Statewide Transportation Engineering Warehouse for Archived Regional Data

The Florida Statewide Intelligent Transportation System Architecture (SITSA) contains an archived data management subsystem ( ADMS) that serves as a central data warehouse. The Statewide Transportation Engineering Warehouse for Archived Regional Data (STEWARD) will be the implementation of that ADMS. STEWARD will archive data from a variety of sources in a database that will support the generation of reports and queries. A prototype is being developed now as a proof of concept for a fully operational version to be deployed in the future. The work is being done by the University of Florida Transportation Research Center with support from the FDOT Research Office.

STEWARD will interact with both FDOT and non-FDOT users and will be interconnected to three sources of data:

1. Regional data sources, such as traffic management centers (TMCs), transit dispatch centers, etc.
2. Regional data warehouses that are proposed for deployment in most Districts.
3. FDOT Office of Information Systems enterprise databases, including traffic counts, roadway characteristics, crash data, etc.

1. The STEWARD database, which will store the data retrieved from the various data sources.
2. Data Extraction, Transformation, and Loading (ETL), which will acquire the data from the TMCs, convert it into a suitable format, and store it in the STEWARD database. The ETL process involves two stages in this project with each stage employing different tools. Stage 1 involves the extraction and transformation steps. Stage 2 involves the actual loading step.
3. Quality assessment (QA) operations, which will be required to evaluate and improve the validity of the data received from the field. Note that the QA will be performed as a part of the ETL process. The process will focus on the rules established in the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) Mobility Monitoring report, augmented by internal consistency checks.
4. Database management system operations which will manage the data, generate custom queries to other databases and process the responses. A set of simple queries have been developed for the SunGuide^SM transportation sensor system (TSS).
5. The user interface, which will provide the user with functional access to all of the STEWARD features.
6. Formatted report generation, which will provide the user with specific reports in response to queries.

The SunGuide-generated archive data from Interstate 95 in District 2 is being used as a model for this development. Other SunGuide TMCs will be added as the archive data become available.

The system is configured with approximately 450 detectors at 120 regional traffic microwave sensor detection stations covering a 25 mile section of the freeway.

TSS Data Processing and Analysis
The procedures for processing and analyzing archived data from the SunGuide TSS and travel time (TVT) subsystems will be described here. Both of these subsystems present their archive data as comma delimited flat files. Zipped versions of these files are posted periodically by the District 2 staff. The steps in this process are as follows:

1. Retrieve the archive files by file transfer. The TSS files contain one record for each lane detector for each 20 second polling interval. Each record contains a time stamp, the detector identification, and the volume, speed, and occupancy values for the previous 20 second interval.
2. Convert the data to the STEWARD database format. This format follows the raw archive data format with the addition of a unique detector number that will distinguish each detector from all others within the state.
3. Group the 20 second interval data into 5, 15, and 60 minute intervals for further analysis. The grouped data format is the same as the 20 second interval format with the addition of a field containing the number of observations in the group, as a basic quality assurance check. For example, 15 minute data should have 45 observations (3 observations per minute) in each group. A different number of observations would suggest problems with data integrity.
4. Add a field to the grouped data to indicate the speed variability within the interval. The coefficient of variation (CV) is used as an indicator of turbulence in the traffic stream, especially in the case of 5 minute intervals. This additional piece of information may be useful later in correlating turbulence with other characteristics, such as crashes and incidents

Report Generation
Reports are generated from the 20 second and grouped TSS data at the detector, station, and system levels. Station level reports require additional facility information indicating how the lane detectors are grouped into stations. System level reports require information on the location (milepost) of each station. All of this information is contained in the facility databases that must be developed for each TMC. The following reports are produced at the detector level:

1. Maximum Flow Rates: A very high flow rate (e.g., greater than 2400 vph in any lane) could be an indication of a detector calibration problem.
2. Effective Vehicle Lengths: The effective vehicle length is defined as the combined length of the vehicle plus the length of the detection zone. It may be calculated from the volume, speed, and occupancy values for each time interval. The consistency of effective vehicle length provides another quality assessment indicator.
3. Lane Volume Balance: The lane volume balance is expressed as the ratio of the highest to lowest lane volume at each station. If all lane volumes at a given station were identical, then the lane balance value would be 1.0. During periods of moderately heavy flow, lane balance values above 1.5 might indicate detection problems unless a reasonable explanation can be found.

