InFocus
Dear Friends, Clients, and Associates,
As Iteris strives to make our roads and highways safer and
improve the commute of millions of people each day, we hope
our endeavors have made a difference in your lives in some small
way. From everyone at Iteris, we wish you a healthy, happy,
and safe holiday season.
Happy Holidays!
Abbas Mohaddes
President and CEO
H
appy
H
olidays from Iteris!
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Roadway Sensors Transportation Systems
InFocus
The Importance of Performance
Measurement
Page 4
Improving Intersection Safety
Page 5
Berkeley Transportation Systems (BTS)
Joins Iteris
“BTS is a perfect complement to the Iteris iPerform™
software as well as Iteris’ performance measurement and management initiative as a whole.”
Page 3
In This Issue:
Iteris Forms a New Business Line CallediPerformTM Iteris Selected by Virginia Department of Transportation for Estimated $10 Million Traveler Information Services Contract Iteris Expands in Middle East
iPerformTM — Leverage Your Data to Develop a Real-time
Decision Support System
Iteris Gives Back “Time” with TransitHelperTM
AbacusTM Team Completes Successful Colorado Springs
Project
Iteris Stands Out at World Congress
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Winter 2011 - 20129
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BusFeederTM — Iteris Provides a Powerful Management Tool
Upcoming Events Iteris Adds Talent Iteris Strategic Wins
Meridian Environmental Technology Selected by Kansas Department of Transportation for their Next Generation 511 Traveler Information System
Iteris Forms a New Business Line Called
iPerform
TMTransportation networks of all kinds – freeways, tollways, arterials, transit, parking, and so on – have (almost forever) been designed and built using extensive analytical and costing models showing that the up-front capital infrastructure investment was worthwhile. That paradigm has worked well enough for decades, but that mindset is now in the past. Everyone agrees (and the federal funding focus of late reflects this) that the heyday of building new capacity is over, with the greater emphasis now directed at making the existing infrastructure perform its stated purpose and function to an optimum level.
It is one of the undisputed truths of any complex system (of which any transportation network qualifies) that a key prerequisite to improving the operational efficiency is measuring that system’s performance, continuously and comprehensively.
The time for the art and science of performance measurement, monitoring, and management has arrived and is here to stay. The 2005 SAFETEA-LU federal aid program for transportation included provisions that, for the first time, required state DOTs to collect and analyze data, and report on an array of performance metrics on all Interstate highways
in the large (> 1 million pop.) metropolitan areas. Section 1201 of the federal aid program, entitled a Real-Time System Management Information Program, requires the Secretary of Transportation to establish an RTSMIP that provides, “…in all States, the capability
to monitor, in real-time, the traffic and travel conditions of the major highways of the United States and to share these data with State and local governments and with the traveling public.” The only way to successfully accomplish this program requirement is to utilize ITS tools that continuously and intelligently analyze the appropriate performance metrics for the specific transportation network. In this first narrow instruction, the mandated output is real-time traffic conditions, intended for better equipping the average motorist with valuable additional traveler information. The next federal transportation legislation now being crafted by Congress is significantly expanding the breadth and scope of performance measurement and management into many more aspects of the federal transportation funding arena.
The ITS industry is all about using technology to make transportation operate better, smarter, faster, cheaper, and as a single catch-all phrase, operate with improved performance. Iteris, as one of the innovative leaders in this industry, has looked to the future in this regard. We identified that a very good market exists and is growing that will demand tools and expertise to assist transportation network owners in assessing, tracking, and forecasting their facilities’ performance. In line with our growth strategy to become the leader in providing information management solutions for intelligent traffic management, a strategic decision was made to establish a brand new group —
iPerform. With the acquisition of Berkeley Transportation Systems
(see story on Page 3), the iPerform group now provides a larger suite
of performance management tools. This expanded set of expertise gives Iteris a larger installed base of mature performance measurement tools for freeway, arterial, and transit modes.
In this issue, we include several articles on iPerform and our other
state of the art products and services. Enjoy reading. Sincerely,
Abbas Mohaddes President & CEO Iteris, Inc.
Innovation for better mobility
The time for the art and science of performance measurement, monitoring,
and management has arrived and is here to stay.
Meridian Environmental Technology Selected by Kansas Department of
Transportation for their Next Generation 511 Traveler Information System
“MET has served Kansas travelers with uninterrupted 511 service for the past 8 years, and this award is in line with our growth strategy to expand our leadership in traveler information
systems and continue to capture a larger share of the market.”
