FDOT Exhibits Again at ITS America's 15th Annual Meeting and Exposition

Once again FDOT coordinated a successful partnership of public and private agencies to highlight Florida’s achievements at ITS America’s 15th Annual Meeting and Exposition, held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. The event began on May 7th and concluded on May 9th. Florida was well represented in the exhibition hall and had one of the largest booths to showcase Florida’s ITS deployments.

The combined efforts of the FDOT District 4 (D4), District 6 (D6), and Central Office, Florida's Turnpike Enterprise, ITS Florida, TEAMFL , and the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority (MDX) brought the first live demonstration of center-to-center communications to ITS America’s Annual Meeting and Exposition.

To set the stage for the booth, imagine a brush fire closing I-95 in central Florida...two highway crashes causing the delayed landing of Air Force One ...and rush hour getting off to a slow start in West Palm Beach with a wreck in a construction zone. Now shift from imagination to reality. These events did happen and were all tracked live over 1,000 miles away at ITS America's 15th Annual Meeting and Exposition!

A team of transportation management center (TMC) staff members from FDOT D4 SMART SunGuide^SM and Palm Beach Interim Traffic Management System (ITMS) TMCs, D6 Miami-Dade SunGuide TMC, Florida's Turnpike Enterprise TMC, and MDX developed a "pentagon pavilion" representing a TMC in southeast Florida. Each TMC desk position had live access to real closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in Florida, plus the TMC software, and direct communication with 24x7 TMC staff back in the actual TMCs. Over 3,500 conference attendees were able to see the live activity at the Florida ITS booth—front and center at the main exhibit floor entrance. An operator from each TMC actively monitored conditions along the freeway and toll road systems between West Palm Beach and Miami.

On Monday afternoon, the live events in southern Florida captured the crowd's attention. Dynamic message signs (DMSs) were activated for the brush fires that closed I-95 in central Florida. Then a multi-vehicle crash tied up traffic on I-95 in West Palm Beach. All eyes then shifted to Fort Lauderdale where two separate crashes blocked travel lanes on I-95 north approaching I-595. A third wreck (called a "secondary incident") occurred in the traffic queue. Conference attendees were treated to many elements of TMC operations and incident management:

• Operators moved CCTVs to monitor conditions and lane closures
• Minute-by-minute incident details were tracked on the SMART SunGuide database
• The free Road Rangers service patrol cleared a secondary accident
• Electronic messages were monitored on SunGuide software and live CCTV
• Traffic delays were tracked with MIST® software and then provided on the 511 advanced traveler information system telephone and Web site
• The Broward County Severe Incident Response Vehicle (SIRV) responded to assist at the incident scenes

To add to the drama, Air Force One's landing was delayed due to the accident on I-95 near the Fort Lauderdale International Airport runway approach. All of this activity kept show attendees entertained while they waited in line for a taste of Philly's famous pork Italian sandwiches from Tony Luke's Old Philly Style Sandwiches.

"This was the first time anyone could see all of the southeast Florida TMCs together—in one place. Our goal is for motorists not to be able to distinguish between one transportation management center and another," said Steve Corbin FDOT D4 ITS Operations Project Manager.

The support of the public/private partnerships was also a win for the Florida ITS booth. Thanks to the following companies for their support: Transcore, DMJM Harris/AECOM, PB Farradyne, Miller Electric, Daktronics, Fortran, HNTB, Jacobs Engineering, MG2, RuggedCom, SIM, Sunshine Towing, Vanus, and VBrick.

The following staff made up the great team that pulled off this significant endeavor (in alphabetical order): David Alladin, Palm Beach ITMS; Tracey Allen, Palm Beach ITMS; Christopher Amour, Florida’s Turnpike; Dong Chen, FDOT4; Alphonso Clay, FDOT6; Steve Corbin, FDOT4; Will Corchado, Florida’s Turnpike; Jerry Cosme, SMART SunGuide; Wady Cruz, MDX; Ivan DelCampo, MDX; Steve Dellenback, Southwest Research Institute; John Easterling, Florida’s Turnpike; Jim Effantis, Florida’s Turnpike; Arturo Espinosa, FDOT6; Guy Francese, FDOT4; Erika Garcia; SMART SunGuide; Michael Grant, Palm Beach ITMS; Peter Hugene, Florida’s Turnpike; Janice Hughes, Florida’s Turnpike; Rowdy Kemnitz, Washington Group; Gregg Letts, SMART SunGuide; Jesus Martinez, FDOT6; Tom McGrath, Loren Communications; Dee McTague, SMART SunGuide; Mike Millard, SmartRoute Systems; Bob Murphy, Palm Beach ITMS; Oriol Nunez, SMART SunGuide; Nur Parwaiz, Palm Beach ITMS; Alex Ramos, Sunshine Towing; Dave Reese, Florida’s Turnpike; John Scarpellino, Palm Beach ITMS; Carl Smith, SMART SunGuide; Hugh Stetter; SMART SunGuide; Craig Vahle, SMART SunGuide; Mike Washburn, Florida’s Turnpike; Helena White, Palm Beach ITMS; Ranzy Whiticker, Florida’s Turnpike; and Dan Wye, Florida’s Turnpike. 