1. Volume map: A table is produced with the stations arranged in geographical order showing all freeway and ramp volumes for the period.
2. Input/output balance: Another table is produced showing the total volume entering and leaving each link in the system. Over reasonable time periods, an unbalance between inputs and outputs would suggest volume counting errors unless (as is the case in District 2) there are entrance or exit ramps without detectors.

In addition to the volume analysis tables, several operational performance measures are generated, including:

1. Vehicle Miles of Travel (VMT): This is a measure of productivity of the freeway, typically accrued over a peak period or longer.
2. Vehicle Hours of Travel Time (VHTT): This is the accumulated travel time of all vehicles in the system over the analysis period.
3. Average speed: A figure representing the average speed of all vehicles in the system is computed by dividing the VMT by the VHTT.
4. Delay: There are several definitions of delay, each with its own method of computation. For a freeway system, the most appropriate delay measure is obtained by subtracting the VHTT that would have accrued at some desired speed from the measured VHTT. The result is expressed in vehicle hours of delay.
5. Kinetic Energy: Kinetic energy is proportional to the product of speed and volume. Higher values of kinetic energy are obtained when heavy volumes are carried at high speeds. For this reason, kinetic energy has been suggested as the “bottom line” performance indicator for a freeway facility. It has also been suggested that high values of kinetic energy could be associated with safety hazards. This measure is produced to support future research.
6. Level of Service (LOS): By the Highway Capacity Manual definition, the LOS on a freeway is expressed in terms of the density of traffic. Traffic density may be estimated by dividing volume by speed. So, with the available data, we can estimate the LOS on each freeway segment during each period. LOS reports are generated for each segment indicating the proportion of time that the LOS exceeded each of the letter grades.

District 2 has established approximately 30 TVT links. The one minute TVTs for each link are accumulated and grouped into 5, 15, and 60 minute intervals.

The TVT data are much simpler than the TSS data and only one summary report is generated from the STEWARD database. The TVT summary report includes average TVT and delay as well as maximum TVTs and delays, along with their time of occurrence. This information is presented for each link and time interval. A summary report may be requested for a specific link, for all origins to a specific destination, or for all destinations from a specific origin.

This article was provided by Professor Ken Courage, University of Florida. For more information, please contact Mr. Courage at (352) 392-7575 or email KCourage@ufl.edu.

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District 1 Awarded at Transpo2006

While in attendance at the annual ITS Transpo conference, the FDOT District 1 Traffic Operations ITS Section earned two state level awards recognizing outstanding achievement in 2006. The awards were given by the Intelligent Transportation Society of Florida, the state chapter organization affiliated with the Intelligent Transportation Society of America.

District 1 Traffic Incident Management (TIM) Teams were awarded a Certificate of Outstanding Achievement, in recognition of outstanding service to ITS in Florida for championing improved enforcement and safety on Alligator Alley and Accident Investigation Sites (AIS) on future widening projects on I-75.

Increased law enforcement presence on I-75 along Alligator Alley was a top priority for the TIM Teams in the District. A proposal which outlined the need and costs for the additional troopers was developed. It proposed to use toll revenue to fund the additional troopers. The District 1 Traffic Operations ITS Section championed this cause and presented the proposal to FDOT District 1 management. FDOT District 1 worked with Turnpike Enterprise and Central Office management in an effort to get it approved. Through everyone’s efforts, the tolls on Alligator Alley were raised for the first time since 1969, for two axle vehicles, partially to fund the additional troopers. The Florida Highway Patrol is currently in the process of hiring and training additional troopers. This will increase safety for all motorists traveling along Alligator Alley.

