Business Opportunity Forum

Our ITS Working Group Meeting will take on a different format this December 2002. Instead of our normal format for the Working Group Meeting, for this one time, the FDOT ITS Office will convene and moderate a Business Opportunity Forum concurrent with TRANSPO 2002, "Safety Under the Sun: Technology for Safe and Secure Transportation." The Business Opportunity Forum will last a half day and provide an opportunity for consultants, contractors, and vendors to learn about FDOT's Ten-Year ITS Cost-Feasible Plan and upcoming projects that will be advertised by FDOT.

The Business Opportunity Forum will be held on Monday, December 9, 2002, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Florida. The tentative format for the forum includes a lead off by FDOT's ITS Office presenting an overview of the Ten-Year ITS Cost-Feasible Plan. This will be followed by an overview of upcoming ITS projects presented by the Districts and Florida's Turnpike Enterprise. Each presenter will make a fifteen minute presentation on upcoming ITS projects that are in the planning stage with an emphasis on those projects that will be advertised for deployment within the next five years, to correspond with the current Five-Year Work Program.

Florida's expressway authorities play a vital role in helping to move traffic within our most populated urban areas. We are very interested in hearing about planned ITS deployments by our expressway authority partners, and we encourage them to participate in this Business Opportunity Forum.

If you are interested in participating in the Business Opportunity Forum, or would like additional information, please contact Ms. Leslie Boatman at (850) 410-5621 or leslie.boatman@dot.state.fl.us. The agenda will be available mid-October.

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ITS America's annual Rural Advanced Transportation & Technology Systems (RATTS) Conference was held September 10-13 in Monterey, California, drawing just over 300 attendees. This year's RATTS conference was combined with the California Alliance for Advanced Transportation Systems' annual meeting. (CAATS is California's ITS state chapter.) So, one might say that the CAATS took care of the RATTS this year. An outstanding program was offered, including three technical tracks on both rural and urban transportation issues. Twice as many exhibitors participated in this conference as compared with all previous meetings.

Next year, the RATTS conference moves on to Palm Harbor, Florida, where the local host will be the Westin Innisbrook Resort. Sponsors for the Palm Harbor meeting will be ITS Florida, FDOT, Federal Highway Administation (FHWA), and ITS America. ITS Florida and FDOT were represented at RATTS '02 in Monterey by ITS Florida Board Director and FDOT ITS Office Manager, Chester Chandler. Westin Innisbrook Resort was represented by Sales Manager, Jeffrey Heckard. While at RATTS '02, Chester and Jeffrey promoted RATTS '03 and the Westin Innisbrook Resort by participating in the exhibit hall, administering attendee surveys, and providing a RATTS '03 presentation on the final day of the program.

We look forward to RATTS '03, scheduled to run August 9-14, 2003. ITS Florida will commence planning for the conference right after the New Year and promises another fine, outstanding technical program and lots of extracurricular activities for family members.

For further information, please contact Mr. Mike Pietrzyk, P.E., Transportation Solutions, Inc., (813) 681-6881.

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ITS Florida Launching New Professional Capacity Building Program

ITS Florida is launching a new Professional Capacity Building (PCB) Program and is seeking out other organizations that would like to become partners in this national groundbreaking program.

The 12-month structured program, which will be launched late this year, with training beginning in 2003, consists of 15 modules that cover the spectrum of ITS applications. Those modules include:

• general introduction;
• procurement and funding;
• management and operations;
• telecommunications;
• construction engineering and inspection (CEI);
• performance measures and evaluation;
• traffic engineering using ITS;
• maintenance;
• contracts management;
• transportation planning;
• systems engineering;
• legal issues;
• value and impacts of ITS;
• electronic payment systems; and
• traveler information.

"This comprehensive training program is based on a survey of Florida's ITS professionals and has been designed to provide more than 8,100 person-hours of high-quality training," said Husham Al Kaisy, Chair of the ITS Florida Professional Capacity Building Committee.