The details, cost benefit and performance of each TMC was highlighted with ITS program information distributed in SunGuide/FDOT tote bags to nearly 1,000 attendees.

The meeting and exposition was well attended and the Florida exhibit attracted its full share of attention. Plans are already underway for a strong presence in 2007, scheduled to occur in Palm Springs, California, June 4 through 7.

This article was provided by Steven Corbin, FDOT District 4. For more information, please contact Mr. Corbin at (954) 847-2791 or email Steven.Corbin@dot.state.fl.us.

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FDOT District 4 Wins ITS America's Best of ITS Award

FDOT District 4 was extremely honored to receive ITS America’s Best of ITS Award for 2006 for its ITS Public Outreach Program. According to ITS America, the Best of ITS Awards is the only program in the world that recognizes the best and brightest of the intelligent transportation community.

FDOT District 4 is responsible for managing the surface transportation infrastructure within five counties along the southeast coastline. The SMART (Systems Management for Advanced Roadway Technologies) SunGuide Transportation Management Center (TMC) is a “world class” 24/7 facility that enables FDOT District 4 ITS staff to actively monitor Broward County’s freeway network and ITS infrastructure while coordinating and managing incidents with the Road Rangers service patrol, Florida Highway Patrol, and other TMC partners (i.e., FDOT District 6, Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise, SmarTraveler, and Broward County Traffic).

The SMART SunGuide TMC staff was concerned that the motoring public and public agencies are relatively uninformed about what TMC services are available, how well they function, and the direct and indirect benefits gained from these services. This limited understanding could have a negative impact on potential benefits. Subsequently, the TMC developed an ITS Public Outreach Program to organize communications and promote the TMC’s services with its internal and external customers.

FDOT is very proud of its proactive approach towards educating the general public and regional public agencies regarding ITS and its benefits and is honored to receive this prestigious award.

This article was provided by Dong Chen, FDOT District 4. For more information, please contact Mr. Chen at (954) 777-4362 or email Dong.Chen@dot.state.fl.us.

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Proposed Contraflow and Hurricane Evacuation/Recovery Capital Improvements

The hurricane seasons of 2004 and 2005 have served to underscore the importance of transportation systems in managing the weather emergencies that coastal states have endured. Florida has taken this opportunity to examine its own emergency plans, particularly the state’s contraflow routes and how best to prepare for this kind of evacuation procedure. To learn more about the contraflow experiences of other states during the past two years, FDOT hosted the first Contraflow Workshop in Orlando last February 14 and 15. Nine states made presentations on their efforts, which provided valuable insight on how Florida can plan for this evacuation and avoid some of its pitfalls.

From the best practices of these nine coastal states, recommendations were drafted and a final report was presented to FDOT management, which approved the expenditure of $6,392,992 for procuring and installing various highway information systems and safety improvements. These installations will support the state’s emergency management and hurricane evacuation efforts, including the execution of the various contraflow plans should reverse-lane procedures need to be implemented for our coastal communities. Other improvements will aid in the transportation network’s recovery following a hurricane or similar natural disaster. The various improvements are outlined below.

Exit numbers – The placement of preformed thermoplastic exit numbers on the pavement is being done at a total of 596 interchanges. This placement, done on the paved shoulder, will allow pilots flying aerial contraflow route checks to verify their aircraft’s location, thereby providing more precise reports of conditions along the highway. The exit numbers also help hurricane response teams, maintenance crews, and other relief personnel avoid the problem of damaged or missing exit signs after a hurricane. These numbers will enable emergency responders to reach their destinations without delay.

