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Florida
Department of Transportation (FDOT) |
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TRANSPO 2002 - A Success Story! More than 450 transportation and safety/security professionals attended the TRANSPO 2002 Conference, held December 9-11, at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando. The conference was jointly sponsored by ITS Florida and the Florida Section of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (FSITE) as well as numerous corporate sponsors. “We are extremely pleased, not only with the turnout, but with the caliber of presentations, the exhibitors and the opportunities to promote transportation in Florida that took place, both inside and outside the meeting rooms,” said Bob McQueen, President of ITS Florida. The conference featured more than 60 speakers and 55 exhibitors. Monday morning started with a Business Opportunity Forum sponsored by ITS America and ITS Florida. The Forum was held in lieu of the winter ITS Working Group Meeting and featured presentations on ITS from the public sector as well as private industry. The featured presentation was the Ten-Year ITS Cost Feasible Plan presented by the FDOT ITS Office. The kick-off for TRANSPO 2002 followed the Business Opportunity Forum, and featured a greeting presented by City of Orlando Commissioner Daisy Lynum, followed by opening remarks from Ken Philmus, Director of Tunnels, Bridges and Terminals of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Mr. Philmus provided some insight as to what it was like immediately following the September 11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. The conference focused on Technology for Safe and Secure Transportation with four well-attended technical tracks:
Together with the technical sessions, Tuesday featured a golf tournament and technical tours. On Tuesday evening, FSITE sponsored a banquet at which awards were given to honor winning papers of their Past-Presidents Competition which included the following:
FSITE also presented the following additional awards:
FSITE and ITS Florida
honored the best exhibitor which was won by the FDOT ITS Office.
The Keynote Luncheon was held on Wednesday with special guest, Florida Senator Jim Sebesta, Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, presenting views on safe mobility in Florida's future. After Senator Sebesta's keynote speech, ITS Florida presented awards honoring those who have worked tirelessly this past year to promote ITS. The awards were as follows:
“For those three days in December, Orlando was the place to be if you were a transportation professional in Florida,” McQueen said. For a copy of the TRANSPO 2002 program, or a list of exhibitors, sponsors, and attendees, go to www.ITSFlorida.org. Speakers' remarks and PowerPoint slides presented at the conference will be posted on the web site in January. For information, please email Diana Carsey at CarseyD@hartline.org.
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Safety and Security;
Business Opportunity Forum
A Business Opportunity Forum was presented on December 9, 2002, just prior to the opening of TRANSPO 2002. This event was organized by the ITS America Executive Forum for Business and Trade, ITS Florida, and FDOT. Opening remarks and a welcome to all were given by Bob McQueen on behalf of ITS Florida as he set the stage for what proved to be an encouraging and insightful session.
The purpose of the Forum was “to encourage greater cooperation between the public and private sectors in accelerating the deployment of ITS.” This topic is especially important at this time in light of the recently approved FDOT Ten-Year ITS Cost Feasible Plan that details the distribution of almost $500 million of statewide funds. This amount is in addition to the monies programmed by the FDOT Districts from other sources and by the local governments from their funds. The total expenditures for ITS-related projects over the next 10 years, plus that already expended by the Districts prior to development of the Ten-Year ITS Cost Feasible Plan, will far exceed one billion dollars statewide.
After opening remarks, Gene Glotzbach from FDOT's ITS Office started off the first half of the Forum by presenting an overview of the Ten-Year ITS Cost Feasible Plan and potential challenges in deploying ITS. The Districts were then given an opportunity to share “lessons learned” from early deployments of ITS and to express their concerns for future projects. Peter Vega (District 2), Fred Ferrell (District 5), and Jesus Martinez (District 6) presented FDOT's views.
A private sector panel composed of David L. Jannetta (Mobility Technologies), Larry Yermack (PB Farradyne), and Frank Provenzano (Econolite Control Products) presented their views of the national ITS status and their companies' involvement with ITS. Information provided by the private sector panel was aimed at providing some insight into addressing the challenges that will be faced by FDOT as ITS expands throughout Florida.