Classes will be held monthly in three locations for the convenience of participants in the northern, southern and central regions of the state. Classes will cost just $50 per participant to encourage broad public and private participation.

"Because of the quality and depth of this program and the unique partnership that is going to sponsor it, it is a national leader and will be a national model," said Bob McQueen, ITS Florida Board President.

ITS Florida is offering private companies and public organizations interested in becoming partners in the program the following sponsorship opportunities:

Program Sponsorship -- $10,000 - This sponsors the entire 12-month program for all modules and deliveries.

Module Sponsorship - $5,000 - This sponsors one of the 15 modules and all three deliveries around the state of that module.

Delivery Sponsorship -- $2,000 - This sponsors a single delivery (one location) of a module.

Sponsors will receive recognition for their partnership in the following ways:

• Recognition at a "Special Recognition Day" during the first three months of the program with state transportation leaders and decision makers.
• An award of a "2002 Florida ITS Leader" logo for their organization's promotional materials and exhibits.
• An opportunity to advertise their organization at sponsored modules or deliveries through a brief presentation, display boards, and printed materials.

"While these are great benefits, the real benefit for any company joining the PCB Program is raising the bar on ITS knowledge throughout the state. That has a positive impact on the need for and quality of services our firms can provide," said McQueen.

For more information on how to join ITS Florida's PCB Program partnership, contact Husham Al Kaisy at alkaisyh@hillsboroughcounty.org.

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Fiscal Year 2003 ITS Earmarks

Background
The January 29, 2002 publication of the Federal Register solicited participation in the Fiscal Year 2003 ITS Deployment Program. The closing date for applications was April 1, 2002. The solicitation introduced the provisioning of $85,000,000 in Federal ITS funding for "the integration of multi-modal ITS components in metropolitan areas, rural areas, or in statewide, multi-state, or multi-city settings." An additional $35,500,000 in Federal ITS funding was provided to "improve the safety and productivity of commercial vehicles and drivers, and reduce costs associated with commercial vehicle operation and regulatory requirements."

A request was sent out to FDOT's seven Districts and Florida's Turnpike Enterprise on February 7, 2002 for projects to be submitted to the FHWA. Most Districts, as well as the ITS Office, took the opportunity to respond and a total of 23 project summaries were submitted to the FHWA. Twenty were submitted to capture some of the $85,000,000 that was designated for the integration of ITS components; and three project summaries were submitted to capture some of the $35,500,000 that was designated for commercial vehicle operations. In addition to FDOT submissions, project summaries came from the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority (MDX), Central Florida's Regional Transportation Operations Consortium, Hillsborough County, Pinellas County, and the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART).

Update on Submissions
You may have been wondering what has happened to the submissions since the closing date of April 1. The short answer is that the selection of projects by Congress is not over, but it does not look good for Florida. On Thursday, July 25, the Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously approved its version of the FY2003 Transportation Appropriations. Out of the 23 projects submitted to the FHWA by the FDOT, only one made the Senate's cut. The big winner for the State of Florida appears to be the Central Florida Regional Transportation Operations Consortium. $2,500,000 was requested by the Consortium to integrate existing and proposed ITS infrastructure, but only $2,000,000 ended up being appropriated by the Senate Appropriations Committee.

As indicated, the selection process is not over. The House Appropriations Committee has yet to markup its version of the FY2003 Transportation Appropriation legislation. The House is expected to mark up its version sometime this month.

The list of projects to be funded out of the monies noted in the FHWA solicitation could change considerably, once the Senate and House come together on the final appropriations package.

For information, please contact Mr. Gene Glotzbach at the FDOT ITS Office in Tallahassee, (850) 410-5616.

