<%@LANGUAGE="JAVASCRIPT" CODEPAGE="1252"%> 12-2007_Newsletter
Newsletter Banner
Florida 511 Web Site—New and Improved!
SunGuide™ Disseminator Word Challenge
FDOT Freight/Traffic Engineering/
Transportation Planning/ CVO Workshop

Transpo2008: The Transpo Legacy Lives On!
Rapid Incident Scene Clearance
Goes Statewide

Editorial Corner—What Cool Hand Luke Can Teach Florida’s ITS Industry About Better Transportation
Moment of Humor! Inside the TERL

District 7 ITS Program—
Evolution From Necessity

Announcements
FDOT District 7 Tampa Bay SunGuide™
Center Officially Opens
FDOT Contacts
I-95 Corridor Coalition —Southern Region Incident Management Information Exchange Program


District Progress Reports


The SunGuide Disseminator
is a publication of:

Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT)
Traffic Engineering and Operations Office
605 Suwannee Street, M.S. 36
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0450
(850) 410-5600
www.dot.state.fl.us.com


December 2007 Edition

 

 

ITS-GC Home

 

Florida 511 Web Site—New and Improved!

The FDOT Central Office ITS Program and District 5 Traffic Operations have completed an upgrade of the Florida 511 Web site (www.fl511.com). The initial Web site was introduced as part of the iFlorida Surface Transportation Security and Reliability Information System Model Deployment. The initial Web site demonstrated the applied technology, while providing early functionality to the motoring public.

During the 2006 operational period, FDOT used the knowledge and experience gained during the model deployment to begin planning enhancements to the Web site. These enhancements were needed to make the Web site more usable and to fully apply other existing and planned ITS technologies in District 5. Requirements were developed as part of SunGuide™ Software Release 3.0 in late 2006 / early 2007 and the enhancement project kicked-off in March 2007.

The upgraded Web site is powered by SunGuide Software using ITS standards to implement a center-to-center-based software infrastructure. This software approach provides District 5 with further efficiencies from system integration and standardization. The new Florida 511 Web site is viewable from almost every Web browsing software and follows American Disabilities Act guidelines in an effort to reach every online transportation customer. The Web site provides an enhanced “look and feel” that includes a more user-friendly map. Google© was selected as the base map and many Google features, such as panning, zooming, satellite imagery, and locating an address, are now features of the Florida 511 Web site.

Traffic congestion per roadway segment is graphically shown by color. Current messages on dynamic message signs (DMS) can be viewed on the map by hovering over the desired DMS icon. The data for speed, travel time, and delay information is transmitted from the Orlando Regional Transportation Management Center (RTMC) and the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority (OOCEA) using the preexisting SunGuide center-to-center interface. Camera snapshots are displayed by leveraging the existing SunGuide video capture capability.

iFlorida 511 Web Site

While a significant milestone has been completed with the upgrade of the Florida 511 Web site, improvements continue. Currently, the Web site relies on links to the Florida Highway Patrol and the FDOT Construction Web sites for information on traffic incidents and construction, respectively. The SunGuide Event Management subsystem is scheduled to be installed at the Orlando RTMC in December 2007. The SunGuide Event Management subsystem will allow real-time incident and construction information to be displayed on the Florida 511 Web site. This will provide the public with the most accurate information available from the FDOT and OOCEA in a timely manner.

iFlorida 511 Web Site

Through this project, ITS technology continues to provide Florida’s citizens and visitors with increased transportation services.

This article was provided by Trey Tillander, FDOT Traffic Engineering and Operations. For information, please contact Mr. Tillander at (850) 410-5617 or email to Trey.Tillander@dot.state.fl.us.

* * * *

Return to top

 

FDOT Freight/Traffic Engineering/Transportation Planning/
CVO Workshop

On October 22-23, 2007, the FDOT Incident Management and Commercial Vehicle Operations Programs sponsored an interactive workshop centered on Florida’s freight operations and the important relationship freight movement and safety have with traffic engineering, transportation operations, and planning to assure Florida’s economic well being. This was the second annual workshop (held in Tampa) dedicated to assisting transportation operations and planning professionals to understand how their jobs greatly impact the freight community (positively and negatively); and how the safety of Florida’s citizens and the health of Florida’s economy can hang in the balance.

