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Editorial Corner — A Matter of Dollars and Sense One of the best things about being FDOT’s Secretary is the opportunity to travel all over the state and meet people who have the same passion for transportation and technology that I have. I met some of those folks last August when I had the pleasure to address the National Rural ITS (NRITS) Conference in Palm Harbor. I was proud to brag about the ITS advances in our great state and the benefits that ITS will bring our citizens, visitors, and businesses. We know that transportation makes good business sense. The state’s transportation system is the engine that drives its economy. For every dollar invested in highways, rail, and transit, there is a rate of return of $5.50 worth of economic benefits. Yet, there’s no question the development of our transportation system continues to lag behind the demand for transportation projects and services. As shown in the chart below, we are constantly playing catch-up because we cannot keep pace with growth.
We simply must do a better job of stretching our resources. That’s the benefit of ITS. Increased use of technology will allow us to optimize our transportation system at a lesser cost. Using real-time information on our highways will make the entire transportation system more efficient. It’s a matter of dollars and sense. If we can save money by making the most of our existing transportation system through ITS, it makes sense. Nearly 40 percent of our Work Program budget is spent on preserving the integrity of our infrastructure.
It’s a well-known fact that incidents account for a large percentage of the congestion on our highways. By using ITS to help clear incidents quicker, we can significantly reduce delays. Here are some of the anticipated benefits of utilizing ITS on the state’s transportation system from 2002 - 2012:
Finally, when it comes to supporting ITS, FDOT puts its money where its mouth is. FDOT has committed over $700 million to ITS project funding for the Florida Intrastate Highway System (FIHS) in our Ten-Year ITS Cost Feasible Plan. For this reason, Florida was awarded a federal grant last year to expand an integrated ITS information model called “iFlorida.” Governor Bush hailed Florida’s ITS effort, saying, “We’ve made a major commitment to Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) in Florida to improve our transportation network. This advanced use of technology will produce real-time results in moving people and goods quicker, safer, and more efficiently across our state.” This editorial was provided by José Abreu, FDOT Secretary. For information, please contact Mr. Abreu at (850) 414-5205 or email to Jose.Abreu@dot.state.fl.us.
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Virtual Weigh-In-Motion Stations Regardless of the principle mode for the movement of freight, whether it is by rail, ship, or plane, at some point in its journey all freight is carried by commercial vehicles. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, freight volume moving within the United States has nearly doubled compared with the rate of population growth over the past three decades. It has even exceeded the growth rates in disposable income and gross national product. It is estimated that the volume of freight moved by commercial vehicles will increase by approximately 45 percent between now and 2015. The primary mission of commercial vehicle operations in Florida is the safe and efficient movement of goods. Goods are moved by large, heavy trucks traveling at highway speeds, and often, for relatively long distances at a time. Efficiency is assured when there is minimum interference, only to the degree necessary to ensure the safety of the traveling public. For the movement of goods to function properly, a set of clear guidelines and regulations should be consistently enforced. In other words, regulations and enforcement must go hand-in-hand. Regulations cover a large number of parameters that are necessary for both safety, security, and the environment, and include commercial vehicle weight, maximum dimensions, brakes, lights, steering, speed, tires, suspension, exhaust, and a multitude of other factors. Other regulations govern commercial drivers, such as work hours and correct licensure.
It is practically impossible to stop, inspect, and test every commercial vehicle that travels through our state to ensure that it meets all safety, security, and environmental regulations. Instead, traditional enforcement models have centered on selecting a random number of commercial vehicles for inspection at weigh stations. These commercial vehicles are taken out of the traffic flow and asked to park at the weigh station pending the availability of enforcement personnel. This enforcement model is inefficient for several reasons. First, a substantial amount of time is lost in the inspection process which must be recouped by the commercial vehicles. Of course, these costs are eventually borne by the taxpayers, not to mention the impact of these delays on interstate commerce. Second, queuing commercial vehicles at weigh stations, with their associated acceleration and deceleration maneuvers, leads to a substantial increase in air pollutants. Third, large commercial vehicles stopping at weigh stations require substantial space for parking – space that increases by order-of-magnitude the cost for the right-of-way that needs to be purchased, especially in the vicinity of large urban centers. Here, space may not be available at any cost. And fourth, with the current and forecasted budgetary shortfalls, the state can no longer afford to hire additional enforcement personnel and must, therefore, rely on an already overworked workforce. With the expected increase in the number of trucks on our highways, coupled with modern logistic practices and the rapid growth in e-commerce, highway traffic flow characteristics may change significantly. This would require the application of new and innovative technologies to expedite the monitoring of commercial vehicles in conformance with regulations governing weight, dimensions, and safety, as mandated by federal and state regulations.