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Communications

As part of the on-going effort to improve the facilities and infrastructure of the 47 MHz radio system, the FDOT contractor has completed the installation of a new equipment building on Big Pine Key, deep in the Florida Keys. This structure replaces an older, obsolete building which was inadequate for the radio system's current needs. The demolished building was at ground level and subject to flooding. The new, elevated enclosure meets modern codes for wind speed, fire and bullet resistance, and most importantly, grounding and electrical surge suppression requirements for sensitive solid-state radio equipment. The shelter construction is entirely concrete for long life and minimum maintenance. A new emergency power generator will also be installed for stand-by use in the event of loss of commercial utility power. This station provides radio coverage for District personnel in the lower Keys. The site is shared with other government users who provide service to tourists and residents in the area.

For information, please contact Mr. Nick Adams at the FDOT ITS Office in Tallahassee, (850) 410-5608.

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OOCEA Notice of Proposed Project
(Not a Request For Bids)

Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority Phase I Closed-Circuit Television System For Incident Management System Project No. 719

The Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority operates approximately 90 miles of tolled expressways in the Orlando Metropolitan area. In order to meet the growing needs of the region and provide enhanced customer service, the Authority implemented an Electronic Toll and Traffic Management (ETTM) system in 1994 that features the E-PASS^TM toll transponders and Automatic Vehicle Identification (AVI) system. The Authority has implemented a fiber optic network (FON) backbone along its right-of-way to support its communications needs for the ETTM, as well as future ITS projects. A work plan for ITS deployment has been developed that will initially focus on incident management and traveler information initiatives set forth in the Authority's ITS Master Plan. The design of the first project in the ITS work plan, Project 719 as described below, is nearing completion. Further information on the Authority can be found on our website at www.expresswayauthority.com. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR BIDS. THIS NOTICE IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY.

Project 719 Description: The Authority will be seeking construction services under the competitive bidding process to furnish and install a Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) system in accordance with plans and specifications to be developed and provided by the Authority. The project will include the construction of approximately 51 CCTV system-monitoring cameras. Cameras will be placed along sections of SR 408 (East-West Expressway) and SR 417 (Central Florida GreeneWay) to allow for full coverage of the entire roadway. Cameras will also be placed at each of the eleven mainline toll plazas the Authority operates. Viewing of CCTV video feeds are planned to be established at all Authority mainline toll plazas, Headquarters, E-PASS^TM Service Centers, and the FDOT Regional Traffic Management Center by leveraging the existing fiber optic network. The existing fiber optic network includes HDPE conduit, single mode fiber optic cable, and SONET network electronics.

Other work activities to be provided under the proposed project may include installation of dome-style CCTV cameras, concrete poles and foundations, camera lowering systems, lightning protection, HDPE conduit, single mode fiber optic cable, fiber optic manholes and pull boxes, electrical power service, fiber optic video transceivers, MPEG-2 video encoders/decoders, analog and digital T-1 video switches, video conferencing equipment, video display devices, and CCTV control software.

The Authority anticipates formal advertisement for this project during October/November 2002. Copies of the advertisement may be placed in the Florida Administrative Weekly, Orlando Sentinel, as well as the websites for OOCEA (www.expresswayauthority.com), ITS America (www.itsa.org) and ITS Florida (www.itsflorida.org) at that time.

For additional information about the project and to be placed on a list to receive direct transmittal of the advertisement, interested firms can contact Sherry Chastain at the OOCEA, (407) 647-7275, extension 280.

Any representations made herein are not binding to the Authority or its agents and are subject to change without notice.

Notice issued by Ben Drilling, P.E., Director of Construction and Maintenance, Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority.

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We invite you to have some fun and complete the SunGuideSM Disseminator Word Challenge! Unscramble the letters to complete the word for the clue found under the boxes. Use the letters in the red circles to complete the final puzzle. The answers can be found after the Editorial Corner. Enjoy and Good Luck!