AIS are improved areas off the freeway mainline, specifically designated and signed, that provide a safe area where motorists with partially disabled vehicles, law enforcement, fire-rescue, and other public service vehicles can be temporarily relocated. The cost of adding AIS when already doing construction is reasonable and is in the best interest of the motoring public. The placement of the AIS will increase safety, as well as reduce congestion caused by a stopped vehicle.

The District I Traffic Operations ITS Section, in partnership with the City of Lakeland/Lakeland Electric, was also awarded the ITS Florida Organizational Member of the Year for 2006 in recognition of outstanding service to ITS in Florida by finding innovative financial solutions to traffic management.

The FDOT District One Traffic Operations ITS Section, successfully negotiated a public-public partnership with the City of Lakeland/Lakeland Electric. FDOT worked with the City of Lakeland to fund a signal system upgrade that required fiber to be installed to connect signalized intersections and closed-circuit television cameras throughout the city. Through a partnership, the City of Lakeland/Lakeland Electric and FDOT agreed to partner and share fiber, building a winning situation for all parties, and saving FDOT an estimated $1.2 million in construction costs.

This article was provided by Chris Birosak, FDOT District 1. For more information, please contact Mr. Birosak at (863) 519-2490 or email Chris.Birosak@dot.state.fl.us.

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FDOT Traffic Engineering Research Lab 2007 Projects

In keeping with its mission to "Provide expertise and guidance in the development, deployment and application of transportation technology," the FDOT Traffic Engineering Research Lab (TERL) is working on a number of exciting projects at the outset of 2007. These include:

• ITS Device Approval – Developing procedures and a program to test, evaluate, and qualify ITS devices (dynamic message signs; closed-circuit television cameras, camera cabinets, and lowering devices; video encoders; microwave vehicle detectors; hardened switches, etc.) based on newly-develop ITS device specifications. Qualified devices will be placed on the Approved Products List (APL).
• ITS WAN Deployment – Cooperating with the ITS Telecommunications Section in implementing the ITS Wide Area Network (WAN) South Florida Deployment (SFD), a pilot project and first phase of the ITS WAN. The SFD will connect the regional transportation management centers at Districts 4 and 6, Florida's Turnpike Enterprise in Pompano, and the TERL Test-Bed transportation management center, utilizing both fiber-optic and microwave backbone components. It will support SunGuide^SM/SunNav^SM center-to-center (C2C) communications, traffic-camera video sharing, and other ITS communications.
• APL Field Monitoring – Conducting field monitoring of installed APL-listed devices to document long-term performance under field conditions.
• ITS Central Data Warehouse (CDW) – Collecting device-generated data from SunGuide system sites to populate the ITS CDW prototype, a database of quantitative information enabling performance-measurement data mining. Upon project completion the prototype will become a production system.
• Crash-Pattern Prediction – Investigating the prediction of crash patterns through analysis of ITS CDW historical data.
• Signal System Certification Research – Developing certification criteria for complete multiple-intersection, multiple-device signal systems, including all components (signal controller hardware, software and firmware, communications links, etc.).
• National Transportation Communications for ITS Protocol (NTCIP) Research & Development – Developing the Florida-specific management information base (MIB) of the NTCIP. The MIB will be fully NTCIP-compliant, containing all mandatory elements, and will also contain selected optional elements necessary to meet Florida's specific needs.
• Real-Time Evacuation Model – Developing software which will recommend optimal evacuation routes and traffic rerouting in real time. This project is located at the University of Central Florida.
• Driver Feedback Signs – Evaluating radar-activated speed signs for their utility as traffic-calming devices.
• Blind Pedestrian Signals – Evaluating personal handheld devices that give the blind and those with impaired vision audible/tactile feedback concerning intersection walk-signal status.