Flip-down signs – A total of 198 locations on the state’s contraflow routes are to have flip-down signs installed. These signs are intended for use by motorists traveling on the contraflow side of a highway, where the installed signs are facing the wrong direction. To be placed on existing poles, flip-down signs provide a temporary means of marking exit numbers and locations, directional guidance, and detours. In addition, this signage lessens the need for locating variable message signs along a contraflow route to provide the same highway information.

Highway advisory radio – A critical need during hurricane evacuations and contraflow operations is the ability to communicate information directly to motorists on the highway. Through a combination of fixed and mobile installations, highway advisory radio (HAR) enables FDOT to broadcast vital route information and other details to evacuees. HAR is planned for a total of 13 locations and will give emergency managers the ability to broadcast messages at the beginning, middle and end of an evacuation route. The same systems can be used for other large-scale operations, such as special events or major traffic incidents. The fixed HAR sites will be furnished first, followed by mobile facilities as needed for the best signal coverage.

CB Wizard – A companion to HAR is the CB Wizard Alert System, which FDOT will use to broadcast emergency messages to truck drivers and other commercial highway users who rely on citizens band (CB) communications. Installations of CB Wizard on given routes will improve coverage and ensure that emergency broadcasts and information reach commercial vehicle operators prior to their arrival at the contraflow route or emergency situation.

Median crossovers – Two-lane median crossovers will permit the shifting of traffic between the regular-flow and contraflow lanes on an interstate. The exact location of these crossovers is to be determined by FDOT and the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP). Permanent, paved crossovers permit the safe funneling of traffic from one side of a divided highway to the other and will aid the planned contraflow operations by providing a means to load the contraflow side of a highway or to move traffic back to the regular-flow side at the end of a contraflow route.

Drop gates – A total of 236 drop gates are to be installed at interchanges to prevent the wrong-way entry of vehicles on ramps that serve contraflow lanes during an evacuation. These gates extend across the ramp lane and the paved shoulder. They lock in the down position and are better devices to use than typical barricades, cones or barrels. Use of the gates also reduces the number of FDOT or FHP personnel to staff each ramp during a contraflow operation. The gates also reduce the number of maintenance of traffic (MOT) devices and amount of setup time required to activate a contraflow route.

CCTV cameras – Two closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera installations are needed for remotely monitoring traffic flow at critical interstate locations where hurricane evacuations will be occurring in Districts 1 and 2. Cameras are a proven means of viewing traffic conditions in real time when there are no on-scene personnel to monitor the highway and provide reports. The cameras also can alert TMC operators of a traffic problem or an accident, the nature of the problem, and what response personnel would be appropriate to dispatch to the scene.

Traffic signal stockpile – The four major hurricanes that struck Florida in 2004 damaged more than 3,500 signalized intersections statewide. In 2005, over 2,000 signalized intersections sustained damage. To avoid the potential for signal equipment shortages after hurricanes, FDOT plans to warehouse replacement traffic signal heads, cable and span wire equal to 7.5 percent of the total installed traffic signals on the state’s roads. This inventory will be available for prompt traffic signal replacement in hurricane-damaged areas so that intersections can be returned to normal service without delays. Our plans call for storing these items at 16 locations around the state as a remedy for the huge losses of traffic signals due to hurricane winds.

Stop sign deployment plan – Being developed jointly by FDOT and law enforcement, the stop sign deployment plan will follow the current regulatory requirements for intersections. It will apply to signalized intersections that are not functioning after a hurricane and which need to meet these requirements to provide for motorist safety. The plan will be distributed to local governments and maintaining agencies for implementation. While FDOT will endeavor to use potable generators for restoring some intersections to service, the stop sign deployments will be the remedy in situations where signals are damaged beyond immediate repair.

Public information – The public awareness aspects of contraflow operations are critical to the plans’ success. It is FDOT’s intent to provide a public information campaign for the benefit of government policy-makers and the general public so that they understand the reasons for this evacuation procedure and how it affects them. This initiative will be carried out through the development of printed brochures and a Web site, and will require the involvement of the FDOT and FHP Public Information Offices.

This article was provided by Paul Clark, FDOT Traffic Engineering and Operations Office. For more information, please contact Mr. Clark at (850) 410-5631 or email Paul.Clark@dot.state.fl.us.