After a short break, Pat McCue (Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority) started the second half of the Forum by speaking about “Toll Authorities and Local Challenges.” Accompanying Mr. McCue were Jorge Figueredo (Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority) and Sam Gonzalez (Miami-Dade Expressway Authority). Although Mr. Figueredo and Mr. Gonzalez did not make presentations, they provided good insight into the operation of their respective expressway authorities during the question-and-answer period following the final panel discussion.
A private sector panel consisting of Mike Caylor (Transcore), Salvatore D'Agostino (CRS, Inc.) and Rick Sachse (3M) discussed their companies' activities and current challenges that they are addressing. A major topic of discussion was Open Road Tolling (ORT). A concept which, when implemented, eliminates the need for toll plazas and the expense of maintaining and operating these facilities.
Most everyone in attendance agreed the Forum was a great success and greatly appreciated the insights and knowledge shared by the program participants. Many thanks go out to Brian Wynne (ITS America) and Charlie Wallace (ITS Florida) for making the Business Opportunity Forum a complete success. Special thanks go out to Brian Wynne who organized the private sector panels whose members provided some interesting insights into deploying ITS.
For information, please contact Gene Glotzbach at the FDOT ITS Office in Tallahassee, (850) 410-5616 or email to Gene.Glotzbach@dot.state.fl.us.
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Telecommunications Industry Roundtable Discussion
FDOT's ITS Office conducted a Telecommunications Industry Roundtable Discussion on December 12, 2002 as the closing event of TRANSPO 2002. Representatives from various telecommunications services, equipment providers, wireless carriers, ITS contractors and consultants, and FDOT's District staff were in attendance. The Roundtable Discussion included an overview presentation of FDOT's telecommunications initiatives and a Request For Proposal (RFP) workshop for a potential FDOT Telecommunications/ITS RFP that may be solicited in the Spring of 2003.
FDOT's ITS Office delivered an overview presentation covering the telecommunications elements of the Ten-Year ITS Cost Feasible Plan, possible scenarios for joint construction of facilities, FDOT's Wireless Communications Solutions for ITS, proposed legislation to amend Florida Statute 334.30, Private Transportation Facilities, and possiblities for a future hybrid telecommunications solution.
An excellent question-and-answer session followed the Roundtable Discussion with participation from the audience members. Overall, FDOT's ITS Office was very pleased with the session, especially considering the state of the current telecommunications market. This RFP workshop identified elements for FDOT's ITS Office to consider in a possible upcoming solicitation for a public-private partnership.
Immediately following the question-and-answer session, FDOT's ITS Office staff conducted four one-on-one meetings with various telecommunications vendors. Additional one-on-one meetings are being scheduled for this month.
After the conclusion of the 2003 legislative session, FDOT's ITS Office will decide how to proceed with any possible telecommunications solicitations or pilot projects.
For more information, please contact Nick Adams at the FDOT ITS Office in Tallahassee, (850) 410-5608 or email to Nick.Adams@dot.state.fl.us.
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The Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority (THCEA) is undertaking a major regional ITS project as part of the development of a set of reversible express lanes on Tampa's Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway. The Reversible Express Lanes Project includes the construction of approximately nine miles of elevated, reversible, limited-access lanes in the median of the existing expressway from Downtown Tampa east to Brandon and I-75. The project also includes the construction of gateway arterial feeder roads at each end of the express lanes. |
| Most of the project will be constructed as a three-lane concrete segmental bridge which features numerous transportation innovations including a major investment in ITS. Through the use of ITS controls and communications, the three reversible lanes will provide the peak-hour, peak-direction capacity of a typical six-lane, limited-access facility. | |
The ITS components of the Reversible Express Lanes Project consist of three elements as follows:
- components necessary to operate the reversible lanes, prohibit wrong-way vehicles from entering the system, and provide advanced information to drivers regarding appropriate routes and congestion;
- development of a regional transportation management center (RTMC) to manage both the operation of the reversible lanes and City of Tampa traffic signals; and
- research and testing of new technologies that will benefit all transportation providers within the State of Florida.
