Commercial Operations

This paper describes  in detail  some of the essentials of the  Ethernet  standard, common
misconceptions of the technology, and key issues that need to be addressed prior to deployment of it for  Intelligent Transportation Systems.  Since Ethernet is the most prevalent networking standard in the world today due to its flexibility, reliability and cost effectiveness, it is these same features that have made Ethernet a solid choice for many ITS communications networks being implemented in the new millennium.  However, there are certain portions of the standard that are actually constraining for ITS networks, but innovative techniques and methods of implementation enable ITS engineers to maintain compliance with the standard while accommodating the  rigorous  demands of ITS communications networks.  Some of these constraints include transmission distances, the CSMA/CD algorithm, and the fact that many ITS field devices are not “Ethernet-ready”, or Ethernet devices are not “ITS ready”.   Another constraining factor includes the lack of environmental, shock and vibration  tolerance for outdoor applications with most Ethernet gear.  Cities such as San Francisco, California, Orlando, Florida and Arlington, Texas are utilizing it for their new city-wide ITS networks, and many others are considering it as part of their ITS Master Plans.

DKS Associates

City and County of San Francisco

Presented at the ITS America Annual Conference and Exposition, April 26 - 28, 2004 San Antonio, Texas

An evaluation that measured driver acceptance of the Enhanced Object Detection System
(EODS) for transit bus side proximity warning was performed in conjunction with a 100-
day Field Operational Test (FOT), conducted during April to July 2003 on buses
equipped with Intelligent Vehicle Initiative (IVI) technology, at the Harmar Division of
the Port Authority of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh metropolitan area).  
The EODS technology was designed as a driver assistive tool to provide bus drivers with
information about detected objects in close proximity to their vehicles.  The objects of
primary concern are other vehicles and stationary obstacles during in-service operations
such as close-maneuvering situations, slow speed turns, lane change and merge
situations.

Battelle Memorial Institute

CJI Research Corporation

Transportation Resource Associates, Inc.

Presented at the ITS America Annual Conference and Exposition, April 26 - 28, 2004 San Antonio, Texas

In anticipation of substantial growth of traffic in coming years many
transportation agencies frequently undertake projects which aim to increase the capacity
of the system.  A critical element for decision-making in these projects is to assess the
effectiveness of various alternatives prior to implementation. The need to consider
interactions between adjacent arterials, combined with the growing need to assess various
ITS (Intelligent Transportation System) applications, made simulation an increasingly
essential tool for such purposes. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the adequacy of
a proposed redesign for freeway I-494 in the  Twin Cities, Minnesota using two widely
used state of the art microscopic simulators. Prior to evaluating the new redesign the two
simulators were calibrated with existing conditions. The calibration results indicate that
the two simulators were calibrated at an acceptable level prior to implementing for future
scenario. The final adequacy evaluation results suggest that both the simulators produce
similar results for basic system-wide MOE’s like total travel, total travel time and speed.
As for freeway individual links and intersection approaches, although similar conclusions
can be drawn for most cases from both simulators, there are some situations where the
results obtained from different models are  different. For these cases, a decision on the
adequacy of the design cannot be made unless the user decides which model is reliable.

University of Minnesota

Presented at the ITS America Annual Conference and Exposition, April 26 - 28, 2004 San Antonio, Texas

Transit Operations Decision Support Systems (TODSS) are systems designed to support
dispatchers and others in real-time operations management in response to incidents, special
events, and other changing conditions in order to improve operating speeds, reduce passenger
wait times, and restore service when disruptions occur.  As part of a joint Federal Transit
Administration (FTA) and ITS Joint Program Office (JPO) project the “Transit Operations
Decision Support Systems (TODSS): Core Functional Requirements For Identification Of
Service Disruptions And Provision Of Service Restoration Options 1.0” were completed in April
2003.  This paper provides a overview of the TODSS Core Functional Requirements, their
development, and potential next steps.

Mitretek Systems

FHWA ITS Joint Program Office

Federal Transit Administration Office of Mobility Innovation

Presented at the ITS America Annual Conference and Exposition, April 26 - 28, 2004 San Antonio, Texas

Organizations are living, dynamic systems. As with all systems, change in any element
affects the whole system and change is inevitable. Compelling internal and external
forces for changes caused Maricopa County Department of Transportation (MCDOT)  
initiate the organizational redesign process.  The project entitled Organizational
Alignment to True North or OATTN was launched in January 2002 to align MCDOT to
overcome the internal and external challenges and deliver safe, efficient and predictive
services to the customers.  
The new organizational structure resulting from OATTN initiative has streamlined the
organization, diminished the ‘organizational silos’ and, most importantly, has elevated
the function of managing the dynamic flow of traffic. The major breakthrough of the
OATTN process has been the creation of Manage Core Process (MCP) - a core process
for managing traffic flow. This new core process has been placed at the same level as
“Build” and “Maintain” functions. By virtue of placing “Manage” at the same level of
importance, authority and access to resources as the “Build” and “Maintain” functions
MCDOT intends to accelerate the deployment of ITS solutions and to use ITS leverage
the efficiency and effectiveness of the conventional solutions traditionally found in the
highway and transit modes of travel.
Included in this paper highlights are the key features of the new organizational structure
as they relate to ITS and traffic operations.

Maricopa County Department of Transportation

Presented at the ITS America Annual Conference and Exposition, April 26 - 28, 2004 San Antonio, Texas