The TERL will also continue to test, evaluate, and qualify traffic signal and control devices as it has been doing. These include:

• LED signal modules,
• Signal controllers,
• Controller cabinets, which may now have integral emergency generator connectors, uninterruptible power systems (UPS), and air-conditioning units, and
• Video vehicle detectors.

This article was provided by Bill Lueck, FDOT TERL. For more information, please contact Mr. Lueck at (850) 443-8744 or email Bill.Lueck@dot.state.fl.us.

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Floridians Are Reminded to Know Before You Go

511 Takes its Message Statewide With a New Educational Campaign ORLANDO, FLA — Just weeks before a record number of people are expected to hit the road for year-end holiday travel, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) was on the air and in the newspapers in Tallahassee reminding Floridians to call its free 511 Travel Information Service. The message was for drivers to stay safe and save time on their holiday travels by calling the statewide 511 and www.FL511.com service to get real-time updates on road conditions.

The two-day educational outreach effort, December 5-6, was called “The 511 Holiday Safety Tour” and included partners AAA Auto Club South and the Florida Highway Patrol. It is part of a new statewide education strategy developed to increase usage in parts of the state not currently covered by one of the four regional 511 systems.

The goal was to continue educating drivers about the benefits of using 511 to get information on travel routes before leaving on a trip — to “Know Before You Go” as the statewide slogan says. Drivers can get the latest information by calling 511 before traveling, and make an informed decision about departure times and routes.

The tour was presented by Mike Wacht, a FDOT public information officer who focuses on 511, Marilyn Mooney and Brenda Smith, manager and assistant manager of the AAA Tallahassee office, and Major Ernie Duarte, Chief of Public Affairs for the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP).

Tallahassee was chosen as the first stop on the statewide media campaign because of its strategic importance. Much of Florida’s media has a presence in the capitol and news coming out of Tallahassee is often viewed as statewide news. Many in Tallahassee are frequent travelers, including thousands of students who come from across Florida and the country, legislators, and others involved in state government.

The 850 area code, which includes Tallahassee and the Florida Panhandle, ranked second in the number of phone calls placed to the statewide 511 system during its first year of operation. Jacksonville and the 904 area code, which now has its own Northeast Florida regional system, ranked first. Interstate 10, which runs east and west through the Panhandle, is the system’s third most requested road, behind I-75 and I-95.

Media Focus on Safety and the Regional Usage
“Accidents cause congestion and congestion causes accidents,” Wacht said in an interview with the Associate Press Television Network. Drivers who use 511 are safer because they can make informed decisions about departure times and routes based on the information they receive from the service, he said.

Safety is a consistent message for all three educational outreach partners. AAA and Central Florida’s 511 have worked together on media releases and local events to carry the safety message to the region’s motorists. Gregg Laskoski, AAA Managing Director of Public & Government Relations, said the tour was a great opportunity to expand on this relationship and draw a larger audience’s attention to the safety message.

Jeff Burlew, Tallahassee Democrat staff writer, used the phrase “avoid accidents” to describe the two primary benefits of using 511 in his December 6 article, “Avoid accidents by calling 511.”

Motorists “can avoid trouble spots by calling the Florida Department of Transportation's 511 Travel Information System,” Burlew wrote. “Duarte said 511 can help drivers avoid secondary crashes, which happen when drivers come up too fast on an existing wreck scene.”

The Democrat article created a little stir in a capitol area sandwich shop. While Wacht was eating lunch, another patron noticed his 511 logo shirt. “Hey, you’re 511,” she said. “I just read about you and here you are.”

A news story on Tallahassee’s WCTV-6, the CBS affiliate, added that using 511 can reduce road rage. In a video interview, Duarte reminded viewers that using 511 allows them to plan their routes to avoid tie-ups and delays and reduce their anxiety.

WCTV anchor Sarah Grady invited Wacht and Smith to be guests on her Live at Five show. The half-hour news program closed with a three-minute live interview segment in which Grady asked about the information available from and benefits of using 511 and why AAA was teaming up with FDOT.