Reversible
Lane Operations
The operation of the reversible lanes is dependent on numerous ITS devices
integrated into a system to control vehicular access at the two gateway
entrances and three intermediate access ramps while ensuring the safety
of all expressway customers. The components also include off-system technologies
necessary to communicate operational and routing information in advance
of approaching the reversible lanes. The system, which is under final
design by Transdyn Controls and Transportation Engineering, Inc. (TEI),
will include the following components:
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Regional
Transportation Management Center
The RTMC will serve as a regional multi-agency center for control of the
City of Tampa's transportation activities, making it more than just a
center to operate reversible lane traffic. More than 550 city traffic
signals will be monitored and controlled from the facility. The center
will also be linked to a similar RTMC under development by Hillsborough
County and to FDOT's District 7 RTMC. City staff will be able to monitor
traffic and adjust signalization and control systems from this centralized
inter-linked facility — extremely important when understanding that
very often one traffic jurisdiction ends and another begins along many
of the same roadways. The center will also offer the possibility of co-locating
police, fire, and emergency medical service (EMS) dispatchers to improve
the response times and the precision of emergency services as well as
allowing faster clearance of accidents.
Research and Testing of new Transportation Technologies
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ITS components of the Reversible Express Lane Project will also provide an “open air” laboratory for testing new concepts in highway safety and a prototype for 21st century transportation facilities. The Reversible Express Lane Project includes a bridge design with a useable hollow core that will provide an ideal environment for locating utilities, fiber optics, and specialized equipment to improve safety and traffic flow. |
| The weatherproof interior will also allow testing of new highway safety devices now being developed by vehicle manufacturers around the world to enhance braking, steering, and crash avoidance. In cooperation with FDOT, Florida's Turnpike Enterprise, other Florida expressway authorities, and the State University Transportation Research Centers, the Reversible Express Lane Project will be the first in the United States to demonstrate the viability of a completely automated approach to toll operations known as Open Road Tolling (ORT). This project will demonstrate both the technical and financial feasibility of totally automated “cashless” toll collection and the transportation benefits associated with the enhanced capacity and safety of such a system. | |
For information, please contact Marty Stone at Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority, 813-272-6740 or email to Marty@tampa-xway.co.
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Florida's ITS Integration Guidebook
ITS integration promotes information sharing and is essential in any well-operating transportation management center. That's part of what ITS integration is, but not nearly all of it.
ITS's integration roots are firmly planted in the systems engineering of weapons and space systems development. Certainly, there are parallels to be drawn. For instance, one of the more obvious expressions of systems engineering in ITS is that of ITS architecture development. ITS architecture recognizes the systematic relationships of information flows between management center, vehicle, roadside, and traveler subsystems in a regional framework.
A recent publication, Florida's ITS Integration Guidebook, provides information on ITS integration. The Guidebook was published on October 1, 2002 as a product of FDOT's research program. The Guidebook was developed by the Center for Urban Transportation Research working in conjunction with a panel of professional peers in education, transportation, and metropolitan planning.
The Guidebook traces the development of ITS integration. The main topics are:
- how systems engineering affects each phase of ITS integration;
- how it affects regional ITS development; and
- how it can be used to determine the commitment and investment levels in ITS integration.
The Guidebook pictures integration as a continuous systems process in three major phases:
- planning;
- institutional; and
- technical.
Integration during the phases of the ITS process consists of the following:
- Planning Integration - a three-step process that includes finding partners and stakeholders, forming coalitions, finding ITS champions, performing “outreach/inreach” activities, and developing an ITS Strategic Plan and a Regional ITS Architecture;
- Institutional Integration - discussion of the “regionality” concept, formation of regional organizations, metropolitan planning organization (MPO)-sponsored committees, and governance agreements; and
- Technical Integration - use of a Systems Engineering Management Plan, feasibility studies, and performance monitoring and reporting.
Chapter 1 of the Guidebook defines the purpose of ITS integration and its audience. It also identifies the people/organizations involved in the preparation of the Guidebook.
Chapter 2 of the Guidebook provides a discussion of ITS integration, its definition, benefits, and manifestations. Some of the benefits of ITS integration presented are:
- improved traffic flow;
- enhanced route planning and guidance for travelers;
- improved emergency response and transportation security;
- cost savings, improved productivity, and better customer service;
- improved incident response; and
- better capability to measure transportation performance.
