ALCOA, TN, March 6, 2009 - Alcoa was designated as a Smart City today by the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) following a demonstration of the city's newly deployed real-time traffic management system, which is designed to reduce intersection wait times and emissions, prevent potential collisions, and save taxpayers time and money.

"Alcoa is a great example of a city that is leading the way in deploying smart, cost-effective technologies to improve the safety and efficiency of our transportation system," said Scott F. Belcher, President and CEO of ITS America, who presented Mayor Donald R. Mull with the Smart City award to recognize Alcoa as "an early adopter of Intelligent Transportation Systems and technology solutions to the challenges facing our transportation system."

"This is exciting new technology that will pay dividends long into the future. We are pleased to play a small part in its implementation and are proud to help support the process of bringing an Oak Ridge technology to market," said Donald Mull, Mayor of the City of Alcoa.

The new GridSmart™ traffic management system, developed by Oak Ridge-based Aldis, Inc., provides real-time intersection monitoring and management capability that is critical for improving the timing and efficiency of traffic signals, detecting potential red light runners and holding signals on red to prevent an accident, and eliminating the cost and inconvenience of tearing up pavement to replace broken intersection loop detectors.

"Aldis was founded to deliver smart traffic management solutions to communities of all sizes and we are thrilled to be part of a community of progressive thought leaders in Alcoa. We are excited to continue to deliver solutions such as real-time traffic data to Alcoa so they can continue to maximize efficiency and reduce environmental impact," said Bill Malkes, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer with Aldis, Inc.

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The Intelligent Transportation Society of America represents more than 400 member organizations including public agencies, private corporations, and academic institutions involved in the research, development, and deployment of technologies that improve safety, increase mobility, and sustain the environment. www.itsa.org