There is, however, an additional set of challenges. It has long been known that some commercial vehicle operators who exceed safe weight limits often bypass fixed weigh stations. Coupled with an increased need and awareness for enhanced security, tempered by the current budgetary limitations, there is now a huge demand for proven advanced compliance technologies to assist enforcement personnel. This new compliance technology comes in the form of technologies used to provide mobile weigh stations, referred to as virtual weigh stations. Virtual weigh stations will lead to improved enforcement, better security, and a more efficient utilization of enforcement personnel who can plan their activities around areas where violations occur. Improving enforcement will remove unsafe commercial vehicle operators from our roadways to an area where they can make repairs before being allowed to travel our roadways or expose the public to unnecessary dangers. Virtual weigh stations may be placed at strategic locations, both on the mainline and at selected bypass routes, to enable enforcement personnel to plan the optimal use of their resources. Virtual weigh stations would use existing off-the-shelf technologies that can monitor and communicate violations. Deployment of virtual weigh stations is, therefore, an extremely valuable goal in achieving detection of attempts to bypass weigh stations. There is an abundance of vendors marketing technologies and devices to serve the needs fulfilled by virtual weigh stations. However, there is a deficiency of deployment studies that could aid state agencies in the selection of appropriate proven technologies. There are several reasons behind this deficiency; chief among them is the lack of testing infrastructure for evaluating field performance of these technologies and devices. Another reason for the deficiency is the tendency of some groups to purchase devices that may be ill-suited for their intended purpose.
This research project has two additional objectives, namely, the development of a framework for virtual weigh stations and the deployment of a Web-based public database to serve as a reference for available technologies, vendors, and evaluation results. This article was provided by Dr. Amr Oloufa, P.E., University of Central Florida. For more information, please contact Dr. Oloufa at (407) 823-3592 or email AOloufa@mail.ucf.edu.
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Florida Plans Implementation of Bypass Detection Station In Florida, as with many states in the U.S., commercial vehicles are required to meet legal requirements for weight and size. The FDOT Motor Carrier Compliance Office (MCCO) is charged with enforcing Florida’s statutes that relate to commercial vehicle weight and size. Most of us are used to seeing commercial vehicle weigh stations along the highway; they are the most common method of monitoring whether commercial vehicles are within legal limits. These weigh stations are equipped with weigh-in-motion (WIM) scales and static scales. As trucks enter the weigh station they drive over the WIM scales. If their weight seems to be above the legal limit, they are directed to the static scales where their legal operating weight is determined. (Although WIM scales are very accurate for determining the commercial vehicle’s weight, most states, including Florida, only allow citations to be written based on static scale measurements.) The weigh station/scale system works fine as long as the commercial vehicles come through the weigh station. But what if they don’t? There is a high probability that if a commercial vehicle is deliberately running overweight, the driver may decide to take a route that avoids the weigh station. Because of primary and secondary roads, there is usually at least one alternate route around every weigh station. In response to this reality, FDOT’s MCCO is implementing a weigh station bypass detection system. The first installation will be near the Punta Gorda weigh station on I-75 in Charlotte County. The weigh station bypass detection system is designed to detect possible overweight vehicles which exit before the Punta Gorda weigh station and re-enter I-75 afterwards. This system is designed to screen all commercial vehicles using the exit and entrance ramps before and after the weigh station and to categorize them as either “potential violators” or “non-violators.” Law enforcement personnel will focus their attention toward potential violators. Potential violators are any commercial vehicle that appears to violate Florida’s weight or dimension requirements or purposefully avoid the weigh station. This system will have a random component which will be set by law enforcement personnel to randomly flag a commercial vehicle for further review even though none of the other violator criteria is met. License plate numbers of commercial vehicles bypassing the Punta Gorda weigh station will be stored in a database for future use. How the System Works
The weigh station bypass detection system is a very cost-effective method of augmenting the current MCCO weight enforcement efforts. This system will utilize existing infrastructure to the greatest extent possible. The system’s database will also be integrated into Florida’s Commercial Vehicle Information Exchange Window (CVIEW) system once that system is developed and brought on-line. Florida’s CVIEW will provide Florida’s commercial vehicle regulatory agencies with a single database that contains all information used in the regulation of commercial vehicles operating in Florida. In other words, the CVIEW will provide enforcement officers with a single access point for all information related to a specific commercial vehicle under investigation. This will greatly enhance the efforts of finding and dealing with unsafe or illegal commercial operators. This article was provided by Richard Easley, E-Squared Engineering and Craig Wilson, FDOT MCCO. For more information, please contact Mr. Wilson at (850) 922-2202 or email Craig.Wilson@dot.state.fl.us.