Distinctions are made in this chapter between “architectural integration” (the integration of functions and data) and “deployment integration” (technology integration, user integration, and inter-jurisdictional integration). The complexity of multi-agency integration is characterized at three levels of deployment progressing in complexity from:
- deployments that accomplish shared infrastructure (least complex);
- deployments that accomplish shared information (more complex); and
- deployments that accomplish coordinated control (most complex).
Chapter 3 provides the institutional and legal background for ITS. Significant provisions of the last two federal authorization bills, ISTEA and TEA-21, are discussed. An entire section is devoted to the recent Federal Rule 23 CFR 940 which, for the first time, requires use of ITS architectures and makes adoption of regional architectures mandatory by April 8, 2005.
Chapter 4 presents case studies in Florida and the lessons learned as a result of related experiences. Florida, for instance, can boast of having a Statewide ITS Architecture, an ITS Office to manage a decentralized state DOT, and an approved Ten-Year ITS Cost Feasible Plan funded with $500 million.
In contrast, Chapter 5 presents case studies from around the nation selected to illustrate significant integration activities. These case studies are:
- Central Ohio, Mid Ohio Regional Planning Council - discusses a regional organization successfully taking the lead in making ITS integration a part of the transportation planning process;
- New York, New Jersey, Connecticut (TRANSCOM) - a super-regional, multi-state agency handling complex ITS integration of planning, finance, and coordination of a metropolitan ITS program. Also illustrates successful operation of sub-regional agencies within a more broadly defined region;
- Corridor Integration, San Antonio's Medical Center Corridor - an integration of medical and transportation technologies to save lives via a new system known as “LifeLink”;
- Phoenix Metropolitan Area, AzTech - demonstrates several layers of integration to illustrate lead and participatory roles of local governments and the state DOT regarding deployments and operations; and
- County Integration, Oakland County, Michigan - found that even when technical integration was complex, institutional integration challenges were much greater.
Chapter 6 provides the essential ingredients of a process to assure that ITS is planned, deployed, and operated in an integrated manner. Recommended ways to get started more quickly on developing ITS deployment projects are identified in this chapter as:
- identify priority ITS corridors and sequences of projects;
- agree upon the technologies to be deployed in each of the corridors;
- work out multi-jurisdictional/multi-discipline agreements and finance for operations and maintenance of the improved corridors; and
- include in MPO long-range transportation plans and their transportation improvement plans.
Chapter 7 introduces a new and challenging decision matrix, the “Integration Relationship and Leadership Matrix.” Its purpose is to provide an analytical tool for organizations to determine their current level and intensity of ITS integration as measured by current organizational practices and policies. The matrix is also designed to facilitate the determination of the level of investment and commitment the organization may be willing to extend to achieve greater levels of ITS integration.
In summary, while many know
the value of integration and can cite valid examples of integration, few
define it in the same way or can describe a common and comprehensive way
to implement ITS integration. With publication of the Guidebook,
ITS integration becomes clearer. And yet, there is still work to be done
to find better ways to achieve ITS integration, thereby obtaining more
of its benefits and values.
For information, please contact Jerry Karp at the FDOT District 7, (813) 975-6413 or email to Jerry.Karp@dot.state.fl.us.
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Florida Transportation Committee Meeting
At the regularly scheduled meeting of the Florida Transportation Commission, held in Tallahassee on December 3, 2002, Chester Chandler, ITS Office Manager, presented an overview of the recently approved Ten-Year ITS Cost Feasible Plan which details the allocation and distribution of funds for ITS deployment in Florida over the next 10 years.
Mr. Chandler pointed out pertinent details for the Commissioners' later perusal, including the Advanced Traveler Information System (ATIS) deployment in the Tampa Bay area, proposed 511 legislation, and the Wireless Communications Solutions for ITS Request For Information (RFI). Mr. Chandler fielded questions about possible deployment schedules and the wireline and wireless components included in the plan.
Mr. Chandler also emphasized
the informational value of the December edition of the SunGuideSM
Disseminator, included in the Commissioners' briefing packet.
ITS office events of interest were brought to the Commission's attention,
including the Telecommunications Industry Roundtable Discussion in December,
the ITS Working Group meeting in March, and the first-ever ITS Showcase
exhibit in April, during the 2003 legislative session.
A sub-committee composed of Commissioners Bob Namoff, Norman Mansour, and Gasper Lazzara focus on the ITS area. Their goal is to push toward implementation of a statewide ITS as soon as possible, with regular status reports to the Commission.