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TRANSPO2006—Not to Be Missed

ITS Florida and its partners, the Florida Section of ITE, FDOT, and FHWA Florida Division, are working on plans for Transpo2006— “Empowering Our Mobile Society.” The biannual event will be held at the beautiful Westin Innisbrook Golf Resort in Palm Harbor, Florida, on November 27-30. The four tracks are themed and offer topics that take a participant from the planning and design stages of ITS and transportation engineering through operations, management, and future advancements. Some of the specific topics already planned as 90 minute sessions are:

• Regional and Project Architectures
• Cost Feasible Plans
• Managed Lanes
• Performance Measures
• Public/Private Partnerships
• Local Stakeholder Coordination
• Hurricane Evacuation Preparedness
• Traffic Simulation for Hurricanes
• TMC Operations
• ITS Maintenance

The Transpo2006 Program Committee is now accepting presentation abstracts.

Exhibits will be open on Monday, November 27 from 9:00 a.m.to 5:00 p.m., and Tuesday, November 28 from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Reservations for spaces are already coming in. Check out your options on the Transpo Web site (http://www.itstranspo.org/) and find out how to get the best location for highlighting your product or service.

Local tours are scheduled that will provide a chance to visit two vital control centers for transportation in the Tampa Bay area. A Pinellas County/Pasco County Adaptive Control Systems Tour will be on Tuesday, November 28, from 1:00 to 4:30 p.m.. On Wednesday, November 29, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the Expressway Authority/City of Tampa Transportation Management Center will open its doors for a behind-the-scenes look. Participation is limited, so sign up early.

The Westin Innisbrook offers 72 holes of championship golf. The four courses are all beautifully designed with tree-lined fairways and well-bunkered greens that present a challenge to the most accomplished golfers. Look for more information coming soon about the tournament being planned.

Sponsorships can be obtained at various levels with all offering great name recognition and exposure to conference attendees. In addition to Platinum at $5,000, Gold at $2,500, Silver at $1,000, and Bronze at $500, other sponsorship opportunities include the conference portfolio, name badge holder, and the golf tournament.

Full conference details, including the ability to register for the event, secure your exhibit space, and lock in your sponsorship, are available now on the Transpo2006 Web site. Act soon to maximize exposure for your organization and save money in the process.

See you in November at Transpo2006!

For more information on ITS Florida, please check the ITS Florida Web site at www.itsflorida.org or contact Diana Carsey, Executive Director, at (727) 409-5415 or email CarseyD@verizon.net.

If you wish to contribute an article to the SunGuide Disseminator on behalf of ITS Florida, please contact Erika Ridlehoover at (813) 376-0036, or email Erika.Ridlehoover@transcore.com.

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Editorial Corner – Reflecting on ITS America's Annual Meeting

I returned to the office after our 2006 Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, encouraged by a variety of things. First, it was a pleasure to attend a meeting with so much energy and enthusiasm about the future.

Numbers tell part of the story—our membership is up this year (and last), we attracted more delegates to Philadelphia than to our last Annual Meeting, and our exhibition was at least as big that in 2005. Quality and content tell the rest of the story—our sessions were, for the most part, packed with attendees, including a number of standing-room-only breakouts. In addition, Garry Parsons shared with us a compelling vision about the future of ITS and former FCC Commissioner Michael Powell put what we are doing in both policy and human terms, giving us a powerful reminder of why ITS matters to everyone.

Then there were some parts of the story that are less visible, and Florida’s exhibit booth is an excellent example of at least two major chapters in our success story. First, it was obvious that the partners who created and implemented the Florida pavilion put extensive time and effort into creating a dramatic display. It was one of our largest Annual Meeting booths, and, as a pavilion that brought together both public and private sector interests to tell the story about ITS in Florida, it highlighted the power of public-private cooperation in transportation.

We are making significant progress in many areas – in developing policies and legislation to accelerate the research and deployment of ITS, in generating growing awareness of how transportation technologies are transforming transportation, and in advancing our message about the incredible potential of vehicle-infrastructure integration, which is envisioned as a cooperative effort by the public and private sector.

The Florida pavilion was also a great example of the power of state and local support. Those of us who live “inside the Beltway” tend to think of things in terms of national policy, often driven from the top down. But without significant support at the state and local level, and the active involvement of ITS state chapters, we would miss a number of opportunities to move our vision forward even faster. We often hear that “all politics is local.” To see the extent of ITS activities at the state and local level, and the success of groups like ITS Florida should be an important reminder to us that perhaps a good portion of ITS is local.

