 April 2007 - ODOT ITS NEWSLETTER - VOL. 1, NO. 6
We hope you enjoy the 2007 Spring edition of ITS News, a quarterly publication produced by the Oregon Department of Transportation Maintenance Section, ITS Unit. Previous editions can be viewed at the ODOT ITS News and Events Web site. Please feel free to contact the newsletter editor, Jon Lazarus, ITS Project Manager, at (503) 986-6586, with any questions or comments.
Jon Lazarus exercises the Editor's Opinion with a discussion of the ITS unit and 5 years in public service.
The Editor's Opinion: There have been many projects I've had a hand in working on over these years, since I've been with the ITS Unit. The project manager 1 position has fit me well, in that you have to be a 'Jack of all trades' and quick to jump into the unknown. The growth of the ITS unit and demand for more traffic related technology has kept me on my toes.
My first project was the 511 telephone system. This has been a tremendous success and a valuable resource for the public. However, we're seeing the development and advancement of such technologies across the nation. When we first implemented 511, I would have said Oregon was a Trailblazer (forgive the basketball pun) with the architecture and use of voice activated and voice response technologies. We now find ourselves re-evaluating our system as it is antiquated in comparison to what has been developed by other state DOT's. This short life-span is not uncommon for technology-driven services. Over the next year, ODOT will evaluate and plan for the next generation of the 511 telephone system. I'm happy to say that I will be apart of it again.
The changes and development of the web site, www.tripcheck.com have been my primary focus. We've made great strides in developing the back-end systems, as well as the web site. There are so many inputs of data from different sources, that in-turn feed various levels of the TripCheck system, it can make your head dizzy. Understanding these relationships, where the constraints are, where the limitation are, who the owners are, which issue is a higher priority, and what impact changes have are apart of my daily decision tree.
My primary focus has been the day-to-day operations of TripCheck. If a camera is not displaying on TripCheck or an operator mis-types a word for an incident, I am responsible to discover the reason and make a correction. There have been times when a contractor has dug into our fiber optic lines and severed the lines feeding several camera images. In this case I would work with the ODOT regional office and discover when the repair work would be done with an estimated return to service date. I would then post a message on TripCheck to that effect. In some cases, we also put graphic notices on the individual cameras that we know are popular.
The first major upgrade of TripCheck was launched in the summer of 2005. We re-vamped the entire web site and added new functionality. I had a number of different 'hats' to wear during that implementation.
In the beginning we had to define requirements for our consultants. "What exactly do you want?" was hard to answer given our timeline and budget. We started out by defining what we knew we wanted, then moved onto optional items and 'nice to have' items. We knew that during this upgrade, TripCheck needed a special place for alerts. We had many different requests from the public during the 2003 winter storm to have a way to provide an 'alert' for specifically poor travel conditions. Deciding how that would look or where it would appear was a decision we grappled with throughout the design process.
The next involvement I had with this major TripCheck launch was during the testing phase. We had to verify that the web site would work properly, given all the data currently being sent to the older web site. I developed some use case scenarios and test plans to verify everything was working properly. Alerts were a large part of the testing. We also had to decide order of alerts. Should a closure on a less popular highway be placed before a 2 hour delay on a major highway? These were the types of questions and test cases we had to run through. I'm glad to say we agonized over the details then, so that the end product was the high quality web site you see now.
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More recently, I was involved with incorporating NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) weather notices as automated alerts into the TripCheck system. This proved challenging, as we needed to define what would constitute an alert for TripCheck when looking through all the types of notices NOAA publishes. "What severity would they show?" and "Where are they applicable to be seen on TripCheck?" were questions we answered before we launched this enhancement to the web site.
For the future, I see Geographical Information Systems (GIS) being more integrated into TripCheck and ITS operations. We have the data that identifies ITS assets and their location with several fields, like Latitude/Longitude, highway, mile point, and route. The ability to place a camera with our data (most commonly Lat/Long coordinates) on a dynamic map is becoming more readily available and affordable.
Another up and coming technology that we have worked with is the use of software to create a cable TV channel for use by the cable companies. TripCheck had been providing still camera images to cable companies for years, however, image formatting, placement, background, use of colors and other decisions were made by the producer/programmer at the cable company. TripCheck's management found that software for TV quality production had evolved and a small software package was available for an affordable price. ODOT hired a contractor and developed a template for use with one of our current clients that subscribed to the raw cable images. My role involved evaluating the software choices, develop the TripCheck images within our current software (later to be placed on the rotation of the cable TV software), and to test the product.