Lauren Walleser, news editor for the FS View and Florida Flambeau, Florida State University’s student-run newspaper, also picked up on the region’s ranking in her November 11 article titled, “511 helps reduce holiday drive times.”

“Currently, the 850 area code is the number two area code in the state in phone calls made to 511 and I-10 is the third most requested roadway, but Wacht said he believes that could change,” Walleser wrote. “ ‘With the students here and all of the traveling that you do, there's no reason 850 and I-10 can't move up to number one,’ said Wacht.”

Several Tallahassee radio stations also got in on the outreach effort. WFLA-FM, Tallahassee’s news talk radio station, featured a three-minute segment on 511 during “The Morning Show With Preston Scott.” The live interview spotlighted 511 features and benefits, and the goal of having the Tallahassee area become top users of the statewide system.

511 News Goes Statewide
The educational effort also reached the Florida Press Association’s building where participants talked with reporters from newspapers and television stations from other parts of the state who work in Tallahassee covering statewide and governmental stories. An Associate Press Television Network reporter interviewed Wacht and Duarte which resulted in stories that have been broadcast in Pensacola, Ft. Myers, Miami, and Orlando.

The time spent in Tallahassee also gave Wacht, Mooney, and Smith the opportunity to explore new and improved partnerships with other state agencies. The trio met with Florida Department of Elder Affairs’ Transportation Liaison Buddy Cloud to talk about how the two state agencies can work together to educate Florida’s older drivers about using 511 as a safety and convenience tool. The conversation resulted in a future feature article in Elder Affairs’ Elder Update newspaper which reaches 60,000 retirees living in the state. In February, representatives of 511 will also be at Elder Affairs’ 2007 Best Practices Exchange Conference in Kissimmee giving a presentation on 511 and meeting individually with city and county officials and organizations working with Florida’s growing number of retirees.

Wacht was also able to meet with communications staff at the Florida Division of Emergency Management to discuss ways to include the 511 message in any information the State Emergency Response Team puts out about evacuations. Since both the 511 phone system and Web site include evacuation information, encouraging Floridians to call 511 instead of 911 or local emergency operations centers can help improve the evacuation process while freeing up emergency response operators to focus on other issues.

“Know Before You Go” Coming Soon
FDOT is creating brochures, informational cards, and posters to support the “Know Before You Go” message. These materials will be distributed by partner organizations and will include basic information about 511 and www.FL511.com. The graphic treatment features a retro-tourism theme, combining images of Florida’s historic tourism industry with people using laptops and cell phones.

VISIT FLORIDA will continue to distribute information through its five official Florida Welcome Centers. AAA has agreed to place the material in its 70 Florida offices. FDOT’s Office of Commercial Carrier Compliance is putting up posters in its weigh stations and truck comfort stations around the state.

A partnership with Florida’s rest areas began unofficially when Wacht stopped at a southbound I-75 rest area after the media tour. His 511 logo shirt drew the night security officer’s attention. After a lengthy conversation and personal demonstration of a 511 call, the officer asked for material to post in the office for rest area visitors to see.

The efforts to educate Florida’s drivers about the safety and convenience benefits of using 511 will continue through 2007. FDOT plans to return to the Panhandle during Spring Break season to remind visitors and intrastate travelers to use 511 before they head to the beach. The start of hurricane season in June and the height of the season in September are other opportunities for reminding people about 511. There are also plans to visit media outlets in other parts of the state not covered by one of the regional systems.

This article was provided by Mike Wacht, Global5 Communications. For more information, please contact Mr. Wacht at (407) 571-6782 or email MikeWacht@global-5.com.

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ITS Florida's Time to Shine—Transpo2006

ITS Florida, in conjunction with Florida Section ITE, FDOT, and FHWA, held Transpo2006— Empowering Our Mobile Society—in Palm Harbor, Florida, from November 27-30 at the Innisbrook Golf Resort.

