Personal Mobility

The focus of this report began with the initial task of identifying and recommending potential
alternatives for the replacement of the functionality that is provided by a Javelin video matrix switch.  This task was triggered by an end-of-life announcement from the switch manufacturer.  While this announcement underscored the need to address the issue in a timely manner, the planned 100-200% increase in the number of required video input and output ports resulted in the more urgent need to upgrade this design.

UDOT

TransCore

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

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) and Ford Motor
Company are planning a project to demonstrate how vehicles can be used as sensors.  
The project will evaluate the effectiveness of using probe vehicles to collect a variety of
real-time information on the roadway network.  Of specific interest is the collection of
travel time and roadway surface conditions.  This information will be used to provide
traffic operations staff and motorists with better, real-time information with the aim to
improve travelers’ route choices, to assist traffic operations staff in better identifying
control strategies, and to improve maintenance response to poor roadway surface
conditions.  The envisioned system will augment roadway infrastructure-based data
collection methods such as in-pavement loop detectors, as well as provide information
on roadways where the cost of permanent sensors is prohibitive.

Minnesota Department of Transportation

Ford Research and Advanced Engineering

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

Traffic signal reviews have been undertaken in recent years and significant improvements have been achieved using computer aids to optimise traffic signal operation. Using computer aids, coordination can be modeled and traffic signal data can be collected and reviewed as part of the process of optimisation.

Road User Services

Presented at the ITS America Annual Conference and Exposition, November 16-20, 2008, New York, New York

Minnesota is one of eight states combining efforts to design, develop and implement 511 using the Condition Acquisition and Reporting System (CARS) as its foundation. Design of the CARS-511 system began in January 2002. Development took place over the next severalmonths and 511 was fully launched in Minnesota on July 1, 2002. Minnesota’s launch also included a new web site – 511mn.org – and consisted of a statewide promotional campaign designed to increase awareness and use of traveler information. Public response has been overwhelming with daily call volumes up to ten times greater than those received with the previous 10-digit toll free road condition number. This paper shares the lessons learned through design and development, implementation, and preliminary evaluation of 511 in Minnesota.

Minnesota DOT

Presented at the ITS America Annual Conference and Exposition, May 19-22, 2003 Minneapolis, Minnesota

511 New York is a free, comprehensive travel information system geared to meet the
multimodal needs of commuters, long-distance and local travelers, tourists and
commercial-vehicle operators. The up-to-the-minute, comprehensive transportation
information available to customers through this new 511 system strengthens efforts to
improve mobility, allowing people and goods to move efficiently through New York
State. System development required the cooperative integration of existing databases
into a single public source for multi-state, real time and static highway and transit
information, as well as the coordination of information for call transfers, highway data
points, voice recordings, and modal information. The result is a system that promotes
sustainability by providing information that expands transportation choices and
encourages the use of more efficient methods of travel. Users can access a first of its
kind statewide and regional transit trip-planning feature, which includes over sixty
transit operators' schedules and routes; as well as park-and-ride lot info; carpool,
vanpool and rideshare referrals, and bicycling information. The system is a critical,
single-point information source during transportation emergencies. With extensive
outreach to transportation partners and neighboring states and provinces, 511 NY was
successfully deployed at the ITS World Congress in November 2008, only 9 months
after contract execution. Because of the unique, comprehensive multi-modal and
regional nature of 511 NY, innovative federal funding for the system has been
identified.

New York State Department of Transportation

Paper submitted for publication and presentation at the ITS America’s 2009 Annual Meeting and Exposition