The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and has increased TripCheck's exposure to the public. I believe the public will find this product very useful when they turn on their cable TV channel to see local camera images and road conditions. I anticipate more areas around the state requesting their own specific 'TripCheck' cable channel. Currently, only a couple areas are running the 'TripCheck Cable TV' channel, and some of them only for certain hours of the day. I anticipate this increasing to become a 24 hour/7day a week channel.
Thanks again for allowing me to recap some high-lights over the last 5 years and to express the Editor's Opinions in this version of the ITS news.
For additional information on these programs visit the Oregon Department of Transportation's ITS unit's web site: http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/ITS/
Following is an update on select Transportation Application Development (TAD) and ITS Unit projects currently underway. For more information on a specific project, see the ITS Internet projects page at http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/ITS/projects.shtml.
 TripCheck Update -
We've updated the TripCheck frequently asked questions section with additional common questions we have been getting about TripCheck. Check out our FAQ's section at this link (http://www.tripcheck.com/Pages/ATFAQ.asp) and you may learn something new about TripCheck!
Click here to see up-to-date statistics about TripCheck usage, or type this into your browser address line: http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/ITS/its_stats.shtml
Find useful road and weather conditions at ODOT's TripCheck.com web site at:
http://www.tripcheck.com
TripCheck users are dependable about providing feedback. Here are some of the excellent suggestions we've received along with the changes we've made:
- Updated Chain Law and Traction Tire pages for language and exact day and time for using studded tires.
- Updated Salem Airport link to show new commercial airport in Salem (Delta starts flying into Salem).
- There were some icons that were not placed properly in various maps around TripCheck. This was corrected so the icon locations are more in-line with where the description of the incident is.
If you have any suggestions or feedback for us you can email us at TripCheck.Support.ODOT@odot.state.or.us
What to look for:
- Region 1 (Portland) Camera images - We are currently working to sharpen the camera images and processing time from the Portland cameras to display on TripCheck. This project involves upgrading a number of hardware pieces, including servers and switches in the Flanders building in downtown Portland. This should have the effect of making the images from Portland much sharper and shorten the updating time on TripCheck for those images by about 40%.
- Update to HTCRS, the software used behind the scenes to enter incident and road and weather information. HTCRS upgrade will include changes to show closures of rest areas, on and off-ramps and a number of other additional enhancements.
If you have any suggestions or feedback for us you can email us at TripCheck.Support.ODOT@odot.state.or.us
For more information related to TripCheck, please contact Glen Hammer, Glen.A.HAMMER@odot.state.or.us, at (503) 986-3977.
For more information related to the Oregon Travel Information Council, please contact Craig Tutor, craig@oregontic.com, at (800) 574-9397.
RTP Draft web page to be added to TripCheck where existing Bus/Rail page is currently.
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Transportation Options (a.k.a Regional Trip Planner) -
The Transportation Options (a.k.a Regional Trip Planner) Project upgraded and updated TripCheck's current Bus/Rail page. Transportation Options has been implemented for 3 months now and has displayed comprehensive public transportation information (buses, trains, shuttles, and taxis) for Oregon.
Travelers and commuters now have access to a more comprehensive transit related information page on TripCheck.com. The Transportation Options feature rolled out to TripCheck in February, providing detailed information on over one hundred and seventy bus, rail, and dial-a-ride services throughout out the state. In addition to increasing the number of service providers listed, the new feature allows multiple search methods. Users can search for transit services for a particular city or county, between cities, or for services that can accommodate riders with a wheelchair, oversized wheelchair, or who need door to door service. There is also a handy alphabetic listing of services by name.
Most service providers update their own service information. ODOT built a Web interface that allows staff from the various organizations to update their information over the Internet as the information changes. This approach removes any delay in getting the latest information to the traveling public.
Matthew Barnes, of ODOT’s Public Transit Division, led the project for his group and sees the benefits for the transit community. “One of the obstacles to increased transit ridership has been the lack of easily accessible information about Oregon ’s transit services. Implementation of the Transportation Options feature on TripCheck is a big step in overcoming this obstacle”, Barnes said.