For more information, please contact Nick Adams at the FDOT ITS Office in Tallahassee, (850) 410-5608 or email to Nick.Adams@dot.state.fl.us.
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ITS Office Visits Virginia Tech Transportation Institute
Innovative
Demonstrations of Wireless Communications Solutions for ITS
Staff from
FDOT's ITS Office traveled to Blacksburg, Virginia to visit the Virginia
Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) on December 16 and 17, 2002. VTTI
is one of two Wireless Communications Solutions for ITS Request For Information
(RFI) respondents that FDOT's ITS Office recommended for immediate demonstration
of capabilities. FDOT's ITS Office staff will visit MeshNetworks, Inc.,
the second RFI respondent recommended for immediate demonstration, this
month.
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VTTI is working with the local Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) district office to implement a wireless video surveillance system for U.S. Route 460 in Christiansburg and Blacksburg. This system utilizes wireless Internet protocol hardware to create a wireless local area network (WLAN) in a linear configuration along U.S. Route 460. VTTI is using a state-of-the-art digital surveillance camera that houses an on-board Internet web server. |
Applications of this type of installation are far reaching. A WLAN has the potential for rapid reconfiguration and rapid installation when compared to traditional fiber optics or copper lines. They are well-suited for construction zone applications and are easily reconfigurable. When used in conjunction with a graphical user interface (GUI), VDOT will be provided with a one-stop application for control and monitoring of highway devices.
This infrastructure is also being investigated for uses in the telematics arena. The 802.11b infrastructure is a high bandwidth medium that can be used for large data transfers associated with video, images, and other Internet information. The automotive industry is rapidly moving towards development and deployment of a large number of in-vehicle systems that could utilize this WLAN. Currently, cellular infrastructure is being used as the transfer medium; however, cellular is very limited in the amount of information it can transfer. The future promise of telematics includes real-time Internet access and real-time video and entertainment in the vehicle.
FDOT's ITS Office staff also toured the Travel Shenandoah project. This is an integrated traveler information service, providing comprehensive, timely, accurate, and useful information on traffic and travel conditions, traveler services, tourist destinations, and emergency services to travelers, potential travelers, and to entities serving travelers in the corridor.
Additionally, VDOT and the Virginia State Police are able to use Travel Shenandoah to help manage I-81 traffic incidents, including disruptions in traffic flow created by highway construction as I-81 is widened. Travel Shenandoah was released to the public in April 2000 and the delivery mechanisms for this information include the World Wide Web, 511, cellular phones, PCS/digital wireless phones and cable TV. Further modes of delivery including pagers, changeable roadside advisory signs, and highway advisory radios are under design and will be released in the future.
For information, please contact Mr. Nick Adams at the FDOT ITS Office in Tallahassee, (850) 410-5608 or Nick.Adams @dot.state.fl.us.
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Update: Tampa Bay SunGuideSM ATIS Solicitation
On December 5, 2002, FDOT's District 7 issued an advertisement soliciting replies from vendors interested in participating in competitive negotiations to provide Advanced Traveler Information System (ATIS) services in the Tampa Bay metropolitan area. Procurement of services via this process, i.e., the Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) process, is intended to result in an agreement with a private firm to design, build, implement, and operate and maintain the ATIS through 2008.
This advertisement as well
as a link to the procurement package can be found at:
http://fcn.state.fl.us/owa_vbs/owa/vbs_www.ad.view_ad?advertisement_key_num=31281
On December 17, 2002, a mandatory pre-bid conference was held at FDOT's District 7 Headquarters in Tampa. Vendors interested in submitting a proposal responding to the ITN solicitation were required to attend this conference. Proposals submitted in response to this ITN must be received by FDOT's Procurement Office at the District 7 Headquarters by January 27, 2003, no later than 2:00 pm in order to be considered responsive.
The ITN is the product of a Project Team composed of representatives from two FDOT Districts, Florida's Turnpike Enterprise, FDOT's ITS Office, and numerous organizations from across the Tampa Bay area, with support provided by the ITS General Consultant. These organizations, which will remain involved throughout the procurement process and eventual system implementation and operation, include:
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For more information, please contact Gene Glotzbach at the FDOT ITS Office in Tallahassee, (850) 410-5616 or email to Gene.Glotzbach@dot.state.fl.us.
