Grand Rapids April Meeting 2005

The Western Michigan meeting was a great success and interesting for all. Here are some pictures we took along the way that I am sure you will enjoy.

Wireless Seminar 2007

This link will take you to highlights of the Wireless Seminar 2007. The presentations and session photographs are detailed on this page of our site.

U.S. DOT Considers Future of National Differential GPS

Differential GPS uses the fixed location of a reference station on the ground to improve the positioning resolution provided by civilian GPS satellite signals down to 1-3 meters.

If no transportation requirements or other federal user requirements are identified as a result of the needs assessment, and if there are no other federal or other funding sources willing to sponsor or partner in sponsoring NDGPS, the DOT will develop a decommissioning plan for NDGPS, according to RITA. ....Please read more

ITS America 2007 Presentations

ITS America would like to announce the availability of presentations from our 2007 Annual Meeting & Exposition. More presentations will likely be submitted for posting in the coming days so be sure to check back for updates.

To view these files on the internet, use the following instructions.

1. Open your internet browser.
2. Go to ftp://itsaweb.itsa.org/AnnualMeeting2007/
3. Click the subdirectory for the session you are interested in.
4. Select your file to view its content.
5. If you are asked to provide a password, simply check “anonymous” and click OK.

Michigan-Ohio (MIOH) University Transportation Center

The Michigan-Ohio (MIOH) University Transportation Center (UTC) is a coalition of five regional universities exploring transportation issues. The MIOH UTC partner institutions are the University of Detroit Mercy (UDM), Bowling Green State University (BGSU), Grand Valley State University (GVSU), The University of Toledo (UT), and Wayne State University(WSU). More......

Kalamazoo, MI - Hoosier Helper Vehicle Demonstration

n February 27, 2007, Mia Silver and her staff from the MITS Center traveled to Kalamazoo to visit a demonstration of the Hoosier Helper vehicles that patrol the freeways in the State of Indiana. The demonstration was at the Fetzer Center at Western Michigan University. Jason Wasson, Director of the Division of Traffic Management Centers from Indiana, explained the Freeway Service Patrol Operations in Indiana and then took everyone outside to see the vehicle. Others in attendance at the demonstration were Greg Krueger, MDOT Statewide ITS Coordinator; Morrie Hoevel from Federal Highway Administration; Marc Start from URS Corporation; and Dick Beaubien, ITS Michigan President.
Pictures of the event.
Presentation by Jason Wasson.

Washington, D.C. – January 30, 2007 The White House

he White House has identified “faster deployment of realtime traffic information” as a priority in the fight to reduce traffic congestion. The Administration announced a new Highway Congestion Initiative in the supporting materials to the State of the Union Address. This Initiative funds state and local innovations in curbing congestion and specifically identifies speeding the creation of realtime traffic information as a needed solution. The full story is here.

Michigan Regional ITS Architecture Development
B A Y - G R A N D -
N O R T H - S U P E R I O R

An ITS architecture is a framework for the implementation and operation of ITS in a region. Development of a regional ITS architecture is required by the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration for a region to be eligible for federal funding any ITS projects.

The complete brochure can be viewed here.

Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) Software Design

To use the systems engineering process to refine and expand functional requirements for MDOT’s next generation Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS) Software and to acquire the services of a systems integrator to develop, implement, and deploy this software in MDOT’s transportation management centers.

The complete brochure can be viewed here.

Roadway Weather Information Systems & MDOT

Roadway Weather Information Systems (RWIS), the newest technology for monitoring real-time weather conditions, is being introduced in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. This link will take you to the MDOT RWIS flyer.

The complete press release can be viewed here.

What is RWIS? What does it do? What are the Standards? The FHWA RWIS brochure should be your first stop reference. Follow this link for the answers.

Recommendations from the Public Sector Advisory Committee to the Congressional ITS Caucus

While the Public Sector Advisory Committee (PSAC) recognizes its primary charge is to come up with recommendations related to the next transportation reauthorization, the committee believes that actions can and should be taken between now and the preparation of reauthorization language to advance the deployment of ITS in this country. During our September 21, 2006 conference call, PSAC members agreed on several recommendations to the Congressional ITS Caucus. On behalf of PSAC, I respectfully submit the following topics of focus and our recommendations. This link will take you to the letter sent to congress. This link has PSAC committee members

UMTRI wins grant

Ann Arbor, Michigan – The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) is leading a $6 million University of Michigan (U-M) grant to establish a U.S. DOT Tier I University Transportation Center (UTC). It was announced by the USDOT on September 29 that the U-M team led by UMTRI was successful in their UTC proposal under the theme “safety and mobility across the lifespan”; the U-M UTC will conduct research, provide education, and disseminate research results. The Center will support a vigorous research program encompassing basic and applied projects to improve safety and mobility for young people and older adults, with a strong emphasis on advanced research.More information.

The presentation shown in this link is an example of the quality projects being developed at U-M.

VII Showcase in Grand Rapids

The VII Showcase Grand Rapids was held on 19 October. Many National, state and local representatives plus the media were on hand to attend the showcase that was sponsored by ITS America, ITS Michigan and MDOT. The following link will take you to photographs of the event. The following pictures were taken by MDOT at the event. Click the thumbnails for a larger view.

With the help of intelligent transportation systems (ITS), we have started to make significant improvements in safety, congestion, and fuel efficiency. VII is the next leap forward in the quest for 0 deaths on America's highways. Click this link for more information.

Connected Vehicle Proving Center Press Release

Ann Arbor, MI – October 11, 2006. The global automotive and telecommunication communities will soon have a new one-of-a-kind proving center dedicated to advancing emerging technologies—with the added advantages of increased vehicle safety, and jobs for Michigan. The Connected Vehicle Proving Center (CVPC) will support the testing and evaluation of new products and services dedicated to improving vehicle safety and creating a pipeline for real-time broadband communication between vehicles, roadside transceivers, and remote service centers. Press Release link

Great Performance Measures From MDOT

A great deal of information is available concerning traffic statistics from the MDOT. These performance measures are available on the MDOT website at the Metro Detroit and Grand Rapids.

Take a few minutes to review the Overview section that presents extensive information about the system that makes this information possible.

A Golden Anniversary for a Priceless Asset

The year 2006 will mark the 50th anniversary of the federal law that brought America its unparalleled Interstate Highway System. This 46,508-mile web of superhighways has transformed our nation and our economy. It is a symbol of freedom and a tribute to human ingenuity—although some of the changes it has brought our nation have been controversial. To go to the AASHTO sponsored site click this hyperlink

The cost of US congestion - $200 billion a year

During remarks to the National Retail Federation, Mineta said that “congestion kills time, wastes fuel and costs money.” He noted that America loses an estimated $200 billion a year due to freight bottlenecks and delayed deliveries. The Secretary added that consumers lose 3.7 billion hours and 2.3 billion gallons of fuel sitting in traffic jams and that airline delays waste $9.4 billion a year.

To download a copy of the National Strategy to Reduce Congestion on America’s Transportation Network plan, visit: http://isddc.dot.gov/OLPFiles/OST/012988.pdf.

What Is Clarus?

Clarus (which is Latin for "clear") is an initiative to develop and demonstrate an integrated surface transportation weather observing, forecasting and data management system, and to establish a partnership to create a Nationwide Surface Transportation Weather Observing and Forecasting System. The objective of Clarus is to provide information to all transportation managers and users to alleviate the effects of adverse weather (e.g., fatalities, injuries and delays).