Visit www.Tripcheck.com and click the Transportation Options tab to explore this newest addition to ODOT’s traveler information Web site. Click here to download a Transportation Options User Guide in Adobe PDF format.
ITS launches TripCheck's Cable TV lobby display at ODOT Salem Headquarters
Rich Bailey shows TripCheck's cable TV Salem lobby display at ODOT's Headquarters.
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The week of April 9th, the ITS unit installed a system in the Transportation Building to provide TripCheck images and road condition information to ODOT employees and guests of the building.
The flat panel display shows over 40 road side camera images form western and central Oregon and incident and other road condition information with a Salem area focus. High impact (Alerts) are also part of the display. The system uses the same technology that drives ODOT’s feeds to commercial cable systems including those for the cites of Bend and Corvallis. There is also an installation in LaGrande.
Project Manager Jim Basile praised the team work on this project. Basile said, "ODOT facilities and information systems folks really pitched in to make this happen.". He added, "the feedback has been very positive to this new installation, and it should be a big help to travelers, especially in winter months when traffic and mountain pass conditions worsen.".
There is work underway to install a similar system in the Portland Region office in the near term.
ITS Oregon Luncheon with Professor Joseph Sussman - by Jon Makler
Dr. Sussman at ITS Oregon meeting.
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On Friday, March 9th, the Intelligent Transportation Society of Oregon (ITS-OR) hosted a luncheon for Professor Joseph Sussman of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Professor Sussman was in Portland to lead the weekly transportation seminar hosted by Portland State University. The luncheon was attended by approximately 20 members and guests, representing public, private, and academic organizations.
Professor Sussman, who was introduced by Dr. Robert Bertini of PSU as a “grandfather of ITS” is a past president of ITS America and also a past chair of the TRB Executive Committee. In 2005, he published “Perspectives on Intelligent Transportation Systems” and was the first Distinguished University Scholar at IVHS America in the early nineties.
During some brief opening remarks, Dr. Sussman talked about the ability of technology to enable and ease the pricing of transportation systems; the importance of managing transportation at a regional scale; and, the importance of public-private partnerships. He also discussed the importance of linking research activities to the work of transportation agencies.
To the members of ITS Oregon, he suggested that the chapter focus on cultivating young professionals to work in the field of ITS. He also emphasized the importance of working with forward-thinking executives of high-tech companies, many of which are based in Oregon’s “silicon forest.”
Dr. Sussman speaking to Galen McGill, Luci Moore, Nathaniel Price, Denis Mitchell and others as they discuss ITS strategy.
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ITS Oregon steering committee meetings are held on the third Friday of every month. Events such as the luncheon with Dr. Sussman occur periodically. Coming up this summer, ITS Oregon members Galen McGill and Dean Deeter have agreed to share what they see and hear after they return from the ITS America annual meeting in Palm Springs, CA.
For more information, visit www.itsoregon.org or contact Jon Makler (maklerj@metro.dst.or.us).
Transportation Operations Center System (TOCS): Event Management -
TOCs - Screenshot of software Interface
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Oregon has four Transportation Operations Centers with the goal to provide and track transportation information for dissemination to ODOT operations, law enforcement, other State and public transportation systems, and the general public through a series of mission critical services. The purpose of the TOCS project is two-fold:
- Enable all of Oregon’s TOCs to work in a coordinated and more tightly integrated manner by consolidating stand-alone systems, devices and processes into one.
- Provide enhanced communication, more complete information and immediate dissemination to ODOT customers and partners, both public and private.
Construction of the TOCS application has begun as ODOT is coordinating development across internal and external (contracted) development teams. The Business Services Group at Oregon State University has developed the first of several code modules that will be built through out 2007. The event management module is currently being tested by ODOT Information Systems. This module allows TOCS operators to log and manage traffic events, such as crashes, stalls, slides, etc. Application development and testing activities are anticipated to continue through the first quarter of 2008.