The bi-annual conference was a huge success for ITS Florida and the transportation industry. Transpo2006 drew 450 attendees from all facets of transportation. The tracks covered by the conference were Planning Our Mobile Society, Engineering Our Mobile Society, Managing Our Mobile Society, and Advancing Our Mobile Society. These tracks provided diverse sessions of interest to the attendees. ITS Florida would like to thank all who put so much energy and effort into making this year’s conference such a success.

During Transpo2006, ITS Florida and Florida Section ITE held a joint annual meeting during the banquet on November 29. During the banquet, ITS Florida announced their annual awards and election results for the year. The results of the elections are:

In addition to announcing the results of the ITS Florida Annual Elections, the winner of the annual Scholarship competition was announced. ITS Florida accepts applications from graduate students of member universities. This year, ITS Florida awarded the $2,500 scholarship to Cristina Dos Santos, a graduate student in the Engineering program at the University of Central Florida. Ms. Dos Santos was at the banquet to accept her scholarship check. ITS Florida is very proud to award this each year and looks forward to having Ms. Dos Santos become part of the transportation industry. ITS Florida would like to give a special thanks to Mr. Eric Hill of MetroPlan Orlando, L.A. Griffin of Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority, and Dr. Essam Radwan of UCF-CATSS for their time and effort in evaluating the scholarship applications.

During the Banquet, ITS Florida announced the winners of the annual awards program. ITS Florida solicits nominations of accomplishments in the ITS industry for consideration.

The first award category is for Certificate of Outstanding Achievement. ITS Florida looks to honor projects or people for their outstanding achievements in ITS. This award is given to one or more worthy nominees. This year, ITS Florida was proud to honor five recipients in this category. The winners of the Certificate of Outstanding Achievement were as follows:

• Liang Hsia, P.E. – FDOT Central Office – For Mr. Hsia’s work in establishing a statewide transportation management center software library system branded as the SunGuide Software.

• Steven Corbin – FDOT District 4 – For his outstanding leadership effort in promoting ITS on the nation’s largest ITS stage: ITS America’s Annual Meeting and Exposition in Philadelphia, PA, in May 2006. Mr. Corbin led the development and implementation of the Florida Pavilion that drew accolades from many attendees, including Neil Schuster, ITS America President and CEO. The three major partners involved were FDOT Districts 4 and 6, Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise, and Miami-Dade Expressway Authority.

• ITS Section Traffic Incident Management (TIM) Teams – FDOT District 1 Traffic Operations – TIM Teams brought forward two major issues that were implemented. Through the efforts of the TIM Teams, additional Florida Highway Patrol troopers were provided on Alligator Alley, where major and severe incidents were occurring with high response times. The TIM Teams were also successful at implementing the Accident Investigation Sites (AIS) on future widening projects of Interstate 75.

• First Coast MPO together with Denise Bunnewith and Jeff Sheffield – Took the lead to develop ITS in the First Coast MPO area, which created First Coast Coalition, initiated an ITS Regional Master Plan, formation of a Multi-Mode Regional Transportation Management Center, and several other major ITS deployments. Their efforts have made ITS a reality on a regional basis.

• ITS Performance Measures – FDOT District 4 – Currently track and report 26 out of 60 ITS outcome and output measures, of which 18 have been automated. Performance measures allow an objective assessment of the value of ITS deployments and allow a quantification of the benefits in comparison to cost.

ITS Florida accepts applications for their ITS Florida Member of the Year. This award is to honor an outstanding project or person in the ITS field who really stands far above the rest in achievements, brings benefits to the industry and/or motoring public, or who thinks “outside the box.” ITS Florida is proud to recognize FDOT District 1 Traffic Operations, ITS Section and the City of Lakeland/Lakeland Electric as the winner of this award. Through this partnership, the City of Lakeland/Lakeland Electric and FDOT agreed share fiber, saving FDOT an estimated $1.2 million. The shared fiber was used by FDOT to connect signalized intersections and closed-circuit television cameras throughout the city.