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We invite you to have some fun and complete the SunGuideSM Disseminator Word Challenge! Most answers can be found in this edition's articles; however, there is also an answer guide after the Editorial Corner. Enjoy and Good Luck! |
| Across | Down | ||
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1. |
ITS conference
jointly sponsored by ITS Florida and FSITE |
2. |
Type
of express lanes under construction on Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway
Location of Reversible Express Lane ITS project _ _ _ _ _ optics cable ITS Florida Special Recognition Award recipient Promotes information sharing Traffic management center Lee Roy _ _ _ _ _ _ Crosstown Expressway Intelligent Transportation Systems Transpo 2002 speaker THCEA's reversible traffic lane Name of impenetrable safety net Capacity for data transfer Message sent with speed Telecommunications Industry _ _ _ _ _table Discussion Reversible Express _ _ _ _s Project in Tampa Metropolitan planning organization |
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Worrall Leads ITS Florida 2003
ITS Florida's annual election for officers and directors was completed in December and Dr. Harold Worrall, Executive Director of the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority, was selected as the organization's new president.
Joining Worrall to one-year terms as 2003 ITS Florida officers are:
- Immediate Past President: Bob McQueen, Vice President and Division Manager, ITS Services, PBS&J
- Vice President: Terry Griffith, Southeast Regional Account Manager, 3M Corporation
- Secretary/Treasurer: Diana Carsey, Director of Planning, Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority
Elected to the Board in the three open director-at-large positions for 2003-2004 are:
- Dr. Haitham Al-Deek, Director, Transportation Systems Institute, University of Central Florida
- Erika Ridlehoover, Marketing Coordinator, TransCore
- Elizabeth McCrary, ITS Coordinator, FDOT District 3
The ITS Florida Board of Directors extended a special thanks to those members who completed their terms of service including: outgoing Immeidate Past President Jon Cheney of Volusia County (who remains on the Board as a past president), Vice President Rob Gregg, and Directors-at-Large Mike Day and Fred Ferrell.
Congratulations to all on the new team and thanks to all the active member organizations that participated in this election. “I'm excited not only about the talent on this Board but in the ITS community here in Florida,” Worrall said. “We are making great inroads and have the synergy to become an ITS Powerhouse in this nation.”
The full Board of Directors of the society is now as follows:
Officers:
Mr. Bob McQueen, PBS&J, Immediate Past President
Dr. Harold Worrall, Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority, President
and Chairman of the Board
Mr. Terry Griffith, 3M Corporation, Vice-President
Ms. Diana Carsey, Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority, Secretary/Treasurer
Directors:
Dr. Haitham Al-Deek, Transportation
Systems Institute, University of Central Florida
Dr. Husham Al-Kaisy, Hillsborough County Public Works
Mr. Jay Calhoun, Gray-Calhoun and Associates, Inc.
Mr. Chester Chandler, FDOT's ITS Office
Mr. Jon Cheney, Volusia County Traffic Engineering
Mr. Howard Glassman, Florida MPO Advisory Council
Mr. Eric T. Hill, METROPLAN Orlando
Ms. Elizabeth McCrary, FDOT, District 3
Mr. Patrick McCue, Tampa-Hillsborough
County Expressway Authority
Mr. Mike Pietrzyk, Transportation
Solutions, Inc.
Mr. Jim Reynold, PB
Farradyne
Ms. Erika Ridlehoover,
TransCore
Ms. Jill Schultz, JMS
Communications & Research
Mr. Chung Tran, Federal
Highway Administration, Florida Division
Dr. Charles E. Wallace,
PB Farradyne, Executive Director
Visit www.ITSFlorida.org for more information, or contact Charlie Wallace at ITS Florida, (352) 374-6635 or email to wallacec@pbworld.com.