An ODOT development team is currently working on the portion of the application that will handle geo-location of event records. Geo-location takes milepost information entered by the TOCS operator and relate that to a geo-spatial coordinate on a map. One of the ways this feature benefits management of traffic events is to relate multiple reports of traffic incidents to a single event. Work is also underway on the system connection between the TOCS and the the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system operated by Oregon State Police. Currently, CAD information is relayed to ODOT’s dispatchers and they, in-turn, enter the relevant information (pertinent to ODOT and road conditions) into ODOT's software, which eventually sends data to www.TripCheck.com, cable TV products, and 511 systems. On-line business systems (contractor) is designing the connection between the OSP and ODOT systems. Public Safety Systems, Inc. (PSSI), the vendor for the OSP CAD system, will be modifying the OSP CAD system to send data to and receive data from the TOCS (Transportation Operations Center System).
The next items to be worked on this coming quarter will be the detailed component level specifications for system functions that will enable event management to be shared among multiple operations centers, towing functions, and road and weather data entry screens. These modules will be integrated into the main event management module, tested, and will be a part of the first release of the new TOCS. In total, the event management release will comprise of 15 development groups that will be built, tested and integrated for the first release scheduled for 2008.
Contact Rod Kamm, Rod.Kamm@odot.state.or.us, at (503) 986-4286 for more information.
ITS Travel Time Algorithm Assessment and Refinement -
ITS Travel Time on VMS sign located on I-5
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The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) currently utilizes an algorithm within their Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS ) to display travel time on strategic Variable Message Signs (VMS) along their Interstates. Over 500 freeway sensors collect 20-second speed, volume, and occupancy data used by the algorithm to estimate travel time. Previous research undertaken by Portland State University (PSU ) has revealed promise for using ODOT’s current algorithm for travel time applications under normal traffic conditions.
Hau Hagedorn is the Research Program Manager with the Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium (OTREC) housed at Portland State University and is working with ODOT to lead this project. She writes:
"Assessment and Refinement of Travel Time Algorithms is more than halfway finished. The first phase of data collection has been completed. During this phase, travel times were collected for the I-5, I-205 and I-84 corridors for both the morning and afternoon rush hours. Data was collected using probe vehicles, GPS-enabled PDAs and software developed at the ITS Lab at Portland State University. Over 150 runs corresponding to approximately 80 hours of data collection have been completed. A second phase of data collection which will expand data coverage to the I-405, OR 217 and US-26 corridors will begin shortly. Researchers at Portland State University are continuing to analyze the data from the first collection phase. Already, the data have helped to identify the sources and locations of errors in travel time estimation. By identifying the source of error, solutions, such as enhanced algorithms, can be proposed to reduce error. The research team is pleased to announce that funding to extend and enhance this project has been obtained from OTREC - the Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium."
Contact Galen McGill, Galen.e.McGill@odot.state.or.us, at (503) 986-4486 for ODOT specific information related to this project.
ITS TechBuzz - Questions and Answer for folks outside of ITS
Welcome to this new section for the ITS news called ITS Tech Buzz! We've had a number of questions over the years come in about "How does this work?", or "Why did you do it this way?", so we've created a section to answer some of these questions. We're also going to try to answer our questions in such a way that the non-ITS professional will understand. Let us know what you think and if you have any suggestions please pass them along to the editor, Jon Lazarus. Thanks.
TechBuzz Question of the Quarter: Why does your speed map only have 3 ranges for speeds?
This is a common question we here at TripCheck get asked. Firstly, let's compare to some others metro speed maps from around the country:
LA Times.com uses 4 speed ranges: http://www.latimes.com/news/traffic/la-news-traffic-la,0,2423816.framedurl?track=trafficwidget
City of LA uses 3 speed ranges: http://trafficinfo.lacity.org/
Washington State (Seattle) uses 3 speed ranges: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/seattle/
Atlanta Navigator uses 3 speed ranges: http://www.georgia-navigator.com/maps/atlanta
Portland's Speed Map utilizes the data from the loop sensors that were installed into the freeway. Not all sections have the loops installed. That's why there are still some areas that are showing grey colors on segments of the map. The sensors are installed across all the lanes and a mathematical algorithm determines the average speed based on the cars passing over the sensors. The equation takes into account many variables, for example, if a sensors is not functioning properly the algorithm takes the location of the other 2 working sensors and computes the average speed, despite the faulty sensor. After the algorithm 'crunches' all the information, it comes up with an average speed given those loops and at that location. The data of the average speed is available through our TTIP portal (see previous quarter's newsletter, TTIP TechBuzz story ), which everyone is free to subscribe to.