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Editorial Corner

Federal Highway Administration, Florida Division: Focusing on the Vital Few

The mission of the FHWA is "Enhancing Mobility Through Innovation, Leadership, and Public Service." FHWA has identified three key priorities to accomplish its mission: Safety, Congestion Mitigation, and Environmental Stewardship/Streamlining. These priorities provide organizational focus and are considered the "vital few." Mary Peters, FHWA Administrator, testified before Congress that, "When we take appropriate action to address our mobility needs, we can also improve the safety and security of our system and enhance our natural and human environment." Traffic operation and ITS innovations can provide a significantly positive impact on these three "vital few" priorities.

FDOT has adopted a Long-Range Transportation Plan with goals to:

	Preserve and manage an efficient transportation system;
	Enhance Florida economic competitiveness and quality of life; and
	Pursue organizational excellence.

FHWA and FDOT goals are very closely aligned. The Division Traffic/ITS Operation section is focusing on the Congestion Mitigation priority, where we believe we can do the most good in improving reliability and predictability of the system through:

	Effective partnerships;
	Implementation of aggressive work zones initiatives; and
	Implementation of aggressive incident management programs.

Partnerships
FHWA will continue to participate as a member of the Central Florida Regional Transportation Operations Consortium and work with other Districts to establish similar working groups to deploy comprehensive traveler information, increase coordination, and implement locally-determined congestion relief strategies for all of Florida's roadways. In addition, the Division plans to work with FDOT's Traffic Operations Office in Tallahassee and District Traffic Operations Engineers to identify bottlenecks in each District and determine low-cost solutions that can be implemented through innovative contracting. These bottleneck improvements could be the best way to increase safety by reducing crashes, fatalities, and injuries on Florida's roadways.

Work Zones
The traffic operations, ITS, and construction communities need to work together to enhance the management of our work zones. This will yield safer working conditions and minimize disruption for the traveling public. Managing work zones means:

1. Using better materials, innovative construction techniques, better job phasing, incentive-disincentive clauses, and night work ("Get-in, get-out, stay out").
2. Modeling the Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) in work zones to determine traffic impact and finding ways to mitigate it.
3. Deploying smart work zones, and incorporating ITS elements in the management of work zones.

Incident Management
The FHWA, Florida Division, is working with FDOT's Traffic Operations Office to complete and document the Statewide Incident Management Plan and identify local champions in each District and major metropolitan areas in the State. The FHWA, Florida Division, will work with FDOT and the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) to champion solutions to reduce traffic incident delays (crashes, disabled vehicles, natural and man-made disasters) and implement Florida's Open Roads Policy to promote quick clearance for safety and mobility.

The Open Roads Policy has a stated goal for FDOT and FHP that all incidents be cleared from the roadway within 90 minutes; and a philosophy of "When a roadway or travel lane is closed or partially blocked by a collision or incident, FHP, FDOT or local agencies shall open the roadway as soon as possible on an urgent basis. Safety of the public and responders is the highest priority and must be preserved."

In summary the FHWA, Florida Division, is committed to working with FODT and our local agencies to implement our "vital few" priorities. This will require adding capacity where needed, but this is only part of the solution. Better management of our system through implementation of partnerships, enhanced work zones, and improved incident management will provide us with the other part of the equation as we strive to meet the "vital few" in Florida. Accomplishing these goals will greatly benefit the visitors and citizens of Florida.

For information, please contact Mr. Chung Tran, ITS Engineer, FHWA, Florida Division, (850) 942-9650, extension 3041.

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SunGuide^SM Disseminator Word Challenge Answers

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Announcements

Sweetheart of a Deal For Erika… On August 28, we bid adieu to Erika Ridlehoover, our hard-working administrative assistant and friend. Erika recently accepted an outstanding offer from TransCore's Orlando office to become their Marketing Coordinator. From what we hear, she "got a real sweetheart of a deal!" We will miss Erika - she was, in so many ways, the reason our ITS Program has come so far, so fast. Our many thanks to Erika for her contribution to our program and best wishes to her as she takes up her new assignment in Orlando.

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