There is also another important element of that local support. We are engaged in the opening discussions of how to move ITS forward in the years ahead, not by improvements at the margin, but by a quantum leap or two. To do that, we need extensive support in many quarters; we need out-of-the-box thinking every day of the week; and we need a groundswell of support that comes from the national level and from the state and local level at the same time.

In short, we need champions to help carry our message forward. Our state chapters can play an integral role in identifying local champions throughout the country. Without those champions, we will not be able to reach our full potential. That may be the most eye-opening reflection I took back from Philadelphia. We are counting on ITS Florida and our other state chapters to make it happen. Based on the can-do spirit that was so evident in the Florida pavilion and the enthusiasm of our ITS Florida members, I know we will succeed.

This editorial was provided by Neil Schuster , ITS America. For more information, please contact Mr. Schuster at (202) 285-9057 or email NSchuster@ista.org.

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FDOT Equipment Certification

The FDOT Traffic Engineering and Operations Office, through the Traffic Engineering Research Laboratory (TERL), is responsible for approving all traffic control signal devices. Approved devices are kept on the FDOT Approved Products List (APL), a listing of devices that may be relied upon as meeting FDOT specifications, standards, or other criteria.

The APL is a means for the FDOT to meet Florida Statute 316.0745, Uniform Signals and Devices, which states, “All official traffic control signals or official traffic control devices purchased and installed in this state by any public body or official shall conform with the manual and specifications published by the Department of Transportation pursuant to subsection (2).”

More information on the FDOT APL may be viewed at www.dot.state.fl.us.TrafficOperations/ TERL/APL.htm. Specific approved products in the FDOT APL may be searched at rite.eng.fsu.edu/iapl/page1.php.

For more information, please contact Carl Morse, FDOT Traffic Engineering and Operations Office, at (850) 410-5417 or email Carl.Morse@dot.state.fl.us.

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Announcements

Please Join Us in Welcoming a New Face to the ITS Program
The ITS Program is pleased to announce the appointment of Trey Tillander as our new ITS Architecture and Standards Coordinator effective May 19, 2006.

Trey’s career in Florida began with the FDOT as a Professional Engineer Trainee in District 4 in Fort Lauderdale. He specialized in the FDOT D-4 Traffic Operations Office as a Senior Trainee where he worked on the District’s signal system projects and the District’s initial freeway ITS design projects. He then transferred to the District 5 Traffic Operations Office in DeLand where he oversaw the operation and maintenance of the District’s existing ITS projects and continued the deployment of the District’s expansion and upgrade projects. In addition, he conducted traffic operational studies, chaired the District’s Freeway Incident Management Teams, administered the Service Patrol contract, and was responsible for the District’s signal system upgrade projects.

Trey left FDOT to become the Florida's Turnpike Enterprise ITS Program Manager as an employee of TransCore, a large ITS contractor/consultant. At the Turnpike, he managed the deployment of the toll agency’s ITS projects, Traffic Management Centers, and central ITS software. After leaving the Turnpike’s ITS Office, Trey spent two years as TransCore’s Program Manager for the SunPass electronic toll collection program. Most recently, Trey has served as TransCore’s Program Manager for the iFlorida Travel Time Data Collection Subsystem Project and participated in District 1’s Lakeland Signal System Upgrade project.

Trey has participated in the planning, design, integration, installation, inspection, operations, and/or maintenance of over 25 ITS projects in Florida. These projects provided Trey with experience in alternate procurement methods such as Design-Build, and skills in coordinating and Public-Public and Public-Private partnerships.

Trey received a Bachelor’s of Civil Engineering from Georgia Tech and is a registered Professional Engineer in Florida and Georgia.

Please join us in welcoming Trey to his new position.

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ITS Canada's 9th Annual Conference and General Meeting
ITS Canada’s 9th Annual Conference and General Meeting will be held on June 4-6, 2006, at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler Hotel in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada.

The theme of the Conference will be "Achieving ITS Excellence ... 2010 and Beyond." Conference sessions will be complemented by exhibits demonstrating the most recent advancements in ITS technology.

More information can be found on the ITS Canada Web site at http://www.itscanada.ca/.

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Mark Your Calendar For the FICE/FDOT Design Conference 2006
FDOT and the Florida Institute of Consulting Engineers (FICE) will hold the Design Conference 2006 on July 30 thru August 2, 2006, at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando Florida.

For more information and to register, visit the conference Web site at http://www.dot.state.fl.us/Structures/DesignConf2006/default.htm.

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