Portland Speed Map Screen Print Image
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So, to go back to the question, why do we display these speed ranges (0-25, 25-50, and 50+), when we have the data that could, theoretically, display any range we would like?
The answer is that we could program the web site to show any speed range, since we gather the raw data. However, the questions is raised, how much speed data do you need to know? Would it help to know if the traffic is going 10 m.p.h. versus 15 m.p.h.? Probably not.
It was commonly discussed and decided that you are either in free-flowing traffic (uncongested traffic), a medim level of congestion but the traffic is still moving at a fair pace, or a large amount of congestion where the traffic may even come to a stop. These 3 categories were the basis for the speed ranges.
Instead of going back and re-designing the web site, ODOT took the approach to focus on development of other software priorities, like the TTIP project which provides a portal for anyone to obtain the exact speed data. As you can see from the links above (notable Los Angeles) a private vendor was able to take the raw data and display it with more information and in a different way (e.g. LA Times traffic map). This will probably happen in the Portland area, as well (if it has not already).
The good news is that the TripCheck web site will undergo another re-design and that this issue will be considered during the early stages. The next TripCheck re-design will feature .NET techonolgy and should start in 2008.
In the meantime, TripCheck has inserted a function that should help. If you are wondering what the average speed is of a particular segment in the speed map, move your cursor over the segment you are interested in and hold it there. You should be able to see the Average Speed display in a small window (know as the alt tag).
We hope this answers this quarter's ITS TechBuzz question, however, if you have further questions on this topic, please pass them along to the editor, Jon Lazarus. Thanks.
ITS CONSTRUCTION - List of current ITS construction projects
Following is a list of projects that are currently under construction:
I-5 at Nyberg - Camera Screenshot with ODOT crew on scene
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- Doak Mountain RWIS (Hwy 140 at MP 53.70). Project is currently under construction.
- I-5 North Santiam Highway to Kuebler Boulevard. This project includes two cameras to be operated by the NWTOC. The project is currently under construction.
- I-5 North Medford Interchange (I-5 at MP 27.3) Two traffic monitoring cameras and fiber optic installation. The project is currently under construction.
- I-5 South Medford Interchange (I-5 at MP 27.3). Project includes installing a traffic monitoring camera and fiber optic cable installation. The project is currently under construction.
- Modoc Point RWIS (US 97 north of Klamath Falls). The project is currently under construction.
- Region 1 CCTV, Communications, & VMS project. This project consists of extending fiber optic cable east along I-84 and installing nine new traffic monitoring cameras. Project will also place two existing variable message signs, a ramp meter and a road and weather information system (RWIS) station on the network. Additionally, the project includes the construction of 2 new Type 1 variable message signs on I-205. Bids have been awarded. Anticipate construction to be complete in February 2008.
- Region 2 Miscellaneous Operations Project: This project consists of 3 Highway Advisory Radios (HARs), with warning signals in the Eugene-Springfield area and an upgrade to the Cushman Flood Warning System near Florence on US 101. This system will report status into HTCRS, 511, and TripCheck systems. A camera will also be added for verification purposes. This project construction and commissioning by ITS Support coordinators is complete.
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US26 in Portland with landslide - Camera Screenshot
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US 97: Madras NB and ORE 138 Junction NB VMS. This project consists of installing a Type 2 VMS along US 97 at MP 214.11, NB) and a Type 1 VMS along US 97 at MP 97.13, NB. The project is currently under construction. Anticipate construction completion in September 2007.
- Region 5, 2007 ITS project. This project consists of 1 Highway Advisory Radio (HAR) transmitter with three warning signs and traffic gates at two on-ramps to I-84. These gates will prevent traffic from entering I-84 during emergencies such as snow storms. Cameras are included for verification purposes. Construction contract has been awarded. Project is currently under construction. Anticipate construction completed October 2007.
- I-5: North Albany VMS and Camera Section. This project will be installing a Type 1 VMS and traffic monitoring camera along I-5 at MP 236.8 NB). The project is currently under construction. Anticipate construction completion in September 2007.
- Region 2 VMS Project (I-5 at MP 186.9, NB; I-5 at MP 190.99, SB; OR 69 at MP 7.64, EB; and US 20 at MP 31.25, EB). This project includes four variable message signs and three traffic monitoring cameras located in and around Eugene and Springfield. The project is currently under construction. Anticipate construction completed in October 2007.
