transportation system. Though it may seem futuristic, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is taking a leadership role today in Dearborn....more.
Coming our way - Michigan Technology Conference
(Push the button to follow the link)
MDOT ITS Specialist Announcement
MDOT has announced today that Gregory Krueger has been named the new ITS Specialist for MDOT. Greg has been the Traffic and Safety Engineer Manager in Metro Region since 2002. His previous experience includes employment with Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc., where he served as project engineer and project manager on a variety of tasks ranging in scale from traffic impact assessments through the design and implementation of a freeway management system. Greg holds a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Texas A & M University and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University. He brings a wealth of ITS related experience to his new position. Congratulations Greg.
Arizona I-19 Wi-Fi Highway
Billed as the worlds first VOIP/Hi-Speed Data highway, the 32 mile corridor on I-19 from Rio Rico to past Green Valley was demonstrated at speeds in excess or 80 MPH. Multi-party conference calls were made and ...more
Incident Management Meeting!
Please check out the IM blog in right most column under the "Rest of the Story" header. The meeting is Sept 9th.
Motorola Mesh Network & VII
SCHAUMBURG, IL, July 26, 2005 - ITS America members Motorola, Inc. and General Motors (GM) are outfitting select race tracks and vehicles around the world with Motorola's MOTODRIVE(TM) Architecture. This architecture incorporates a mesh network at its core, and is being utilized to conduct trials of Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII) technology. The Motorola digital voice two-way radio gear and the new MOTODRIVE Architecture helped the GM Corvette Racing Team win in the GT1 class with a first and second place finish at the famous 24 Hours of LeMans endurance race this June.....more
Traffic Incident Management in Metro Detroit
The Metropolitan Detroit Incident Management Coordinating Committee has been operating since 1992. Public agencies and private interests initially formed the ad hoc group to improve detection of and response to traffic incidents. State department of transportation officials, state police officials, and local government officials received support from their top management to cooperate in responding to incidents. Private organizations including broadcast media and tow operators have joined in the coordination effort. Early accomplishments of this group include ...more
What is the VII Inititative?
The VII Initiative is a cooperative effort between Federal and state departments of transportation (DOTs) and vehicle manufacturers to evaluate the technical, economic, and social/political feasibility of deploying a communications system to be used primarily for improving the safety and efficiency of the nation's road transportation system. This communications system may also be used for other applications to the extent they do not interfere with the primary purpose of enhancing transportation safety and mobility. The primary benefit of VII deployment would be roadway safety. There are also expected to be significant benefits to operations and maintenance of the transportation network due to the real-time performance feedback that the VII deployment would be expected to provide....more
Michigan 511 Statewide Strategic Plan
511 is a phone-based travel information system that has been implemented in several states. The objective of 511 is to provide travelers with an easy-to-remember three-digit number where they can access important information about road and travel conditions, public transportation, and weather that could impact travel on roads and highways. The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is leading a Statewide Strategic Plan and feasibility study to see if implementing a 511 service in Michigan in feasible....more
HR 3 - Transportation Equity Act
HR 3 - Transportation Equity Act: Legacy for Users, ITS provisions as passed by the US House of Representatives
TITLE I--FEDERAL-AID HIGHWAYS Subtitle A--Authorization of Programs
SEC. 1101. AUTHORIZATIONS OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) In General- The following sums are authorized to be appropriated from the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit Account):
(1) INTERSTATE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM- For the Interstate maintenance program under section 119 of title 23, United States Code, $4,323,076,000 for fiscal year 2004, $4,486,153,000 for fiscal year 2005, $4,601,932,000 for fiscal year, 2006, $4,715,480,000 for fiscal year 2007, $4,831,867,000 for fiscal year 2008, and $4,951,164,000 for fiscal year 2009.
(2) NATIONAL HIGHWAY SYSTEM- For the National Highway System under section 103 of that title, $5,187,691,000 for fiscal year 2004, $5,557,383,000 for fiscal year 2005, $5,705,318,000 for fiscal year 2006, $5,831,576,000 for fiscal year 2007, $5,971,240,000 for fiscal year 2008, and $6,111,396,000 for fiscal year 2009.
(3) BRIDGE PROGRAM- For the bridge program under section 144 of that title, $3,709,440,000 for fiscal year 2004, $3,942,176,000 for fiscal year 2005, $4,037,231,000 for fiscal year 2006, $4,134,661,000 for fiscal year 2007, $4,234,528,000 for fiscal year 2008, and $4,336,891,000 for fiscal year 2009.
(4) HIGHWAY SAFETY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM-...more