Iteris, through its Meridian Environmental Technology (MET) subsidiary, has been selected by the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) to design and develop their next generation 511 traveler information system offering route-specific road information to commuters. This initial two-year contract includes potential extensions
for up to 10 years. Work on the project is expected to begin in January 2012.
The Kansas 511 system provides travelers the necessary information to make important travel-related decisions. Each 511 report includes up-to-the-minute road closures, weather, construction, travel times where available, and other travel information across all Interstates, US, and State Routes within the Kansas State Highway system as well as the Kansas Turnpike routes. Travelers access the system by calling 5-1-1 from any home, office, or wireless phone. Hands-free, interactive voice recognition allows voice commands mitigating distraction while driving.
In addition to the 511 phone number, travelers will have access to ClearPath 511, a service that allows the creation of free, personalized, route-specific subscriptions for road alerts and closures. This service is expected to provide travelers with advisories as they are reported, sending information via e-mail and/or text message to aid travelers with their route planning and daily commutes.
International Corner
On September 8, 2011, Iteris partnered with Sutec Holding LLC to become the Argentina company’s designated supplier of non-invasive video detection technologies for its traffic signal control systems.
Through this partnership, Sutec will offer Iteris’ complete line of video detection hardware and software management solutions. This includes Iteris’ Pico camera system that was designed with the International market in mind for use in intersection detection and other special applications. Pico has already been successfully installed in the City of Lima, Peru, by Sutec for an adaptive signal control application, “Semáforo Inteligente.”
This preferred provider partnership enables Iteris to build on our existing local relationships and strengthens our presence in key Latin American markets.
About Sutec Holding LLC:
SUTEC with its Legal Holding in the USA and its operative HQ in Argentina is a leading Intelligent Traffic & Transportation System management solution provider in Latin America. This company offers its clients in Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Panama, Mexico, and other Latin-American countries integral solutions with products, works and services in projects developed with the highest standards of quality and most advanced technologies in the areas of Traffic and Mobility, Electrical, Electronic, Mechanical, Civil, and Telecommunication Engineering; and in the fields of Technological Urban Services and Security Systems.
SUTEC
ITS Design for MnDOT on I-69
This project will provide design for ITS devices along 26 miles of the I-69, a freeway of international significance, from the St. Clair County line to the I-94/I-69 interchange connecting to the Blue Water Bridge, the second busiest border crossing between the US and Canada. This project includes developing a final bid package based on 100% complete plans, provide cost estimate for construction, and serve as MnDOT representative system manager, through the construction phase. The project will scope the project, refine locations of equipment, develop plans to 100% complete, provide necessary geotechnical information, provide necessary survey work, and develop functional requirements. The system will include Dynamic Message Signs (DMS), Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) Cameras, detectors, and communications infrastructure which will interface with all of the existing ITS monitoring software and equipment. Iteris is the prime consultant for this project.
Vantage used with ACS Lite
Adaptive control systems are becoming the traffic signal systems of choice in many parts of the country. The successful operation of all adaptive control systems is dependent on accurate and dependable detection. Pearland, Texas (a suburb of Houston) recently selected and deployed a Siemens ACSLite system. Siemens used the Vantage Edge2 video detection system for both the stop bar and advanced detection. The system was successfully turned on in October of 2011.
To achieve the level of detection accuracy required for an adaptive control system, 2 cameras were installed on the main street approaches, one for traditional stop bar presence detection, and one installed for advanced detection. The camera for advanced detection was installed on luminaire poles mounted to achieve maximum height. The camera was then zoomed in to provide the ideal vehicle size the required detection distance. All cameras are being monitored using EdgeConnect using the same communication channels as the traffic signal controllers. Additional adaptive controls systems with Vantage detection are being deployed in Texas this year.
Iteris Strategic Wins
KDOT Wichita TMC Operations Support
Iteris is currently conducting operator training for the new Traffic Management Center (TMC) in Wichita, KS. The Phase I Wichita TMC deployment, which includes CCTV cameras, dynamic message signs, traffic sensors, road weather information systems (RWIS), and a hybrid communications network, was completed this year. Managed by the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), the Wichita TMC is co-located in the Sedgwick County Emergency Operations / 911 Center.
City of Omaha Traffic Signal System Master Plan
Iteris was recently selected to conduct a Traffic Signal System Master Plan and Feasibility Study for the City of Omaha, NE. The project will include an assessment of available traffic signal control technologies and associated ITS devices and strategies as well supporting
communications infrastructure alternatives to allow the City to migrate to a new, state-of-the-practice advanced traffic management system (ATMS). A phased implementation plan and deployment strategy will be developed based on identified project priorities and available funding.
