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Florida Department
of Transportation
ITS Office
605 Suwannee Street, MS 90
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0450
(850) 410-5600
| CVISN TEAM Brings Intelligent Vehicle Initiative Tanker and 'No Zone' Trailer Demonstration to Tallahassee |
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In October 2001 the Florida CVISN team invited officers and staff from several departments within the Florida Department of |
| Transportation to a demonstration of high and low tech methods for increasing commercial vehicle safety and that of the traveling public. Jim Kennedy (with McKenzie Tank Lines), who is a member of the Florida CVISN team, presented a briefing on the status of the Intelligent Vehicle Initiative (IVI). | |
The IVI program is a public/private partnership whose goal is to accelerate the deployment of safety systems in the Heavy Duty Truck Industry. The McKenzie IVI fleet consists of 36 vehicles that are equipped with advanced technologies designed to improve commercial vehicle safety. The truck cab is retrofitted with several components. Some components assist the driver in the normal operation of the vehicle, others are designed to prevent collisions or notify emergency personnel in the event of a crash.
Technology is also on board to collect data about the operation of the vehicle. Information such as vehicle speed, throttle position, braking, engine revolutions per minute, date, time, etc. is collected and stored for later analysis.
After the briefing all participants were able to sit in one of the McKenzie vehicles equipped with advanced technologies.
In conjunction with the IVI demonstration, the FTA showcased the "No Zone" trailer. The trailer is an example of a 'low-tech' method for increasing the safety of the traveling public through education. Both sides of the trailer present a graphic of the 'No Zone.' The No Zone is the area around a tractor trailer that cars should avoid. These No Zones are essentially truck blind spots.
After the demonstrations many participants commented on how informative the presentations were and expressed their hopes that they would be repeated so many more members of their respective departments could attend.
For additional information regarding this program, please contact Mr. Mike Akridge at the FDOT ITS Office in Tallahassee, (850) 410-5607.
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I-4 Corridor Invitation to Negotiate
| I-4 Corridor Advanced Traveler Information System Project Moving Forward |
As part of its strategy to expand congestion mitigation efforts in central Florida from a metropolitan scope to one more regional in nature, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is preparing to issue an Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) for the design, construction, and operation of an Advanced Traveler Information System (ATIS) for the entire I-4 Corridor. Based
on a feasibility study completed in 2001, the ATIS will serve as a the focal point for the aggregation, fusion, and dissemination of timely and accurate multi-modal travel and traffic information in this 13 county central Florida region, stretching from Tampa/St. Petersburg to Daytona Beach.
Preliminary plans call for the selected contractor to provide information directly to the traveling public via a 511 telephone system and an internet web site. The contractor would also provide an automated data feed to information service providers (ISPs), enabling ISPs to develop more advanced and personalized services utilizing the same data as the basic services. Working in conjunction with FDOT Districts 1, 5, 7, and the Turnpike, the ITS Office will be outreaching to public sector agencies, and potential beneficiaries of the project such as attractions and motor carrier fleets in the region to seek their participation in the project. Current plans call for a contractor to be selected in FY 2003, with operations beginning within nine months.
For additional information regarding this program, please contact Mr. Gene Glotzbach at the FDOT ITS Office in Tallahassee, (850) 410-5616.
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