The ITS Champion award is given to a worthy candidate who advances ITS by “championing” the cause. ITS Florida was proud to recognize Karen Williams Seel. Ms. Seel is a Pinellas County Commissioner, Chairperson of the MPO, and Chair of the ITS Committee. Under her leadership, use of technology in transportation solutions has been designated a high priority for Pinellas County. She has successfully worked to promote interagency agreements and coalition building between the MPO and other agencies. The profile of ITS has been elevated because of her efforts. Her leadership as Chair has also resulted in the adoption of a countywide ITS Master Plan.

The ITS Professional of the Year was awarded to Dale W. Cody, P.E., P.T.O.E.. Mr. Cody is an ITS Division Manager for Metric Engineering and is held in high regard by his peers and colleagues. He has personally overseen 25 ITS projects from 2002 to date and is always willing to “get his hands dirty” by giving extra effort for clients. He holds himself to high personal and professional standards and has donated time and knowledge to help the Central Florida Dream Center in Sanford.

Another award that is eligible to be given annually, but only awarded occasionally, is the ITS Florida’s President’s Award. This is the most honorable of all the awards given by ITS Florida. This year, ITS Florida is especially proud to recognize Diana Carsey as the recipient for this award. Ms. Carsey has served as ITS Florida’s Executive Director for the past three years, and the Board was proud to recognize her stewardship and fellowship to the Board and members of ITS Florida. Ms. Carsey is the “rock” that holds ITS Florida together. ITS Florida wants to thank her for her tireless efforts in keeping our Chapter organized and functioning efficiently.

The next Transpo Conference and Exhibition is being planned for 2008. ITS Florida hopes to have the same success that was enjoyed this year. Stay tuned for further details.

This article was provided by Erika Ridlehoover, TransCore. For more information, please email Ms. Ridlehoover at Erika.Ridlehoover@transcore.com.

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 email Anita Vandervalk at AVandervalk@camsys.com.

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Editorial Corner–Florida and the I-95 Corridor Coalition

Florida is an extremely critical member of the I-95 Corridor Coalition (Coalition) and is playing an important role in advancing seamless transportation in the Coalition’s multi-state region. As many of you know, the I-95 Corridor Coalition is an alliance of transportation agencies, toll authorities, and related organizations, including law enforcement, from Maine to Florida, with affiliate members in Canada. The Coalition provides a forum for member agencies to address transportation management and operations issues of common interest, working together to improve transportation system performance.

Florida, as the southern-most Coalition member and home to a critical section of the corridor, has contributed significantly to the Coalition’s programs through its leadership on key Coalition committees and in its leadership in advancing state-of-the-art transportation systems. Representatives from Florida serving in significant Coalition leadership positions include: Ysela Llort, Vice Chair, Coalition Executive Committee; Gene Glotzbach, Co-chair, Travel Information Program Track; Bill Thorpe, Co-chair, Electronic Payment Services Program Track; and Paul Clark, Co-chair, Southern Highway Operations Groups (HOGs).

The focus of the Coalition's program has evolved over the years from studying and testing ITS technologies to a broader perspective that embraces integrated deployments and coordinated management and operations. The Coalition's perspective, once primarily highway-related, now encompasses all modes of transportation for people and goods. Facilitation of regional incident management, in areas such as pre-planning, coordination, and communication among transportation and public safety agencies in the corridor, remains a key part of the Coalition’s focus. Today, the Coalition emphasizes information management as the underpinning of seamless operations across jurisdictions and modes.

Vision for the Future: Corridor-Wide Information Sharing Systems  
90 percent of congestion can be attributed to only four sources:

• Bottlenecks (40 percent),
• Incidents (25 percent),
• Bad weather (15 percent), and
• Work zones (10 percent).

Problem locations could be avoided by long distance highway travelers and freight movers if accurate and timely information regarding distant events were available to help them make intelligent travel decisions; however, little information about distant events is currently shared among states. Understandably, the almost exclusive focus of operators in transportation management centers has been on managing traffic and informing travelers in an individual urban region or within a state. Dating back to 1993, the Coalition has been working on the problem of sharing information about distant events. But these efforts have met with limited success because they have involved manual re-entry of information in separate systems, or manual procedures (phone, fax, or e-mail) to obtain information.