Innovation for better mobility
Iteris signed a definitive agreement to acquire all of the outstanding capital stock of Berkeley Transportation Systems, Inc. (BTS), a privately-held company based in Berkeley, California.
BTS is a leader in transportation performance measurement. Its state-of-the-art Performance Measurement System (PeMS) leverages BTS' real-time data collection, diagnostic, fusion, and warehousing platform to aggregate and compute performance measures. This information is used to analyze how a transportation system is performing based on pre-determined measures of effectiveness such as stops, delays, and travel time. The
PeMS system provides users with an extensive set of reporting tools that allow for visualization and animation.
Since its inception in 1998, BTS has been involved in more than twenty projects and deployments, with customers ranging from the California DOT, Utah DOT, Caltrans, Spokane, Washington, and the Alaska Dept. of Transportation to the Transportation Research Board and Attikes Diadromes S.A. which operates the Attica Tollway in Greece.
BTS provides a key technology and a strong base from which to grow this area of the Iteris business and this acquisition is consistent with Iteris’ growth strategy and to become the leader in providing information management solutions for intelligent traffic management. For more information, go to http://www.bt-systems.com.
Berkeley Transportation Systems (BTS) Joins Iteris
“BTS is a perfect complement to the Iteris
iPerform™software as well as Iteris’
performance measurement and management initiative as a whole.”
Iteris Selected by Virginia Department of Transportation for Estimated
$10 Million Traveler Information Services Contract
Iteris has been selected by the Virginia DOT to provide the core services of 511 Interactive Voice Response, aggregating transportation video, and managing web-based traveler information, and other data. Iteris will be responsible for distributing related information to the VDOT and the traveling public, as well as to other VDOT public partners.
The initial five-year, task order-based contract has an estimated value of $10 million. The contract also includes the option for two, two-year extensions. Work on the project is expected to commence immediately. Under this contract, Iteris will lead a team of highly qualified partners that will leverage its rich experience assisting in the evolution of VDOT’s Intelligent Transportation System infrastructure and transportation management processes to provide VDOT with a comprehensive, cost-effective solution for sharing video and data that can readily adapt to rapidly evolving technologies and information dissemination media. This multi-year project also represents a unique opportunity to establish a business model designed to generate revenue to support the 511 system’s operations and data distribution services and adds to the Iteris already extensive portfolio of nationwide 511 services.
The Importance of Performance Measurement
A general truism is that measuring the performance of a system – any system – is a prerequisite activity for (1st) improving its operation and (2nd) cost-justifying the expense of specific enhancements. In transportation systems (road networks, public transit routes, toll facilities, etc.), the demand for rigorous and continuing performance measurement from policy makers and funding agencies has always been strong, but the toolsets available to system owners and operators have not been commensurately rich or robust.
Performance Measurement - Rationale
A self-evident way to improve the performance of a system is to measure its performance, and then target specific actions that have the capability of affecting said system’s operation. Measure its performance again and again (or continuously) to reveal the effects of the actions. Presuming these targeted actions do achieve the desired goal, then both the performance measurement activity and the specific actions will be meaningful.
Without measurement, the magnitude of benefits (and therefore, the true value of those benefits) can only be guessed at. A performance measurement system, therefore, should be a mandatory building block of any hoped-for enhanced system.
A Primer on Performance Management
Many transportation agencies (both Departments of Transportation (DOTs), local municipalities, & Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) have begun to embrace the concept of needing to support strategic decisions at least partly based on the effects those decisions
will have on the performance of the altered system. Gaining insight into the change in performance is therefore a necessary component of this decision-making paradigm. The reporting of measurements has evolved from publishing whatever data are on hand, to a select set of data that are most useful in setting targets, seeing statistically significant changes, and highlighting the most visible or most difficult problems. In this evolved management environment, the Performance Measurement system is less visible to, but even more important to, the much larger process – namely, Performance Management. The latter is “the regular ongoing process of selecting measures, setting targets, and using measures in decision-making” as stated in Transportation Performance Management: Insight from Practitioners (NCHRP Report 660 / NCHRP Project 08-62 Final Report). June 2010,).
Most literature on Performance Management focuses strictly on how an agency can or should use Performance Measures in making appropriate strategic agency decisions as to (a) resource allocation, (b) resource efficiency, and (c) operational decisions. Little in the Performance Management discussion seems to be mentioned about how a Performance Measurement system can be of direct use also to the agency’s customers – namely, the traveling public.