CVO WorkshopThis year’s workshop was well attended by over 50 registrants. Because of the value of the workshop, participants included personnel from FDOT ITS programs, FDOT Operations, six different metropolitan planning organizations from across the state, trucking companies, motor carrier law enforcement, the Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise, and two Florida university research centers as well as various consultants. In addition to the participants from Florida, the workshop drew Washington, D.C. representation from ITS America, the United States Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Because the need for educating transportation professionals on their impacts to the freight community is not unique to Florida, this year’s workshop drew participation from other states, including Indiana, California, Maryland, Alaska, and Texas. As one could imagine, the open and frank dialog among the diverse attendees was rich and eye-opening.

CVO WorkshopThis year’s agenda included a summary of the freight impacts on Florida’s economy. Participants learned about the various FDOT CVO programs that are underway as well as unique initiatives undertaken by several planning organizations across the state. Issues were discussed, including truck parking and greenhouse gas initiatives, and the impacts of special events (Super Bowl, hurricanes, construction projects, etc.) on the trucking community. In addition to discussions on freight related technologies that can be leveraged by the planning and operations communities, the workshop also included freight operations (hands-on) demonstrations in the field. This year’s site visits included a visit to the IH-4 weigh station to get a first hand look at the dangers created by the close proximity of dual truck highway entry lanes weaving with high volume dual exit lanes for passenger traffic. The site visit also included a trip to the Tampa Fairgrounds to see the hand held infrared brake testing technology, the gamma radiation truck inspection equipment called VACIS (Vehicle and Cargo Inspection System), and the process of weighing trucks at roadside using portable scales.

CVO WorkshopThe end objective of the workshop was for each attendee to return to their job with a new understanding of how seemingly trivial everyday work decisions that they’ve made in the past can impact the freight community. More than one attendee stated that they will keep freight considerations in mind now that they’ve learned how interconnected passenger and freight issues truly are.

This article was provided by Michael Akridge, FDOT Traffic Engineering and Operations. For information, please contact Mr. Akridge at (850) 410-5607 or email to Michael.Akridge@dot.state.fl.us.

* * * *

Return to top

 

Rapid Incident Scene Clearance Goes Statewide

For each minute that a travel lane is blocked, it takes four minutes for traffic to recover or resume normal speeds. When one out of three travel lanes is blocked, 50 percent of the roadway’s capacity is lost. The cascading effects of the delays caused by one incident on our Interstates can be felt for many hours after the incident has been cleared.

The FDOT’s Rapid Incident Scene Clearance (RISC) program is a highly innovative program to help meet the goal of clearing major incidents and truck crashes in 90 minutes or less. RISC was started by the Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise (FTE) in 2004 and ensures that only highly-trained, certified wrecker and heavy-recovery equipment operators with the proper equipment respond to incidents to clear the scene quickly and efficiently.

RISCRISC is an incentive-based program that provides bonuses to wrecker operators upon successfully removing all wreckage and re-opening the roadway within 90 minutes of receiving a Notice-to-Proceed. The wrecker operators are paid a bonus of $2,500 if they successfully meet this requirement. Additionally, if specialty equipment is approved for use during the incident cleanup, an additional bonus of $1,000 is paid. These bonuses are in addition to what the wrecker operators charge for their regular tow services. However, if the travel portion of the roadway is not cleared within three hours of the Notice-to-Proceed, the wrecker company can be assessed a penalty of $10 per minute ($600 per hour) until the roadway is reopened to traffic. The FTE bills the insurance companies for reimbursement of the bonuses paid and currently has an 80 percent success rate for reimbursement recovery.

In July 2007, the FDOT Executive Board voted to expand the RISC program as a statewide effort. This will be effective July 2008 with the first year funding set at $2,000,000 and each FDOT District initially receiving $100,000. A reserve of $1,300,000 will be held to be provided to the Districts as needed

RISCThe Traffic Incident Management Section is currently drafting procedures to be used by this statewide program. To ensure that the funds are not rapidly depleted, the program will operate only on the Interstates and other limited-access facilities and will be used for the removal of tractor- trailer combinations, heavy trucks, buses, and motor home/motor coaches that are blocking travel lanes or affecting a travel lane.

A successfully operated statewide RISC program will relieve congestion, reduce the chance for secondary collisions, create a timely movement of goods and services, and support the Open Roads Policy between FDOT and the Florida Highway Patrol.