Select projects in design include the following:
- US 97: North Chiloquin (SB) andS. Klamath Falls (NB) VMS. This project proposes installing a Type 1 VMS at MP 245.4, SB and a Type 1 VMS at MP 278.9, NB. This project is currently in design. Anticipate Winter 2007 bid opening with construction and installation completed in summer 2008.
- Burnt River Canyon Freight Improvement Project. This project consists of 3 variable message signs, 4 speed display signs, and 2 road and weather information system (RWIS) stations along I-84 in the Burnt River Canyon corridor. The project is currently under design. Anticipate a November 2007 bid opening.
- Region 2 Variable Message Signs, 2007. This project proposes installing a Type 2 VMS on North Santiam Highway at MP 48.86, EB and a Type 2 VMS on McKenzie Highway at MP 47.14, EB). The project is currently in design. Anticipate a June 2007 bid opening.
- Region 2 CCTV Project. This project consists of adding cameras to the Eugene-Metro Area. The project is currently in design. Anticipate a December 2008 bid opening.
- West Salem VMS and Salt Creek Tunnel Warning Signs: This project consists of installing a variable message sign on the Santiam Highway in the Salem area and two tunnel warning signs near the Salt Creek Tunnel on the Willamette Highway. The project is currently in design. Anticipate a December 2008 bid opening.
ITS METRICS - Get the Latest ITS Statistics
 TripCheck usage data -
A quarterly summary of the TripCheck and ODOT travel information phone system usage numbers follow. The ITS unit homepage added a statistics section to our ODOT web site for frequently asked questions about our statistics. Click here to see the latest and greatest stats or type this into your browser address line: http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/ITS/its_stats.shtml
This page includes graphs of the current month's usage data for TripCheck visits, pages views, hits, and calls to the ODOT phone system.
The approximate TripCheck averages for the first quarter of 2007 are:
 2,087,850 visits per month**
19,411,724 page views per month**
60,432,930 hits per month**
This quarter last year (1st Quarter 2006) TripCheck.com had 1,959,167 visits per month; 17,725,375 page views per month, and 89,670,331 hits per month.
The phone system (including 511 calls) for this quarter-period is:
120,538 calls in January
114,386 calls in February
49,471 calls in March
The average for this period is 202,347 calls per month. The average for this quarter last year was 263,026 calls.
**Visit: A visit is a series of actions that begins when a visitor views their first page from the server, and ends when the visitor leaves the site or remains idle beyond the idle-time limit. The default idle-time limit is thirty minutes. This time limit can be changed by the system administrator.
**Page View: A hit to any file classified as a page. Contrast the value for "page views" with the value for "hits," which includes hits to files of every type.
**Hit: Each file requested by a visitor registers as a hit. There can be several hits on each page. While the volume of hits reflects the amount of server traffic, it is not an accurate reflection of the number of pages viewed.
Milestones at the Motor Carrier Division --
The Motor Carrier Transportation Division is celebrating what in baseball would be considered back-to-back home runs. One of the Division's major programs passed a significant milestone in March 2007 and another program passed a milestone of its own in April.
Green Light Metrics -
The Green Light weigh station preclearance system has weighed, checked, and sent on its way the 8-millionth truck in the program's history. The milestone was passed on March 30 at 7:25 a.m. when the Green Light system at the I-5 Woodburn northbound weigh station sent a green, good-to-go signal to a truck operated by May Trucking.
May Trucking has transponders in 730 trucks that operate in Oregon and last year they avoided stopping at weigh stations 33,613 times. Nine out of every 10 times a May transponder-equipped truck approaches a Green Light weigh station, it's signaled to go by the station. If operating a heavy truck costs $1.96 per minute and it takes five minutes to stop at a weigh station, Green Light saved that company a total of $329,407 in operating costs and 2,801 hours of travel time in 2006 alone.
Green Light passed the 7 million mark in July 2006, so passing 8 million just eight months later represents the fastest the program has ever gone from one milestone to the next. In each of three previous years, it took nine months to preclear the next million trucks. There are currently 4,148 companies participating in Green Light and they have 41,636 trucks equipped with transponders.
