UPDATE Volume 2, Number 2 Articles - Spring Quarter 1998
INTELLIGENT VEHICLE INITIATIVES by Lowell Benson, CTS @ U of M
A major new component of the US DOT's Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) is the Intelligent Vehicle Initiative (IVI). In order to significantly improve the safety and efficiency of motor vehicle operations, IVI will accelerate the development, availability, and use of driving assistance and control intervention systems to reduce motor vehicle crashes. Sensing, processing, and communications technology systems would be installed in vehicles complemented by highway infrastructure technology. Such systems include driver warnings, partial automated vehicle control in hazardous situations, and selected motorist information services. The Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) and the University's Center for Transportation Studies (CTS) have responded to the FHWA Request for Information. The response is based upon Minnesota's research and operational test areas of SAFETRUCK, Maintenance Technology Vehicle, Geodetic Engineering, Driver Assist Technology Case Studies, Road/Weather Information, and Advanced Rural Traveler Information and Coordination.
Successful partnerships between the public sector and private sector on the ORION program are putting Global Positioning Systems (GPS) on Metro Transit buses, one part of intelligent vehicles. Integration of Mobile Data Terminals (MDT) with GPS on Highway Patrol and Highway Helper vehicles coordinates the Geographic Information System (GIS) aspects of in-vehicle cooperative systems. New automobile purchases from General Motors, Ford, and other manufacturers offer GPS & cell phone linked information and emergency services. I've seen front and side-looking radar detectors on a Greyhound bus. Some Pontiac models even offer heads up displays. How soon will new vehicles have all of these devices integrated and operating with roadside systems such as railroad grade crossing warning devices? Our challenge as ITS professionals is to lead and to be ready for deployment, integration, and rapid growth of collision avoidance and guidance Intelligent Vehicle technologies over the next five years.
HIGHWAY HELPER USES AVL by Jessica Hanson @ Mn/DOT's TMC
Since 1987, Highway Helpers have been patrolling the Twin Cities freeways helping stalled motorists. The program was created to help minimize congestion and accidents on the Twin Cities freeway system by quickly removing stalled vehicles, assisting on accident scenes, and removing debris from the roadway. Each year, Highway Helpers assist approximately 13,000 motorists by changing a flat tire, providing fuel, or a pushing stalled vehicle out of a traffic lane. Five to seven heavy-duty trucks patrol nearly 100 miles of the Twin Cities' most heavily traveled segments from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and weekends from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.. While patrolling the freeways, Highway Helpers detect 85 % of the incidents to which they respond. The other 15% are dispatched to the Highway Helpers by the Traffic Management Center (TMC) operators.
In October 1995, the Highway Helper program was enhanced by the implementation of an Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) system. Through the use of GPS and MDTs, information is sent to the TMC control room and displayed on a terminal utilizing MetroView software from Ball Aerospace & Technology Corp. Each Highway Helper truck is equipped with a Dinet Data Mate 3100 MDT which includes a Motorola Oncore GPS receiver that provides location and status information. Operators in the control room use this information to determine the closest available Highway Helper. Highway Helper Tony Kasella, sees a number benefits to the system, "If I'm out of the vehicle, the dispatcher can send me a message. In the event of an emergency, the TMC has vehicle location information; but the most practical benefit is the elimination of the paper logs." Prior to the use of the AVL system, Highway Helpers were required to document on paper logs all information about the stops they made including roadway location, vehicle type, licence plate number, and services provided.
Dispatchers at the TMC use the information provided by the system to monitor who is working, their hours, and their cellular phone number. Don Zenanko, a Motorist Information Specialist at the TMC, says the biggest benefit of the AVL system is efficient dispatching. " By knowing the location and status of each Highway Helper, we can see who is closest to the incident." This saves the dispatcher time and helps clear incidents more quickly thereby reducing congestion. Sue Groth, Freeway Operations Engineer, oversees the Highway Helper program. She says that data input through the MDT saves a lot of time and has helped greatly with up-to-date record keeping. She also believes that the status and location information provided by the AVL system enables both Highway Helpers and dispatchers to better communicate and more efficiently serve the public. Future plans are to integrate the Highway Helper AVL system with the State Patrol Computer Aided Dispatch 911 system. " Integration of the two systems would increase communication in the field between the Highway Helpers and the State Patrol resulting in better service to the motoring public".