This article was provided by Mike Akridge, FDOT Traffic Engineering and Operations. For information, please contact Mr. Akridge at (850) 410-5607 or email to Michael.Akridge@dot.state.fl.us.

* * * *

Return to top

 

Moment of Humor

District 7 ITS Program—Evolution From Necessity

In early 2007, the resignation of the District 7 Freeway Operations Manager coincided with the staffing of the new building which houses the Tampa Bay SunGuide™ Regional Transportation Management Center (RTMC). Filling the position became the catalyst for a review of District 7’s approach to ITS design and operations.

Until early 2007, the District 7 ITS program was primarily focused on design and construction. With the completion of the RTMC, and several ITS roadway projects coming on line, there was a need for significantly more focus on operations. After review and discussion, management decided to restructure the ITS staff and redefine their responsibilities to compliment the evolving ITS program and deployment. The District 7 ITS Section is now structured as follows:

District ITS Program Manager—Bill Wilshire, P.E.
The ITS Program Manager is responsible for the entire ITS section and all activities. He provides the vision, tone, and direction for the ITS Program as well as oversight. Direct reports are the ITS Operations Manager and ITS Project Manager.

ITS Operations Manager—Terry Hensley
The ITS Operations Manager is responsible for all ITS Operations; effectively, everything after project construction is complete, including operation of the RTMC, ITS field device maintenance, Road Rangers, traffic incident management (TIM), facility management, and the contractors/consultants performing or assisting with those services. Direct reports include the ITS Support Manger and all contractor staff.

ITS Project Manager—Rob Lopes
The ITS Project Manager is responsible for planning, design, and construction of ITS projects on the Interstate system, as envisioned in the Ten-Year ITS Cost Feasibility Plan. This includes oversight of the consultants/contractors assisting FDOT with these functions. He also provides coordination and technical assistance to the Traffic Design Section in the District 7 transportation development and is responsible for the ITS project development of advanced traffic management system projects off the Interstate system.

ITS Support Manager—Romona Burke
The ITS Support Manager is responsible in assisting the ITS Operations Manager and ITS staff with coordination and facilitation of contracts, purchasing, facility maintenance, Road Ranger oversight, and TIM coordination.

District 7 is confident that the revised structure will result in a more efficient and cohesive approach to the challenges that come with our expanding system.

This article was provided by Bill Wilshire, FDOT District 7. For information, please contact Mr. Wilshire at (813) 615-8610 or email to Bill.Wilshire@dot.state.fl.us.

* * * *

Return to top

 

FDOT District 7 Tampa Bay SunGuide™ Center Officially Opens

The FDOT District 7 is proud to announce that the Tampa Bay SunGuide™ Regional Transportation Management Center (RTMC) is officially open! The grand opening ceremony was held on Friday, October 19, at the RTMC.

The ceremony included comments from District 7 Secretary Don Skelton, Elizabeth Birriel (FDOT Central Office), Lt. Colonel John Czernis (Florida Highway Patrol), and Ken Haddad (Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission). Secretary Skelton officially cut the ribbon to the new facility. Elizabeth Birriel, as the current President of ITS Florida, presented Secretary Skelton with a Certificate of Outstanding Achievement plaque on the opening of the new RTMC. Tours were held for any interest guests. Members of the media in the Tampa Bay area attended and interviewed FDOT and Florida Highway Patrol regarding the purpose and benefits of the RTMC.

Tampa Bay RTMC

Tampa Bay RTMC OpeningSince July 2007, the RTMC has been operating 7 days a week, 24 hours per day. The facility is a 21,000 square foot state-of-the-art RTMC that took approximately two years to build at a cost of approximately $9 million, including all interior systems. District 7 was fortunate to have the Florida Highway Patrol and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission collocate in the center with them to enhance the coordinated communications and responses between all agencies. In addition to those physically located in the RTMC, District 7 ITS staff have developed relationships with other state and local emergency and incident responders, District 7 Road Rangers, other local traffic management centers, asset management contractors, local law enforcement, United States Coast Guard, and the State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to coordinate and share information that affects traffic on the area roadways. The RTMC includes a 16-screen video wall, workstations, administrative offices, and two conference rooms. It is located behind the FDOT District 7 Headquarters building in Tampa.

