Cross-cutting Issues

Gannett Fleming has been retained by Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District
Four to evaluate an operational test application of a video based wrong-way detection system.
The objective of the study is to determine the viability of video detection for wrong-way
detection on an expressway off-ramp application and the potential for unrelated traffic or
external phenomenon, low lighting, small animals etc., to affect system accuracy. This
operational evaluation encompasses both a Long-Run test during normal ramp operation and
a controlled simulation exercise. The simulation exercise involved temporarily closing the
ramp and having test vehicles simulate potential wrong way incidents. Three locations were
selected for the operational test implementation after considering pre-determined criteria.
These I-95 interchange locations were Oakland Park Boulevard, Commercial Boulevard and
Sample Road. The test system was designed by Gannet Fleming taking into consideration
vendor input and constructed by a FDOT contractor. The test data collected from the Long-
Run test and simulation exercise was utilized to evaluate the system. This system evaluation
provides insight into the operational feasibility of a specific video based wrong way detection
application; however, further study would be needed in order to determine the feasibility or
cost effectiveness of the application.

Author: Damien Rose, E.I.

Presented at the 18th World Congress on ITS, October 2011, Orlando, Florida

In this era of decreasing access to financial resources and increasing calls for government accountability, a number of public agencies have instituted performance measurement programs to better evaluate the relative success of their various plans and programs.  However, while a significant number of these programs have begun being implemented by transportation agencies across the country, the value added by their development and application to these agencies’ decision-making processes remains largely unknown.   This paper provides an assessment of the relative return on investment (ROI) stemming from use of different performance measures by public sector transportation agencies in the United States.

Author: Armand Ciccarelli

Presented at the 18th World Congress on ITS, October 2011, Orlando, Florida

Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) enhances the performance of modern transportation systems by improving the reliability of travel times and reducing the risk of collisions. Because of these benefits, state departments of transportation (DOTs) and other transportation agencies have been increasingly deploying these tools since the mid 1990’s. Recently, many public agencies have expressed a need to manage their ITS systems more effectively and efficiently. ITS asset management tools can help state DOTs meet their requirements of managing ITS-associated resources, which often includes technologically sophisticated devices, computer hardware and software, and communications infrastructure. Because ITS asset management is new to many DOTs, there is a need to evaluate different asset management systems for their potential efficacy for supporting public agency’s ITS needs. Establishing the requirements to evaluate such systems is the primary contribution of this paper. The requirements presented were identified through a nationwide survey of public transportation agencies.

Authors: Tahera Anjuman, Ryan Fries, Ph.D., P.E., Mashrur Chowdhury, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE

Presented at the 18th World Congress on ITS, October 2011, Orlando, Florida

The San Antonio district of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) began the development of a comprehensive, system wide, long term maintenance contract specification in the summer of 2005, for the purpose of simplifying and strengthening the overall approach to the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) maintenance program. Previously, contracted maintenance was obtained using component specific purchase orders for materials and labor on an as needed basis, using a traditional TxDOT maintenance contracting method that was not well suited for the needs of the ITS maintenance program. The aging ITS equipment and infrastructure, the growing issue with maintaining obsolete equipment, and the need to streamline the administration of the ITS maintenance program were all factors in the contracting approach selected and the development of the specification advertised. An efficient method of implementing technology upgrades was also needed. TxDOT awarded TransGuide System Wide Maintenance & Technology Upgrade Contracts to two companies in August 2009. The contracts included more than 350 line items, with separate payment schedules for materials and labor. Each contract was for an initial two year period, with two additional two year extension options. The contracts included performance measurement requirements, and allowed for the upgrade of obsolete technology to current TxDOT standards. This paper describes the contracting methodology used; reasons for the delay in the advertising of the Request for Offers; the contract selection and award process; and lessons learned during the specification development, advertising, award and execution of the TransGuide maintenance contracts.

Texas DOT

Presented at the 18th World Congress on ITS, October 2011, Orlando, Florida

Two classes of detectors are compared for suitability of use for dilemma zone protection in this
chapter: the wide area detector (WAD) and the point detector. WADs provide the ability to
simultaneously monitor the passage of each vehicle within a wide area and selectively influence
signal phase timings based upon operational objectives related to measurements such as position, speed, and count. Point detectors are usually loop detectors that influence signal phase timings based upon the presence of a vehicle at a fixed location. Point detectors are ubiquitously deployed for volume density operations, detection of congested traffic, and dilemma zone protection. In this paper both detector types are examined in relation to dilemma zone protection. The results of this paper show a significant potential improvement in safety and efficiency of operation of isolated intersection by using an reliable WAD as dilemma zone detector. The second part of the paper investigates the performance of a radar based wide area detection technology and in third part investigates the potential improvements that can be made to the existing technology by using additional information from camera sensors.

Authors: Anuj Sharma, Mauricio Casares, Senem Velipasalar, Darcy Bullock, Srinivas Peeta

Presented at the 18th World Congress on ITS, October 2011, Orlando, Florida