Visit the Green Light Web site for more information -- http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/MCT/GREEN.shtml
 Trucking Online Metrics -
On April 6, trucking companies used Trucking Online to complete the 1-millionth transaction or records inquiry in the history of that online service. While it’s taken a little over four years to reach the 1 million mark, there’s no question it will take far less time to reach the 2 million mark. Trucking Online has been a remarkable work in progress. But it’s now mature, replete with online services, and still growing both in terms of new services and new users. There are currently 11,494 trucking companies signed up for Trucking Online, including 3,285 based in Oregon. That means the ones doing business online include 56% of companies based in another state or Canada and 37% of those based in Oregon.
The creation of Trucking Online dates back to late-2002 when the Division paid a $217,000 licensing fee to acquire a middleware product called MetaServer. Then in just four months and with an additional $105,000 in Motor Carrier Applications Development staff costs, the Trucking Online infrastructure was built and the first application was deployed. Since that launch in late-January 2003, online services have grown steadily from 19 in 2004, to 27 in 2005, to 56 today. More than just enabling simple transactions, Trucking Online features a Shopping Cart and payment solution that leverages an Oregon-wide credit card facility. More than just transactions and records inquiries for authorized users, Trucking Online features records inquiry services for members of the public to view trucking-related public information.
Visit the Trucking Online Web site for more information – http://OregonTruckingOnline.com
ITS MAINTENANCE - System Maintenance Updates
 ITS System Maintenance Report -
This section update shows some of the requests for work completed by our staff and gives a break-down of high-lights and areas where maintenance and enhancement work was done. TripCheck.com, 511 phone line, Herbicide line, and HTCRS are examples of the systems supported.
January 1 - March 31, 2007
110 new RFW’s were received. 102 RFW’s were closed or cancelled. Of these, 2 were for new large software projects, 4 were for small maintenance projects, 25 were for system enhancements, and 71 were daily tasks such as system repairs or routine services.
- Updated several ITS applications to handle early change to daylight savings.
- Readied new HAR web based software for production use.
- National Weather Service alerts now delivered to TripCheck Cable TV.
- Cable TV broadcast delivered to LaGrande and Corvallis offices.
- ITS applications that run with a recurring schedule are all now using a new scheduler that offers higher reliability and uptime.
- Installed new phone line switch that allows us to quickly move 24 HAT phone lines from test to production use, or vice versa.
- ITS Support Coordinators have a new tool to keep Skyline standalone database in sync with server database.
- A new procedure has been developed to identify when corrupted database entries have made Skyline susceptible to locking up, and identify what database values need to be corrected to fix the problem.
- As of this writing (April 1st) the HTCRS 2.5 upgrade is nearing completion and deployment is expected in around 4 weeks. That will also close 23 RFW’s at one time.
- Completed 18 Camera Services Requests for Work
- Completed 9 RWIS Requests for Work
- Completed 30 TripCheck Requests for Work
- Competed 6 Skyline Requests for Work
For questions contact Jim Weisgram at (503) 986-3211 or James.D.WEISGRAM@odot.state.or.us
ITS in the News
Welcome Aboard! Amy Mastraccio has joined the ITS unit as the Operations Management Systems Coordinator. Amy started on April 2nd. Here is a brief self-bio:
"I graduated from UT Austin with a B.S. in civil engineering. Right after graduation I moved to Alaska and began working for Michael Baker Jr. Inc. I was part of the Alpine Pipeline design team. After one year I moved back to Austin and started working for the City's Watershed Protection Department. I reviewed consultants submittals for floodplain purposes, and I worked on the City's Flood Early Warning System. After about 5 years I left the civil engineering industry and taught high school level math and science at a juvenile prison facility and drug counseling center. I taught school for just under two years and decided to re-enter the civil engineering field, which brought me to ODOT's ITS Unit."