Currently, the RTMC is operating 41 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras on the Skyway Bridge and Interstates 4 and 275, and 18 dynamic message signs (DMS). By the end of this year, there will be another 26 fully operation CCTVs on Interstates 4, 75, and 275. Upon completion of all scheduled projects, the RTMC will be operating 136 miles of fiber optic cable, 130 CCTVs, 74 DMS, and 275 traffic detection stations throughout Hillsborough, Pinellas, Polk, and Manatee Counties. This system, when completed, will cover 128 miles of roadway.

FDOT District 7 would like to thank everyone that contributed in making this center a success.

This article was provided by Bill Wilshire, FDOT District 7. For information, please contact Mr. Wilshire at (813) 615-8610 or email to Bill.Wilshire@dot.state.fl.us.

* * * *

Return to top

I-95 Corridor Coalition —Southern Region Incident Management Information Exchange Program

The 1-95 Corridor Coalition (Coalition) is in the final development stages of a project to facilitate communications regarding traffic incidents. The Southern Region Incident Management Information Exchange program will establish regional incident notification protocols for Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina, ensuring that appropriate jurisdictions are notified during major incidents, contraflows, etc. that have potential multi-state impacts.

I-95 Corridor Coalition Background
The I-95 Corridor Coalition is an organization supporting the 16 states through which I-95 passes (plus Vermont and Pennsylvania); the Canadian Provinces of New Brunswick and Québec; numerous toll and other transportation authorities and organizations; and local transportation agencies. The Coalition includes public safety agencies in addition to transportation agencies. The Coalition provides a forum for key decision and policy makers to address transportation management and operations issues of common interest. This volunteer, consensus-driven organization enables its myriad of regional, state, and local member agencies to work together to improve transportation system performance far more than they could working individually. The Coalition has successfully served as a model for multi-state/jurisdictional interagency cooperation and coordination for a decade and a half. Some of the “mega facts” about the Coalition include:

I-95 Corridor Coalition

More details can be found at www.i95coalition.org/.

Project Background
For some years now, there has been a mechanism to share major incidents and emergency information among the member agencies in the northern and central regions of the corridor. The Information Exchange Network (IEN) has been operated for the Coalition by TRANSCOM since late 1999. The purpose of the IEN is to distribute incident information among Coalition member agencies about transportation incidents that have regional impact.

The states in the southern region (Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida) were the most recent to join the Coalition. Florida joined in 2003. Upon the establishment of all four states as members, the Southern Region Highway Operations Group (HOGs) was established to join four other regional HOGs that already existed.

The southern states currently lack the interoperability of the IEN to effectively coordinate inter-jurisdictional incident and traffic management activities. Often times, this type of inter-jurisdictional coordination is helpful for weather-related emergencies, large-scale hazardous materials incidents, or terrorist acts that may require contraflow evacuations that affect several states. This coordination would also be valuable during major traffic incidents that impact neighboring states in the southern region. To date, during these major events, the states have communicated by e-mail, fax, and telephone, but this process is cumbersome, can lead to miscommunications, and can delay critical information from reaching the appropriate officials.

I-95 CC IENThe Southern Region Incident Management Information Exchange Program is being created to develop interstate incident notification, information sharing, and inter-jurisdictional/inter-disciplinary coordination across state lines. This program will be integrated with IEN.

The project involved the identification of stakeholders, outreach to those stakeholders to acquaint them with the project and gain their support, and tabulation of the characteristics of the ITS and transportation management centers (both existing and near future) in each state. A Concept of Operations, currently in development, will define the principles by which the Southern Region Incident Management Information Exchange Program will successfully operate, and it will address the software delivery system. Letters of agreement have been obtained from all four states to indicate their participation in this program, and this will be re-enforced at a media event at the Georgia DOT statewide NaviGAtor Transportation Management Center in Atlanta, Georgia, which has been selected as the pilot “home” for the initial deployment.

The outcome of this project will be improved service to the motoring public during major emergencies.

This article was provided by Capt. Henry de Vries (HDevries@dot.state.ny.us), Christine Macaulay (C.Macaulay@delcan.com), and Charles Wallace (Charles.Wallace@telvent.abengoa.com).

* * * *

Return to top

 

Word Challenge Banner

Jumbo Cartoon

Puzzle

* * * *

Return to top

 

 

ITS Florida Banner

Transpo2008: The Transpo Legacy Lives On!

Transpo2008 DatesTranspo2008 is less than a year away, so mark your calendar and save the date. If you have attended any of the previous Transpos you won’t be disappointed. The theme is “ITS—Piecing It All Together.” Four aspects of the theme will be featured —plan, Implement, manage, and innovate— guaranteeing to appeal to planners and engineers alike. The conference will be at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando.