While the data analysis obviously can be useful to an agency when making decisions as to changes in short- and long-term strategies, an obvious additional real-time benefit would be to impart knowledge to drivers so that they may make nearly instantaneous decisions about the trip they are on or about to commence. In this regard, a more capable Performance Measurement system can feed not only management’s needs, but also provide enhanced support for a region’s traveler information program.
Ramin M. Massoumi, PE Vice President
MBA/2004; MS/1996/Engineering; BS/1994/Civil Engineering; 2003/Civil Engineer/CA #C64225 Orange County Traffic Engineers Council – Board Member; Institute of Transportation Engineers
Mr. Massoumi has over 17 years of experience with a background in transportation systems analysis and design, ITS planning and design, and traffic engineering utilizing system engineering practices. He has served as Project Manager, Deputy Project Manager, Task Manager, Quality Control Advisory, and Project Engineer on numerous projects. This includes providing regional based signal timing analysis and deployment, ITS-based traffic, transportation, transit, and communications consulting systems engineering services to public agencies and transit operators. He is experienced in a wide range of applications including the development of coordinated advanced traffic management systems and the design and implementation of systems for arterial, highway, transit, and highway-railroad grade crossings.
Richard Shinn
Associate Vice President
MS/1995/Systems Technology (Scientific & Technical Intelligence); BS/1990/Accountancy; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Member
Mr. Richard Shinn has extensive Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) experience in systems engineering, telecommunications engineering, network analysis, systems management, and system integration. This has involved fiber optic cable system design, digital and analog video system design, CWDM multiplexing techniques, Spread Spectrum wireless communications, and Gigabit Ethernet network design. Elements include the design of Traffic Operations Centers, specifications for system components, preparation of Network Management and Configuration Management policies and procedures, and preparation of PS&E documents. He is also an industry leader in ITS Strategic Planning for Small & Medium-sized communities. As an Information Technology Manager for a Fortune 500 company and an officer in the United States Navy, he managed 20 separate systems integration projects for enterprises ranging from 200 to 11,000 people.
Iteris Adds Talent
Innovation for better mobility
Timothy E. Byrne, PE Associte Vice President
MS/2004/Public Administration; MS/1994/ Transportation Engineering; BS/1992/Civil Engineering; 2000/PE/CA #60532; Institute of Transportation Engineers; Orange County Traffic Engineering Council
Mr. Byrne has 17 years of experience in transportation planning, project management, and travel demand forecasting. He has extensive experience in managing small and large transportation projects, analyzing complex situations, and developing recommendations and solutions.
As the Regional Modeling Section Manager at the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), he led various planning and technical studies to evaluate multi-modal options for the county’s transportation system. He has analyzed toll, carpool, local bus, bus rapid transit, light rail, and commuter rail modes for planning projects throughout Orange County over the last decade. Based on specific project and Authority needs, he managed OCTAM development projects to incorporate specific capabilities for various modes including light rail, bus rapid transit, and tolling. He continually maintained OCTAM, evaluated and incorporated Orange County Projections (OCP) datasets, and ensured the model met current FTA New Starts standards. He also managed and participated in the planning, development, and implementation of regional and subregional travel demand models, He has developed and applied several local and regional models for applications in a variety of multi-modal projects including toll feasibility assessment, commuter rail patronage studies, general plan updates, and Caltrans project assessment/environmental documentation projects. Mr. Byrne specializes in the development, application, and evaluation of tools and results to effectively evaluate circulation system performance.
600 Feet
300 Feet
Advanced traffic signal control systems can improve performance for urban transportation in three primary ways – safety, efficiency, and driver experience. Modern adaptive, coordinated traffic signal systems use advanced detection technologies to measure variations in traffic flow then adapt the signal timings accordingly. Efficiency gains from coordinated or adaptive systems are well documented (5% to 44% reduction in congestion delay according to FHWA). Timing at each intersection along a corridor can be coordinated to support easy progression through the road network, which makes a driver’s experience much smoother and less stressful. This raises driver satisfaction levels.
Traffic signals, when properly timed, also have the ability to preserve safety through collision avoidance at intersections. When drivers compete for the same road space at busy intersections, traffic engineers have two choices — separating conflicting traffic streams by space or by time. The former involves the construction of grade separated interchanges which is expensive and not always feasible in dense urban areas. The latter involves the use of traffic signal control to alternately “time-share” the at-grade intersection.
For more than 80 years traffic signals have helped traffic flow efficiently, effectively, and safely. As we continue to explore new ways to make traffic signals even safer, we have turned our attention to an issue known to traffic engineers as the “Dilemma Zone.” When intersections on higher speed limit roads are signalized, situations can easily be created in which a fast moving vehicle approaching a green traffic signal may not be able to stop once the
signal changes to red.