KEEP SNOWPLOW DRIVERS ON THE ROAD by Donna Fleming 3M
3M Magnetic Lateral Warning and Guidance Tape integrates magnetic medium into pre-formed, pressure sensitive pavement marking tapes that can be magnetized in a number of different ways. One application gives lateral warning and guidance to snowplow drivers. A vehicle-mounted sensor can detect the magnetic field of the tape and provide driver feedback indicating vehicle position on the road surface. The guidance system allows snowplows to continue operations even when the road is buried under snow and visual lane delineation is nearly impossible. The snowplow application was demonstrated during the winter of 1996-97 and tested by the Minnesota Guidestar program and 3M in the high snow drift region of Fergus Falls, Minn., to evaluate product performance and driver reaction. During the past mild winter, additional installation studies were conducted with the assistance of two Mn/DOT garages in the Twin Cities. The next phase of testing has been proposed for the upcoming winter of 1998-99 on a stretch of Highway 19 between Winthrop and Fairfax, Minn. In addition to testing the 'smart' tape, this phase will focus on finding compatible technologies that provide driver information in the most effective way for the snowplow operators.
BOARD MEETING ANNOUNCEMENTS and NOTES
Committee chairpersons for 1998 are: Liaison, Dave Warner(490-2166); Programs, Durga Panda(603-7700); Membership, Bob Winter(582-1357); and Communications, Lowell Benson(625-8339). The Liaison Committee is coordinating an ITS speakers bureau, did you see their survey? The Programs Committee would like to plan out state ITS Technology fall forums in St. Cloud, or Rochester, or Willmar, or Moorhead or all. The Membership Committee has a goal of 40 active member organizations. The Communications Committee needs creative topical articles and WEB site ideas. Please call the chairs to apply your skills in helping these committees.
The Communications Committee is developing a WEB site for ITS Minnesota. A feature of this site will be a paragraph description of each ITS Minnesota member organization plus a link to their own sites. UPDATE issues will on the WEB and distributed via e-mail instead of US mail to members requesting alternate delivery service.
Board meetings are now scheduled for the second Monday of each month @8:00 a.m. in the CTS Classroom. Send a note to gene.ofstead@dot.state.mn.us if you'd like a topic discussed by the board.
ITS Minnesota received a "State Chapter of the Year" award on May 5th at the ITS America Annual Meeting in Detroit. Past President Jeff Benson accepted on behalf of the chapter. To view the 1 minute background video, contact benso046@tc.umn.edu.
The ITS Membership voted to have Douglas Differt and Gary W. Euler represent the private sector on the Minnesota Guidestar Executive Committee for the next two years. The membership also elected Doug Differt, Jim Grube, and Mike Sobolewski to two year director terms on the ITS MN board. The board added Dr. Max Donath as an ex-officio director representing the University's Center for Transportation Studies. Max holds a joint appointment as a Mechanical Engineering Professor and as Director of CTS' ITS Institute Programs.
182 REGISTERED FOR THE ANNUAL MEETING
ITS Success stories from Minnesota and the United States made this a successful day. Thanks to the following companies that sponsored the spring ITS MN Information Forum and Annual Meeting. ADDCO, Inc.; Barton-Aschman Associates, Inc.; BRW; Center for Transportation Studies; Chrysler Corporation; Lockheed Martin; Parsons Brinckerhoff; 3M; SRF Consulting Group, Inc.; Warning Lites of Minnesota; Westwood Professional Services, Inc.
FHWA's GEORGE OSTENSEN INVITED JUNE 3rd SPEAKER
George will talk about the multi-agency cross cutting efforts by Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to lead the Intelligent Vehicle Initiative. US DOT has a road map for specific services, integration, and development that includes 21 topical areas. He is responsible for FHWA's Traffic & Safety research program. His "Make Roads Better" objective is to reach national consensus and to support FHWA's long and near-term research initiative and for ensuring that research products truly serve the needs of our transportation community. His R&D program efforts will help produce a surface transportation system that is safer and operates more efficiently in the future.
Mr. Ostensen is a 29 year career employee of FHWA, having served in the field in eight states delivering Federal-aid programs to state DOTs before becoming the FHWA's Director, Office of Safety and Traffic Operations R&D in 1996. He received his BS CivE degree from University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth and has a Masters from the University of Maryland. His daughter is a practicing Civil Engineer and his son is a CivE undergraduate at Central Florida University.
ITS STATE CHAPTER MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS
If you're already an ITS America member, you'll
1) get free membership in up to three state chapters - or pay $245 per additional chapter
2) add three names to their monthly mailings with timely industry news via ITS America announcements and developments
If your principal business is in Minnesota or you are a Minnesota government agency you can join for $245 annual fee without joining ITS America. The benefits are:
1) Publication discounts from the ITS America Clearinghouse
2) ITS America monthly mailings with timely industry news and announcements
3) Meeting discounts at the ITS America Annual Meeting and other events
4) Opportunity to include your company information on the ITS Minnesota WEB site
5) Participation in the growing ITS field at the grassroots level by committee and board work
6) Access to or participation in the
liaison committee speakers bureau