Transpo has a proud legacy. The first, Transpo2000, was sponsored by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), Florida Division of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Florida Transportation Builders Association (FTBA), Florida Section, Institute for Transportation Engineers (FSITE), the Intelligent Transportation Society of Florida (ITS Florida), and the University of Florida Transportation Research Center. Held in Orlando, with 110 exhibitors and 750 attendees, topics ranged from SuperPave, a new innovative material, to ITS applications and space travel. The event was a great success, but because several of the sponsors were concerned about competing with other statewide conferences, it was decided not to continue a broad-based Transpo series. ITS Florida offered to sponsor future Transpos biennially as ITS events.

Transpo2002 was held in Orlando in association with the ITS Florida and the FSITE Annual Meetings; the latter having asked to co-sponsor the event. FDOT and FHWA were also invited back as co-sponsors. The Transpo2002 theme was “Safety Under the Sun: Technology for Safe and Secure Transportation.” Attendance exceeded 500.

Two years later, Transpo2004 was held in Jacksonville and ITS Florida and FSITE invited their counterparts in Georgia to co-sponsor the first Southeast Regional Transpo. The theme was “Border Wars: Building Bridges to Overcome Barriers.”  Deemed a success, a second joint state event is tentatively planned for Transpo2010 or 2012.

Transpo2006 was held at the Innisbrook Golf Resort in Palm Harbor with the theme of “Empowering our Mobile Society.” 

Every Transpo conference is an opportunity to learn, network, and view and exhibit new technologies and services. Don’t miss Transpo2008—the legacy lives on!

This article was provided by Denise Bunnewith.

For more information on ITS Florida, please check the ITS Florida Web site at www.itsflorida.org or email itsflorida@itsflorida.org.

If you wish to contribute an article to the SunGuide Disseminator on behalf of ITS Florida, please email Mary Hamill at MaryKHamill@global-5.com.

* * * *

Return to top


Editorial Corner—What Cool Hand Luke Can Teach Florida’s ITS Industry About Better Transportation

Cool Hand LukeEvery person involved in ITS in Florida has a right to be proud of the important work they do to keep Florida moving forward. Yet, there’s a frustration that the general public has little appreciation for the importance of transportation and any understanding of how ITS can make their daily lives better. Well, to borrow a line from the classic 1967 motion picture “Cool Hand Luke” starring Paul Newman –

“What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate.”

Effective Communication
In a nutshell, a lack of real communication is the greatest problem confronting the transportation industry. An astute individual once said that, “Doing business without advertising is like winking at a stranger in the dark … you know what you’re doing, but no one else does.” That’s where we in the transportation industry are today: we know what we’re doing, but no one else does! And then we wonder why TRANSPORTATION funding has decreased as a percentage of government spending, or “transportation” doesn’t register on public opinion polls?

We can and must do a much better job of communicating with the “outside world”—what I call the 3 Ps: the Public, the Press, and the Politicians. But to do so, we’ll need to:

A.) Recognize that transportation is NOT about asphalt, concrete, and steel. Ultimately, its really about moving PEOPLE (and the stuff they deem valuable), safely and efficiently.
B.) Understand that communication is a “contact sport” and that we’ll need to translate what we’re doing to tell the 3 Ps—without using jargon—why it matters.

Sell Truth & Offer Hope
Many years ago, it was decided in Europe to build a rail line from Vienna, Austria to Venice, Italy across the mountainous Alps. This rail line was successfully built … even before a train actually existed that was capable of making the trip! This is a transportation metaphor of “hope.”

Floridians are a hopeful people, and we should tell them the truth about today’s transportation challenges—really “sell” them the truth—and then offer hope through the work we do to meet these transportation challenges.