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Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s Freight Information and Real-Time System for Transport A
First in “One-Stop-Shopping” for Port Information FIRST was designed to:
PANY&NJ has made a considerable investment in FIRST, approximately $2.5M over the past few years. FIRST is also supported by the I-95 Corridor Coalition which recognizes the positive effects this system could have on congestion mitigation along the I-95 Corridor.
The goals of FIRST are to improve the overall efficiency of the port; increase trucker productivity (more turns per day, less time in queue, less time at the terminal); improve air quality and congestion mitigation; reduce data transmission and receiving costs; reduce paperwork; improve workflow; and increase the port’s competitive advantage. Although FIRST was originally developed to facilitate efficiency and productivity at the port, FIRST also plays a role in port security. Security personnel have access to a myriad of information regarding the containers being unloaded and the drivers delivering and picking up the containers. Security personnel can view the last 90 days of a container’s activity and verify driver information, including a digital photo assuring that not only is the driver who he says he is, but that he’s authorized to pick up the respective container. FIRST provides many benefits for motor carriers serving the port, stevedoring companies that must receive and release cargo from the ships, and also the traveling public (as a result of increased security measures). This system has the necessary ingredients to provide the basis for increasing the safety and efficiency of intermodal freight port operations nationwide. Just another example of ITS technology saving lives, time, and money. This article was provided by Richard Easley, E-Squared Engineering and Karen Tobia, PANY&NJ. For more information, please contact Ms. Tobia at (212) 435-7841 or email KTobia@panynj.gov.
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During my three years on the ITS Florida Board of Directors, I have witnessed what a motivated group can accomplish when a common goal is shared. In our case, we share a number of common goals that increase the positive impact ITS Florida has on our ITS industry. With this in mind, I would like to accomplish two things through this article. First, I want to present some thoughts on how ITS Florida can continue to contribute to the ITS industry. Second, and more important, I hope to inspire more participation in ITS Florida. Several important objectives have been identified by the ITS Florida Board of Directors for action in 2004. These objectives include:
This article will focus on action plans and resources within Outreach and Advocacy. The progress of these two objectives will be detailed in subsequent articles. These two objectives were easily identified by the ITS Florida Board of Directors. However, developing action plans and locating resources to achieve the goal of an increased positive impact on our ITS industry is much more difficult. ITS Florida’s Outreach objective has two areas of interest. First, the most important needs of ITS Florida’s current members will be identified. ITS Florida has developed a member survey that will be distributed in the near future. The results of this survey will be very helpful in developing programs to meet member needs and maximize our members’ involvement in ITS Florida. The member survey is probably the single most important tool that ITS Florida will use to identify specific interests of members. Look for the member survey and please take the time to fill it out and return it as quickly as possible. Second, ITS Florida wants to expand our reach to build a partnership with other agencies and associations having a stake in the transportation system. Agencies and associations such as transit, emergency management, law enforcement, and fire rescue service all have a stake in an efficient transportation system. For many of these agencies and associations, an efficient transportation system means the difference between life and death. By developing a dialogue with these agencies and associations, ITS Florida can take a leadership role in creating a more constructive and comprehensive environment for dealing with today’s transportation issues. This will help build a stronger case for the importance of ITS. To think that ITS Florida could be one of the leaders in building this partnership is quite exciting! Again, this requires the assistance and support of our current members. ITS Florida’s Advocacy objective requires a much more pro-active role. As noted above, Florida’s ITS community has achieved some outstanding successes. ITS Florida needs to promote these successes in a format and presentation that will be useful in a variety of venues. ITS Florida will spend time with elected officials throughout the state to explain what ITS means to their community, in definitive terms. Beyond the technical attributes, each project has a beneficial aspect that directly impacts our economy, commerce, and safety. The value of the impact that ITS Florida can have on these objectives must be defined and explained. Tying the impact of ITS to these objectives will help those who make ITS-related decisions, but don’t work directly in the ITS industry. We understand that the benefits of ITS must become important to these people. They need to be shown how ITS can help save their lives, their time, and their money… only then will ITS become important to them. In order to make ITS successful for years to come, we need this kind of support. During the upcoming months, the ITS Florida Board of Directors will be developing tools and programs to drive the organization’s initiatives. Specifically, we will be developing programs that tell our “story” to a variety of people. ITS offers a broad range of solutions and benefits that are attractive to every aspect of our economy. This is a powerful story to tell. We need the help of our members; we need help in developing the story, creating the medium to tell the story, and your time to distribute the story. As we move further down the path of deploying technologies and solutions that make our transportation system safer and more efficient, it’s important to remember that it’s the people who make things happen. ITS Florida is no different. In order for us to meet our goals and objectives in 2004, we need the full support and participation of our members. Simply put, in order to accomplish the objectives of Outreach and Advocacy, we need to significantly increase the number of volunteers that ITS Florida can count on.