The driver encounters this situation somewhere between 300 and 600 feet before the stop line. This is known as the “dilemma zone” as it poses a challenge to drivers and traffic signal engineers alike — drivers may have to do a skidding “panic stop” to successfully stop before the intersection, or would likely enter the intersection after the signal had turned red. Traffic signal engineers must provide maximum safety in this situation. One highly effective mitigation for this problem is to extend the range of traffic detection systems at the intersection to enable detection of vehicle presence and measurement of vehicle speed in the “dilemma zone.” This capability enables traffic engineers to instruct the intersection controller to extend the green time on a particular approach when an approaching vehicle is detected in the dilemma zone. An alternative would be allowing the signal to turn red but then extend the “clearance” or all red period at the intersection to preserve intersection collision avoidance capability.
Continued on page 6
Iteris Expands in Middle East
A New Solution next-generation product has been developed by Iteris that specifically targets this dilemma zone safety applications: Vantage VectorTM is an all-in-one vehicle detection sensor with a wide range of
intersection sensing capabilities, including stop-bar and advanced zone
detection, as well as sensing properties that enable new safety and adaptive control applications. It enhances the proven benefits of Iteris’ video detection with radar sensor technology that extends the distance and richness of detection data.
Vector’s radar sensing capability offers high precision for “dilemma zone” detection out to beyond 600 feet and also provides richer data that enables an exciting new range of speed-related intersection safety functions. The enhanced information includes real-time position and speed of individual approaching vehicles. As existing Vantage users have come to expect, Vector provides a robust GUI for simple radar set-up, along with the typical video detection zone configuration process. As a standard in the Vector product, communication between it and the roadside cabinet is accomplished via Wi-Fi.
As the world leader for traffic management, Iteris’ Vantage Vector demonstrates the ability of our market research and engineering teams to develop new technologies that better serve our customers’ needs and sustain our market leadership.
Improving Intersection Safety (continued)
Innovation for better mobility
Gulf Traffic 2011 was held on December 12-14, 2011 at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre in Dubai. Iteris had a presence at the conference with a booth at the exhibition.
Iteris, which vews the Middle East region as a vital part of its global business development strategy, announced, on the opening day of Gulf Traffic, an extension of its existing partnership with TrafQuest to include the distribution of its roadway sensors product line in the UAE. This includes the Vantage, Versicam and Pico video sensors for adaptive
traffic signal control and the Abacus product for automated incident detection and data collection.
TrafQuest is a transportation and traffic technology company with expertise spanning a wide range of areas, providing innovative solutions and applying advanced technologies to meet the safety and mobility needs of a modern surface transportation system. The company has active presence in the UAE and is pre-qualified with the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority, Abu Dhabi Department of Transport and the municipalities of all the other Emirates in the areas of traffic operations, intelligent transportation systems, transportation planning & management and transportation safety.
“Combining world class video sensing technologies from Iteris with local ITS, traffic engineering and solution development from Trafquest, provides a powerful capability to deliver effective local solutions and results,” said Abbas Mohaddes, president and CEO, Iteris. “Together we will help transportation agencies in the UAE to define and implement advanced traffic management solutions that are relevant to the local context, solve local problems and deliver tangible results.”
BusFeeder
TM— Iteris Provides a Powerful Management Tool
Iteris’ Transit Data Organizer, BusFeeder™, gives small urban and rural transit providers a powerful tool for increasing awareness of their service, improving customer service, and making information about their operations widely available. Through a web-based graphical user interface, BusFeeder allows small transit providers to manage their service information in Google’s popular General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) format. BusFeeder’s easy graphical tools allow fast, accurate data entry that requires no hardware, software, or specialized technical skills. The tool also automatically generates and validates a GTFS for them.
Once a transit provider has a valid GTFS, it can participate in Google Transit, a free tool that allows agencies to give their customers trip planning functionality that increases awareness of multi-modal travel opportunities.
The GTFS is widely accepted and widely used. Using it, providers can make their service information available on mobile applications that identify the traveler’s location and the nearest bus stops, and compare transit service to the cost of automobile trips. In Idaho, BusFeeder-generated GTFS are used by the state 511 to provide consistent and accurate statewide transit information.