Seven Simple Suggestions
With gratitude to Dr. Frank Luntz for his work on effective communication in the political/ governmental world, I offer the following seven suggestions for better communication:

  1. Time is a precious commodity—What do people really want? More free time! More Floridians would rather get a free day off than a free day’s pay. We’ve been good at counting dollars and cents … now it’s time to start counting minutes as well. Talk about how your work will save PEOPLE time!
  2. Solutions are what Floridians demand—When developing plans, emphasize solutions. Every time you talk about challenges, follow with solutions that will make a difference in Floridian’s daily lives.
  3. Common sense is what Floridians think is so lacking in government—Rather than bleeding heart liberals, raging moderates, or compassionate conservatives … what people really want from their government is “common sense.” All of your solutions should be framed using a “common sense approach.”
  4. Don’t talk about process—Nothing turns off the public faster than talking about a government process. As long as the process is fair, ethical, and legal, then Floridians don’t really care about the process … they care about the outcome. Talk about the purpose of your plan … and don’t use acronyms. Tell Floridians what you’ve done and what you are trying to do … without getting mired in all the technical, bureaucratic ways of government.
  5. Talk about consumers—From cell phone service, to satellite TV providers, to the variety of shopping and restaurant choices available today… the public is more consumer-oriented than ever before. Floridians want more choices, more options, and more flexibility in transportation. Give it to them.
  6. Floridians are looking for a balanced approach to virtually everything—The public wants their government’s plans to strike a balance between competing interests. Make your plans and proposals transparently balanced.
  7. Floridians want sincerity and simplicity—The public will not trust any plan, proposal, or policy that seems too complicated. They are against complexity not because they don’t think life is complex. They know its complex. The public just distrusts complexity because they think that government folks hide behind complexity. Be sincere in the development of your plans … and simple in their presentation. And if you doubt the public’s distrust of complexity, here’s all you really need to know about government and bureaucracy:
    • Pythagorean Theorem: 24 words
    • Lord’s Prayer: 66 words
    • Archimedes’ Principle: 67 words
    • 10 Commandments: 179 words
    • Gettysburg Address: 286 words
    • Declaration of Independence: 1300 words
    • US Government regulations on the sale of cabbage: 26,911 words

Time’s a wasting, and the job before us is much too important to wait. So remember to “translate” to effectively communicate, and let’s all get busy “selling truth and offering hope” so we can Keep Florida Moving Forward!

This editorial was provided by Douglas J. Callaway, Floridians for Better Transportation. For more information, please contact Mr. Callaway at (850) 521-1256 or email DCallaway@bettertransportation.org.

* * * *

Return to top

Inside the TERL

The FDOT has a goal to assure that only a safe and uniform ITS and traffic control system is implemented in state of Florida. The Traffic Engineering Research Lab (TERL) plays a part in obtaining this goal by satisfying Florida Statute 316.0745 - Uniform Signals & Devices. Below is a look Inside the TERL at activities that help accomplish our goal.

Product Evaluation
Product evaluation is why the TERL exists. The TERL received 73 submittals for product to be added to the FDOT Approved Product List (APL) in 2007; of this total, 34 are open and active evaluations. All others are incomplete or failed submittals.

Approved traffic control signals and signal devices can be viewed at www3.dot.state.fl.us/trafficcontrolproducts. Approved ITS devices can be viewed at www.dot.state.fl.us/TrafficOperations/Traf_Sys/ITS APL/TemporaryITSAPL.htm.

Product Specifications
There are currently six specifications under active development and 11 proposed for future development or revision. Product specifications are needed to evaluate and place a device on the APL.

Specifications for a generator panel and uninterruptible power supply for traffic cabinets are both near completion. These specifications will provide for easy and continued signalized intersection operation during a storm or other conditions causing power loss.

Updates to FDOT specifications for light emitting dioxide (LED) internally illuminated signs, LED signals, and changeable message signs are planned for the future as well as new specifications for dynamic message signs for arterial and toll roads; master hub cabinet; core switch/hub switch for ITS cabinets; in-pavement crosswalk lights; 24/7 flashing beacon; countdown pedestrian signal; and trailer-mounted camera/detector system.

APL Vendor Quality Assurance Program
Out of a total of 117 manufacturers that have submitted material for the FDOT APL vendor quality assurance evaluation, 78 have successfully completed the evaluation and have been added to the qualified list.

The vendor quality assurance evaluation was included as part of the device approval process in 2002, and has proved to be a very successful program. Feedback from end-users has been positive and, since all APL manufacturers are required to have a minimum quality system in place to stay on the APL, the quality of transportation devices has improved. In fact, many manufacturers who first saw the added requirement as just another hurdle to jump without any real benefit, have since told TERL staff that the additional quality assurance requirement has forced them to become better, more efficient, and competitive manufacturers.