The Coalition is developing the capability to automatically share information among member agency traffic management centers and with travel information service providers. Known as the Information Systems Network (ISN), it will fundamentally be a computer network of transportation information services, consisting of existing statewide and regional systems within the Coalition region, tied together by new standardized interfaces, management components, administrative interfaces, and policies needed to make it coherent and cohesive.

The ISN will benefit long distance travelers and freight movers as agencies obtain and disseminate information about significant events in distant locations, allowing earlier and more informed trip planning. In turn, regional and national economic benefits will be realized as travel related to freight movement, business, and tourism is made more efficient. The ISN will provide member agencies with the ability to exchange event information with each other and will focus on sharing the information that provides the greatest value to public agencies and the public. The Coalition is working with its member agencies to define the types of information that should be provided to the ISN, and, ultimately, shared with other agencies. The alerts and information may include significant incidents, congested work zone areas, poor roadway conditions, and evacuation information.

The concept of the ISN supports several USDOT ITS program initiatives. For example, the Real-Time System Management Information Program established under Section 1201 of SAFETEA-LU requires all states to provide “the capability to monitor, in real-time, the traffic and travel conditions of the major highways of the United States.” In addition, the ISN will take advantage of USDOT ITS program investment in national communications standards. Additional information on the ISN can be found on the Coalition’s Web site at http://www.i95coalition.org.

Thank you for the opportunity to share some thoughts on my vision for the I-95 corridor. Florida will certainly be a key player in making this vision a reality. I look forward to working with ITS Florida and similar groups throughout the corridor to make a real difference to the millions of travelers in the I-95 corridor.

This editorial was provided by George Schoener , I-95 Corridor Coalition. For more information, please email Mr. Schoener GESchoener@comcast.net.

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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

Mark Your Calendar for FDOT's Annual ITS Working Group Conference
FDOT is happy to announce that the Annual ITS Working Group Conference is scheduled for April 3-4, 2007, at the Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, Florida. FDOT's Annual ITS Working Group Conference provides a forum for the FDOT District Offices, Florida's Turnpike Enterprise, and the Central Office staffs to discuss statewide ITS issues. Participation is also extended to other public agencies and the ITS consulting, contracting, and academic communities.

The meetings will start Tuesday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. and conclude Wednesday afternoon at 5:00 p.m. The conference will include sessions on Florida's ITS projects, along with the District and Central Office project updates; and, this year, a couple panel discussions are also being planned. An Exhibitor Showcase will provide an opportunity to meet with exhibitors, make connections, and network. Details are under development and a Tentative Schedule will be posted on the FDOT Working Group Meeting Web site (www.dot.state.fl.us/trafficoperations/ ITS/Projects_Deploy/WGM.htm) in the near future.

The Rosen Shingle Creek (http://shinglecreekresort.com/) is a newly opened facility located on Universal Boulevard close to many Orlando attractions. FDOT has arranged a block of rooms at this facility for just $99.00 a night!

FDOT's Annual ITS Working Group Conference has a $40.00 registration fee. In order to attend, you must register online at www.cmc-associates.com/Conferences.shtml (Scroll down to the FDOT Annual ITS Working Group Conference and select Secure On-Line Registration Here!).

If you have any questions about the conference, please email KarenEngland@pbsj.com. If you have any questions about the registration process, please contact KCrawford@cmc-associates.com or MWozniak@cmc-associates.com.

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2007 FTBA/FDOT Statewide Construction Conference
The 2007 FTBAFDOT Statewide Construction Conference will be held February 27-28, 2007, at the Doubletree Hotel, adjacent to Universal Studios in Orlando. For more details, visit the State Construction Office Web site at www.dot.state.fl.us/construction/online registration/construction/ConstConf2007/2007MainPage.htm.

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