Iteris developed BusFeeder by working with small urban and rural transit agencies who struggled to understand the complex GTFS. BusFeeder simplifies data management through innovative mapping interfaces that let agencies point and click to locate their stops and route paths instead of entering latitudes and longitudes and remembering point sequences. The tool also clearly simplifies the entry of schedules and service descriptions. Because the tool is hosted by Iteris and is web-based, there is no software or hardware for the small transit providers to maintain. Iteris has provided BusFeeder to transit providers in Idaho, Washington, and Wyoming. BusFeeder has allowed eleven agencies to participate in Google Transit that otherwise did not have the time, technical skill, and resources to develop a GTFS. The providers can contract to have Iteris provide BusFeeder and they maintain their own data. If an agency chooses, Iteris is also available to develop and maintain the GTFS, and the provider uses BusFeeder to view and verify the data.
Upcoming Events
Transportation Research Board 91st Annual Meeting
January 22-26, 2012 Washington, DC Iteris Booth 1400
14th Annual Needham Growth Conference
January 11, 2012
New York Palace Hotel, New York
ITSVA Legislative Reception
February 22, 2012 Richmond, VA
ITE 2012 Technical Conference
March 4-7, 2012 Pasadena, CA Iteris Booth 402
Intertraffic Amsterdam 2012
March 27 - 30, 2012
Amsterdam, the Netherlands Iteris Booth 11.915
iPerform
TM— Leverage Your Data to Develop a Real-time Decision
Support System
At the ITS World Congress held in Florida in October 2011, Iteris announced a new software product offering called
iPerform™ that had been in development for over a year. This software offering represents a new, additional
focus for Iteris in its portfolio of intelligent transportation system services and products – so much so that it necessitated the creation of a brand new business line in the company (see story on Page 2). The ITS sector within the transportation system market has gained significant momentum over the last decade, and the active managing and monitoring of transportation networks’ performance is fast becoming a high priority task for those networks’ owners and managers. Not only because federal funding requires some effort be focused on performance assessment, but also because performance management is a strategic action that helps decision makers find optimum solutions, and there is a great need for a tool in this genre. There is an enormous amount of mostly untapped value in the data that is routinely collected in the typical transportation network. The new iPerform
product is just such a tool that can leverage that data for better decisions.
iPerform is the analysis system that can
successfully analyze a network’s performance as it is operating under a range of values for independent variables. As a decision support system (DSS) tool, iPerform provides analytical
results as to network performance that will be highly useful not only to owners, but also to those that operate and/or maintain those networks on a daily basis. In addition to this prime function,
iPerform also automatically creates a wide
array of standardized reports that characterize the performance of the monitored network, both for current conditions and for trends revealed in user-specified historical time spans. These analytical results can be selectively pulled into an agency’s traveler information service, to provide a richer and more accurate view of traffic conditions to drivers, and the current effects of anticipated anomalies.
This revolutionary software tool is used via a web browser interface to the “back office” system running on a server. No installed software client (thick or thin) is needed on a user’s computer, and so via your agency-wide license everyone in your organization will have access to this productivity tool. A variety of canned statistical reports covering an array of performance metrics are just a click away.
Analytics Engine: The heart of the iPerform system is the software component that performs a requested
analysis action upon a select subset of data. This analytics “engine” contains proprietary statistical and analytical algorithms. A basic precept of the analysis is divining what constitutes “normal” conditions of performance for a given set of network operating conditions. By characterizing these baseline conditions, small variations and deviations from normal stand out more prominently. A common key goal of any transportation network provider is to have the network operate in a consistent, “normal” manner at all times, given the magnitude of the demand users place on the network/system. A common key need for administrators, then, is to identify what situations or factors are creating a chaos level in the network sufficient to degrade the users’ perception of its performance. End users of transportation networks desire normalcy even more so than reduced congestion-caused delays. iPerform is
the DSS tool that will enable administrators to take both strategic and operational actions that guide the system’s performance back toward stasis.
Innovation for better mobility
Iteris Gives Back “Time” with TransitHelper
TMStudies of public bus transportation have showed that up to 20 percent of the time a bus is in service it is stopped at a traffic signal. Transit signal priority can effectively reduce the time stopped for red traffic signals, eliminating up to one third of the time stopped for red traffic signals, and do so without adversely impacting motor vehicle traffic.