A list of manufacturers who have passed the FDOT’s quality assurance evaluation can be viewed at www.dot.state.fl.us/TrafficOperations/apl_vendor_qualification.htm.

Qualified dynamic message signs can be viewed at www.dot.state.fl.us/TrafficOperations/fdot_dms_info.htm.

For Your Information
ITS Contractors
ITS contractors wanting to enter into the ITS market in Florida must be pre-qualified to bid on construction contracts greater than $250,000. Additional information is available at www.dot.state.fl.us/cc-admin/.

ITS Manufacturers
To sell an ITS device in the state of Florida, the device must be listed on FDOT’s APL for ITS devices located at
www.dot.state.fl.us/TrafficOperations/Traf_Sys/ITS APL/TemporaryITSAPL.htm.

This article was provided by Jeff Morgan, FDOT-TERL. For more information, please contact Mr. Morgan at (850) 921-7354 or email Jeffrey.Morgan@dot.state.fl.us.

* * * *

Return to top

 

 

Announcements

I-10 and I-95 Named “Corridors of the Future”
The I-10 Freight Corridor and the I-95 Corridor have been selected as federal “Corridors of the Future.” Out of 38 applications submitted to the US DOT, six corridors were named. Florida is involved in both the I-10 Freight Corridor and the I-95 Corridor Coalition.

The Corridors of the Future program is aimed at developing innovative national and regional approaches to reduce congestion and improve the efficiency of freight delivery.

US DOT also indicated that they wanted to sign a long-term commitment with each corridor where the states agree to continue working together for the good of the corridor and US DOT agrees to work toward procuring additional funding for the corridors.

The I-10 Freight Corridor second round “Corridor of the Future” application can be found at www.i10freightstudy.org/download/I-10_CFP_Application_Final_Complete.pdf and the I-95 application can be found at www.i95coalition.org/travinfo_corridors-of-the-future.html.

* * * *

Return to top

 

 
 
ITS Contacts Banner
District 1
L.K. Nandam, DTOE
Chris Birosak, ITS
FDOT District 1 Traffic Operations
PO Box 1249
Bartow, FL 33831
(863) 519-2490

District 2
Jim Scott, DTOE
Peter Vega, ITS
FDOT District 2 Traffic Operations
2250 Irene Street, MS 2815
Jacksonville, FL 32204-2619
(904) 360-5630

District 3
June Coates, DTOE
Chad Williams, ITS
FDOT District 3 Traffic Operations
1074 Highway 90 East
Chipley, FL 32428-0607
(850) 638-0250

District 4
Mark Plass, DTOE
Dong Chen, ITS
FDOT District 4 Traffic Operations
2300 W. Commercial Blvd.
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33309
(954) 777-4350
District 5
Richard Morrow, DTOE
Michael Smith, ITS
FDOT District 5 Traffic Operations
719 S. Woodland Blvd., MS 3-562
DeLand, FL 32720-6834
(386) 943-5310

District 6
Debora M. Rivera, DTOE
Jesus Martinez, ITS
FDOT District 6 Traffic Operations
1000 NW 111th Avenue, MS 6203
Miami, FL 33172
(305) 470-5336

District 7
Gary Thompson, DTOE
Bill Wilshire, ITS
FDOT District 7 Traffic Operations
11201 N. McKinley Drive
Tampa, FL 33612
(813) 975-4216

Florida's Turnpike Enterprise
John Easterling, ITS
Florida's Turnpike Enterprise
PO Box 9828
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33310-9828
(954) 975-4855

Lap Hoang
State Traffic Engineer
(850) 410-5600

Elizabeth Birriel
Deputy State Traffic Engineer - ITS
(850) 410-5606

Liang Hsia
Deputy State Traffic Engineer - Systems
(850) 410-5615

Mike Akridge
Deputy State Traffic Engineer - Incident Management and
Commercial Vehicle Operations
(850) 410-5607

Mark Wilson
Deputy State Traffic Engineer - Operations
(850) 410-5419

 

Physical
Address
Rhyne Building
2740 Centerview Dr.
Suite 3-B
Tallahassee, FL
32301
Mailing
Address
Burns Building
605 Suwannee St.
M.S. 36
Tallahassee, FL
32399

 

* * * *

FDOT Logo

Return to top

 


   SunGuide Disseminator                                              December 2007

PBS&J QCAP Document Control Panel
Created by: England
Reviewed by: England, Birriel
Date: Date