Participation in Outreach, Events, and Professional Capacity Building
committees, along with others, represent a great chance to work with
professionals in the ITS community and build a strong network of colleagues
that will enable you to reach your personal goals. If you are interested in participating, please feel free to contact any members of our ITS Florida Board of Directors. We will help to find opportunities that are appropriate for your interests and time constraints. The ITS Florida Board of Directors meetings are open to the public. Come sit in and see what we are all about. The dates and locations of the Board of Directors Meetings are posted on our Web site at www.FloridaITS.org. If you would like to host a Board of Directors Meeting at your location, please let us know. This will give us the opportunity to learn more about your organization, and enable you to get a better sense of what ITS Florida is working on. We look forward to hearing from you! This article was provided by Terry Griffith of 3M. For more information, please contact Mr. Griffith at (904) 246-9638 or email TDGriffith@mmm.com. For more information on ITS FloridaTM, please check the ITS FloridaTM Web site at www.itsflorida.org or contact Diana Carsey, Executive Director, at (813) 623-5835, extension 2112, or email carseyd@hartline.org. If you wish to contribute an article to the SunGuideSM Disseminator on behalf of ITS FloridaTM, please contact Erika Ridlehoover at (813) 752-7193, or email Erika.Ridlehoover@transcore.com.
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ITS America’s 14th Annual Meeting and Exposition FDOT’s
ITS Office and ITS Florida Team Up Again FDOT has successfully exhibited at ITS America’s Annual Meeting and Exposition since 2001. FDOT and ITS Florida’s exhibit will center around Florida’s successes in ITS deployments and will provide an opportunity for visitors to speak with attending FDOT ITS Office representatives. Stop by and visit — FDOT will be at Booth 939. For more information, please contact Kristen Blanton, FDOT ITS Office, at (850) 410-5631 or email Kristen.Blanton@dot.state.fl.us. * * * * |
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SunGuideSM Disseminator Word Challenge Answers
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And
the New Name Is . . . Thanks go out to all who participated in the renaming. * * * * ITS
Legislative Awareness Day — Coming Soon For more information, please contact Erika Ridlehoover, TransCore, at (813) 376-0036 or email Erika.Ridlehoover@transcore.com. * * * * FDOT
Mid-Year ITS Working Group Meeting
We hope you will make plans to attend! For more information, please contact Ms. Kristen Blanton, FDOT ITS Office at (850) 410-5631 or email Kristen.Blanton@dot.state.fl.us. * * * * Statewide
Incident Management Program Consultant Selected * * * * Safety
Workshop * * * * FDOT’s
Ten-Year ITS Cost Feasible Plan * * * * David
L. Jones Accepts New Position at TEI As a Senior ITS Specialist for PBS&J, Mr. Jones was instrumental in developing the FDOT ITS standards and specifications, implementing the Web-based Standards, Specifications, and Estimates Processor (SSEP), and identifying ITS products to be added to the FDOT Approved Products List (APL). Please join the FDOT ITS Office in thanking Mr. Jones for his work and
dedication, and wishing Mr. Jones good luck in his new job. * * * *
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SunGuideSM Disseminator March 2004
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