Under a multi-year contract with the Los Angeles County Metro, Iteris has designed and deployed a distributed Connected Bus wireless communications system where wireless request for priority messages initiated by moving Metro Rapid buses are transmitted to the appropriate signal controllers where preferential timing is provided for the buses. The Connected Bus transit signal priority system has demonstrated a reduction in peak period running times of nearly nine percent. The Metro Rapid bus signal priority systems are based on the use of smart bus systems, bus-to-intersection communications using IEEE 802.11b/g (WiFi) wireless communications, and traffic signal controller software programmed to act on the wireless communications messages and implement signal timing adjustments for approaching transit vehicles. The Connected Bus transit signal priority technology is mature as it is presently up and running for bus services at over 240 signalized intersections with deployment underway or under development for an additional 500 signalized intersections in Southern California. In addition to the deployment for Los Angeles County Metro, transit signal priority systems using the Connected Bus technology are in place or under development by Foothill Transit, Omnitrans, Santa Monica Municipal Bus Lines, Torrance Transit, Culver CityBus, and Gardena Municipal Bus Lines. At the same time as deployment is underway, the Connected Bus transit signal priority technology is continually
evolving to seamlessly accommodate new developments in wireless communications technologies as well as enhanced intersection traffic control software that provide increased transit signal priority features and capabilities.
One of the most important additions to the Connected Bus transit signal priority technology has been the recent development by Iteris of its TransitHelper transit priority request server. Housed in the traffic controller cabinet, the TransitHelper provides a universal interface between the traffic controller equipment and the wireless communications network. The TransitHelper supports both electrical and data interfaces to initiate transit signal priority, ensuring that transit signal priority can be implemented with virtually any traffic controller; serial and ethernet data communications; multiple bus-to-intersection request for priority message protocols to support current and enhanced transit signal priority algorithms for both schedule and headway based bus operations; secure wireless network interfaces utilizing the 2.4GHz WiFi, 4.9GHz public safety; and 5.9GHz DSCR bands; and data logging and reporting including actions taken by the traffic controller in response to requests for priority by transit vehicles.
As transit operators throughout North America seek to enhance bus operations through the use of transit signal priority, Iteris will be ready to provide the latest in wireless technology and innovative transit priority equipment, including the TransitHelper universal transit priority request server, to support the deployment of advanced transit priority systems.
Iteris Stands Out at World Congress
The 18th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems, combined with ITS America’s 2011 Annual Meeting & Exposition, was held in Orlando, Florida the week of October 16-20, 2011. The World Congress, held once every three years in the United States, focuses on bringing greater levels of safety, reliability, and accessibility to transportation systems worldwide. This year, the theme was “ITS-Keeping the Economy Moving.” In attendance were approximately 7,000 of the world’s leading transportation policy makers and technology and business professionals. The delegates represented more than 65 countries and included legislators, ministers of transportation, transportation officials, international standards experts, engineers, manufacturers, and other ITS stakeholders.
Iteris’ strong presence at the World Congress included the unveiling of two of our latest products, Vantage Vector™ and iPerform™, in addition to our other services and products, we also promoted Abacus and Traveler Information Systems/511. The Iteris booth at the World Congress was heavily visited and offered us some excellent exposure and networking opportunities with a large number of existing and future
clients. We had special visits by a number of dignitaries including U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood; Executive Chairman of Ford Motor Company, Bill Ford Jr., and a number of Congressmen, as well as numerous Federal, State, and local agency officials.
(Left) Ray LaHood , U.S. Secretary of Transportation, and (Right) Abbas Mohaddes, President & CEO of Iteris, ITS America Board Chairman
Abacus Team Completes Successful Colorado Springs Project
In the city of Colorado Springs, with a population of half a million and a unique combination of urban sprawl, varying weather, and topography, traffic issues range from mild to severe. Traffic conditions can change radically in minutes, where demand overtakes capacity. In our poor economic climate, the innovative traffic engineers and city planners decided that the most economical way to help ease congestion would be to put control in the hands of the people, while taking advantage of existing infrastructure. This cost-saving plan uses the city’s existing 100 cameras throughout the crowded arterial corridors and will generate a publically accessible congestion map to relay the information to drivers. This approach of disseminating information decreases congestion while saving tax payer dollars.
Rob Helt, Colorado Springs Traffic Engineer, realized that applying some of the latest in machine vision technology could transform the city’s cameras into continuous data collection devices, rather than simply using them for a few minutes each day for surveillance. Rob found that Abacus, the video processing solution from Iteris, is capable of detecting vehicles and tracking objects, as well as providing automatic incident detection by identifying stopped vehicles, wrong-way drivers, and pedestrians. The development of this technology coincided with Mr. Helt’s vision of an accurate and reliable real-time congestion map. Abacus provides turning movement counts as well as occupancy and size classification data, thereby providing a metric of traffic flow and vehicle volume flowing through the intersection. This data feeds a calibrated model that was developed so that travel times could be calculated.