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A
Private, But Very Much Public, Perspective on Communications
A few months
back I was asked by Chester Chandler, FDOT ITS Office Manager, to author
an editorial for the SunGuideSM Disseminator in 2003
— I was honored, excited and, well, intimidated. Why? … mainly
because I was told that I would be the first non-public sector editorialist
for this newsletter. Chester himself kicked off the inaugural editorial
in March of last year with an “open invitation…to participate
in (Florida's) ITS program.” In fact, the Florida ITS Office has
been instrumental in opening Florida's ITS program to all comers —
public and private alike. Now, I have “center stage.”
For those of you who don't know me, I am only a decade into my professional vocation — transportation — of which a majority of my time was spent in the public sector. My transportation focus has always been in communications, not the hardwire, leased, or wireless varieties, but rather, with public policy as well as public involvement and information. ITS has been the enabler to merge my interests — transportation and communications!
Therefore, here goes a public opinion from a private sector perspective. I will open by being a little nostalgic about the past and then opining about what we need to be cognizant of to move ITS forward.
Over the past 10 years, there have been great strides made along with some growing pains for all of us who toil in this thing we call “ITS.” Intelligent Transportation Systems have already made an extraordinary impact on our daily lives and we are just scratching the surface. The next 10 years are sure to make for interesting advances in transportation. Transportation touches everyone's life. It is innate to all human beings — we rely on transport for the food we eat as well as to commute to our jobs, schools, and homes, and, as oftentimes forgotten, to travel for pleasure.
We have projects defined and work programs established — but we need communications to make things happen. We also have to counterbalance needs versus resources to ensure that all of the public is participating in, and receiving, the inherent benefits of ITS — “security, mobility, convenience, information, options, and safety” — as defined by ITS America.
In 2002, ITS America issued a document entitled The National Intelligent Transportation System Plan: A Ten-Year Vision. FDOT's ITS Office also recently released the Ten-Year ITS Cost Feasible Plan. Both of these documents will shape the way public dollars are spent over the next decade — and they will also influence how transportation is accomplished nationally and locally to us in Florida.
To me, ITS is largely about communications, technology advancements, and standardization. In the past year we have seen tremendous progress on all of these fronts in Florida. The design-build procurement for ITS implementation has become commonplace — at least a half-dozen projects were let last year with the promise of timely and technology-consistent deployments. We have also experienced the beginnings of statewide standardization in software and field devices. Standardization will have its rough times ahead but, ultimately, it should enable seamless communications.
Communications is key. Like transportation, communications is a basis for our way of life as evidenced by the proliferation of mobile communications. And communications is the backbone of what ITS is all about — communicating information to the traveling public to make travel decisions and communicating with the field devices that communicate with the public. In addition, in 2002 we also saw the movement towards Ethernet communications, which will assist in developing interoperability and, in turn, will enhance communications and transportation for the public. The importance of ITS via public communications is becoming increasingly obvious and ubiquitous with the establishment of 511 services in various parts of the Florida.
Over the past year, Florida has also had successful transportation events, such as TRANSPO 2002, and the increasing interest and attendance at the FDOT ITS Office's tri-annual Working Group Meetings. These gatherings have allowed the public, private, and education communities to come together to exchange transportation ideas.
As we move forward, we need to think locally, but act globally (and more specific, Florida-ly). The public and private sectors need to forge alliances to share valuable resources and to find ways to communicate and interoperate; and we must have the vision to look beyond geographical borders to see that transport knows no bounds.
We have issues that we need to deal with in order to meet the challenges and expectations for the next 10 years. Hardware and software evolves — at the speed of Moore's Law it seems — but the most important ingredient to advancing ITS is the people-ware. We need to activate the consulting and contracting communities to want to be involved in ITS and to broaden their employee bases in ITS. We also need to challenge the ITS manufacturers to create new product lines that are standardized, compatible, and cost effective. Competition will enhance the service offerings that we currently have. There is strength in numbers!
We need to ensure maintenance and operations of the ITS infrastructure that we have invested in. That means setting the proper resources for training operation staffs and allowing routine and preventive maintenance and parts replacement programs. This is not inexpensive. Just as the federal government grapples with the next transportation bill and where the limited funding resources go, we need to take heed of Senator Jim Sebesta's statements at the closing of TRANSPO 2002, that transportation in Florida will be undergoing a paradigm shift, starting in 2003, due to declining transportation funds. New sources of transportation revenue will need to be found and initiatives by Florida's Turnpike Enterprise and the expressway authorities in Miami, Orlando, and Tampa will have a profound effect on future transport — possibly towards mobile commerce, or m-commerce.