Farther, faster? Not anymore
Saturday, April 23, 2007
Link to story in Philadelphia Inquirer:
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20070423_Farther__faster__Not_anymore.html
Fighting The Real Gridlock
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Link to story in Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/09/AR2007030901843.html
Gresham debuts 'intelligent' traffic signals
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Link to story in Gresham Outlook:
http://www.theoutlookonline.com/news/story.php?story_id=117349559795286600
Check that trip
Friday, February 23, 2007
Link to story in Albany Democrat-Herald:
http://www.democratherald.com/articles/2007/02/23/news/opinion/3aaa02_edit.txt
511 Traffic Phone Lines May Raise Crash Risk
Sunday, February 4, 2007
Link to story in USA Today:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-02-04-511-criticism_x.htm
Technology will end our oil addiction
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Link to story in The Seattle Post Intelligencer:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/301747_reichertoped31.html
Steigerwald Q&A: Decongesting our roads
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Link to story in The Statesman Journal:
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070131/OPINION/70129044/1049
*Smart Card Interoperability Issues for the Transit Industry
[TCN] Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Link to report from the Transportation Research Board
http://www.trb.org/news/blurb_detail.asp?id=7236
*New ITS Standards Status Updates on the US DOT ITS Standards Web Site
[TCN] Tuesday, January 30, 2007
NTCIP 1201 (Version 2 Amendment 2), 1213, and 2306 are in ballot.
Link to further information:
http://www.standards.its.dot.gov/news.asp#jan072
*These stories provided by Bernie Wagenblast and The Daily ITS news, in the Transportation Communications Newsletter. For a free subscription send an e-mail to transport-communications-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or contact the editor, Bernie Wagenblast, at i95berniew@aol.com.
UPCOMING EVENTS
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Stay informed about ODOT ITS activities across the state.
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 ITS OREGON Meeting
The next ITS Oregon Meeting, May 18, 2007, 9:00 am, location:
Northwest Center for Engineering Science and Technology
(Engineering Building)
1930 SW Fourth Avenue, Room 315
Portland, OR 97201
http://itsoregon.org
Visit the ITS Oregon site for more information about training opportunities. Link to site: http://itsoregon.org/training/
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FHWA Invites States to Seek Grants for Projects that Improve Safety, Relieve Congestion
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/pressroom/dot0732part.htm
Category >Opportunity: March 28, 2007 (FHWA)
FHWA has issued a Federal Register Notice (FRN) inviting states to apply for grant awards to fund projects that offer significant highway safety and congestion relief benefits. In line with the Department's goals to save lives and reduce traffic delays on highways, FHWA is making available a total of $329 million in grant funds in an effort to target resources strategically to eight discretionary programs that improve safety and relieve congestion: Ferry Boat, Innovative Bridge Research and Construction, Interstate Maintenance, Public Lands Highway, Highways for Life, Transportation Community and System Preservation, Truck Parking Facilities and Delta Region Transportation Development Program. An electronic copy of the FRN, dated March 22, 2007, is available at http://www.archives.gov. Contact Nancy Singer at 202-366-4650 for more information.
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University of California Berkeley, Institute of Transportation Studies
Various Transportation Seminars April - June 2007
Link to complete course listing:
https://registration.techtransfer.berkeley.edu/wconnect/ShowSchedule.awp?%7E%7EGROUP%7E:FULL%7E&Async=OFF%7EComplete+Listings
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Portland State University, Center for Transportation Studies,
Various Transportation Seminars April - June 2007
Link to Seminars and archived topics:
http://www.cts.pdx.edu/seminars.htm
Link to event calendar for ITS Lab:
http://www.pdx.edu/events/9604/month/1-May-2007/
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ITS America ’s 2007 Annual Meeting & Exposition
June 4-6, 2007
Palm Springs, California
Registration is now open for ITS America’s 2007 Annual Meeting & Exposition, taking place June 4-6, 2007 in Palm Springs, California. Take advantage of the lowest registration rates, which are valid from November 1, 2006 through January 5, 2007. Details are available at http://www.itsa.org/amregistration.html.
Link to site:
____________________________________________________________________
Operations Academy Senior Management Program,
November 5-16, 2007
University of Maryland
University of Maryland Center for Advanced Transportation Technology (CATT) has announced the availability of a two-week, total immersion transportation management and operations Senior Management Program. Acceptance for the program is competitive, and requires the nomination of a local, State or Federal transportation agency. Nomination Forms are available at www.operationsacademy.org. It also requires a commitment on the part of those attending the program to satisfy the self-study requirements, and to spend two uninterrupted weeks participating in the program activities.
For additional information: www.operationsacademy.org
Contact: Kathleen Frankle, kfrankle@umd.edu
Phone: 410-414-2925
Link to site:
www.operationsacademy.org
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