The challenge to all of us
in the transportation community is to be ready for what the next 10 years
will bring. ITS America and the FDOT ITS Office have laid the framework
for this coming decade, but we need to act in smaller one- to two-year
cycles. Let's move the industry forward and work together to outfit Florida's
transportation system with ITS, thus enabling Florida to become an ITS
Powerhouse to its residents and visitors. The future is now —
and communications will transport us!
This editorial was provided by Patrick Shortal, PE, Florida ITS Manager for TransCore. He may be reached at Patrick.Shortal@TransCore.com.
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SunGuideSM Disseminator Word Challenge Answers
* * * *
People Moving
Around . . .
Tahira Faquir
has been promoted to head up a new section created to manage the deployment
of ITS in District Four. This section was created to provide more emphasis
on ITS in the District.
Anne Brewer has been selected by District Secretary Snyder, and temporarily reassigned, to manage three Lynx contracts. The completion date for these projects is March 2003. In Anne's absence Larry Rivera and Fred Ferrell will handle all ITS issues in District Five.
ITS Office/Districts
Teleconference
The January ITS Office/Districts
teleconference will be conducted on January 21, 2003 starting at 2:00
pm and, as usual, is expected to last one hour. The dial-in phone number
is (850) 921-2470 or SunCom 291-2470. Districts, please submit any topics
you wish to discuss by January 14th to Gene
Glotzbach so that the agenda can be established.
ITS Florida
Advisory Committee Meeting
The ITS Florida Advisory Committee
Meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 18 from 3:30 pm to 5:15 pm at Florida's
Turnpike Enterprise Turkey Lake Facility in room 3001 Main.
ITS Working
Group Meeting
The ITS Working Group Meeting
will be held from March 19, 2003, starting at 9:00 am, and ending March
20, 2003 at 12:00 noon. The ITS Working Group Meeting will be held at
Florida's Turnpike Enterprise Turkey Lake facility in Auditoriums A &
B.
FDOT's ITS Office is seeking input to develop an agenda for the March 19 to 20 ITS Working Group Meeting. Please submit any suggestions for presentations, discussions, or informational notices to Leslie Boatman at Leslie.Boatman@dot.state.fl.us or call at (850) 410-5620. In order to make the ITS Working Group Meeting an event for all involved in ITS, your participation in developing the agenda is essential.
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District
1
Chris Birosak FDOT District 1 Traffic Operations PO Box 1249 Bartow, FL 33831 (863) 519-2507 District 2 Peter Vega FDOT District 2 Traffic Operations 2250 Irene Street, MS 2815 Jacksonville, FL 32204-2619 (904) 360-5463 District 3 Elizabeth McCrary FDOT District 3 Traffic Operations 1074 Highway 90 East Chipley, FL 32428-0607 (850) 638-0250 ext. 210 District 4 Tahira Faquir FDOT District 4 Traffic Operations 3400 W. Commercial Blvd. Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33309 (954) 777-4370 |
District
5
Fred Ferrell FDOT District 5 Traffic Operations 719 S. Woodland Blvd., MS 3-562 Deland, FL 32720-6834 (386) 943-5309 District 6 Jesus Martinez FDOT District 6 1000 NW 111th Avenue, MS 6203 Miami, FL 33172 (305) 499-2446 District 7 Bill Wilshire FDOT District 7 Traffic Operations 11201 N. McKinley Drive Tampa, FL 33612 (813) 975-6612 ext. 7869 Florida's Turnpike Enterprise Ingrid Birenbaum Florida's Turnpike Enterprise PO Box 9828 Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33310-9828 (954) 975-4855 ext. 1290 |
Chester
Chandler |
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| Physical
Address Rhyne Building 2740 Centerview Dr. Suite 3-B Tallahassee, FL 32301 |
Mailing
Address Burns Building 605 Suwannee St. MS 90 Tallahassee, FL 32399 |
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SunGuideSM Disseminator January 2003
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PBS&J
QCAP Document Control Panel
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| Created by: | England |
| Reviewed by: | England, Glotzbach, Chandler, Blanton |
| Date: | January 7, 2003 |