Two corridors have been fitted with Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) cameras, digital encoders, and automated video processing software, where data collection has been underway. To date, the project has been a huge success in the prediction of travel-times and the analysis of traffic conditions. Using a single camera to collect data at intersections and by employing sophisticated neural network models, the system has proven to be the most cost effective and efficient way of implementing this project. The congestion mapping portion will go live to the public soon, giving drivers the ability to create their own routes and make their own decisions, based on real-time traffic conditions. This novel application of new technology sets a precedent for efficiency and cost reduction in helping to reduce congestion and travel times across a major urban area.
Innovation for better mobility
Iteris Gives Back “Time” with TransitHelper
TMStudies of public bus transportation have showed that up to 20 percent of the time a bus is in service it is stopped at a traffic signal. Transit signal priority can effectively reduce the time stopped for red traffic signals, eliminating up to one third of the time stopped for red traffic signals, and do so without adversely impacting motor vehicle traffic.
Under a multi-year contract with the Los Angeles County Metro, Iteris has designed and deployed a distributed Connected Bus wireless communications system where wireless request for priority messages initiated by moving Metro Rapid buses are transmitted to the appropriate signal controllers where preferential timing is provided for the buses. The Connected Bus transit signal priority system has demonstrated a reduction in peak period running times of nearly nine percent. The Metro Rapid bus signal priority systems are based on the use of smart bus systems, bus-to-intersection communications using IEEE 802.11b/g (WiFi) wireless communications, and traffic signal controller software programmed to act on the wireless communications messages and implement signal timing adjustments for approaching transit vehicles. The Connected Bus transit signal priority technology is mature as it is presently up and running for bus services at over 240 signalized intersections with deployment underway or under development for an additional 500 signalized intersections in Southern California. In addition to the deployment for Los Angeles County Metro, transit signal priority systems using the Connected Bus technology are in place or under development by Foothill Transit, Omnitrans, Santa Monica Municipal Bus Lines, Torrance Transit, Culver CityBus, and Gardena Municipal Bus Lines. At the same time as deployment is underway, the Connected Bus transit signal priority technology is continually
evolving to seamlessly accommodate new developments in wireless communications technologies as well as enhanced intersection traffic control software that provide increased transit signal priority features and capabilities.
One of the most important additions to the Connected Bus transit signal priority technology has been the recent development by Iteris of its TransitHelper transit priority request server. Housed in the traffic controller cabinet, the TransitHelper provides a universal interface between the traffic controller equipment and the wireless communications network. The TransitHelper supports both electrical and data interfaces to initiate transit signal priority, ensuring that transit signal priority can be implemented with virtually any traffic controller; serial and ethernet data communications; multiple bus-to-intersection request for priority message protocols to support current and enhanced transit signal priority algorithms for both schedule and headway based bus operations; secure wireless network interfaces utilizing the 2.4GHz WiFi, 4.9GHz public safety; and 5.9GHz DSCR bands; and data logging and reporting including actions taken by the traffic controller in response to requests for priority by transit vehicles.
As transit operators throughout North America seek to enhance bus operations through the use of transit signal priority, Iteris will be ready to provide the latest in wireless technology and innovative transit priority equipment, including the TransitHelper universal transit priority request server, to support the deployment of advanced transit priority systems.
Iteris Stands Out at World Congress
The 18th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems, combined with ITS America’s 2011 Annual Meeting & Exposition, was held in Orlando, Florida the week of October 16-20, 2011. The World Congress, held once every three years in the United States, focuses on bringing greater levels of safety, reliability, and accessibility to transportation systems worldwide. This year, the theme was “ITS-Keeping the Economy Moving.” In attendance were approximately 7,000 of the world’s leading transportation policy makers and technology and business professionals. The delegates represented more than 65 countries and included legislators, ministers of transportation, transportation officials, international standards experts, engineers, manufacturers, and other ITS stakeholders.
Iteris’ strong presence at the World Congress included the unveiling of two of our latest products, Vantage Vector™ and iPerform™, in addition to our other services and products, we also promoted Abacus and Traveler Information Systems/511. The Iteris booth at the World Congress was heavily visited and offered us some excellent exposure and networking opportunities with a large number of existing and future
clients. We had special visits by a number of dignitaries including U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood; Executive Chairman of Ford Motor Company, Bill Ford Jr., and a number of Congressmen, as well as numerous Federal, State, and local agency officials.
(Left) Ray LaHood , U.S. Secretary of Transportation, and (Right) Abbas Mohaddes, President & CEO of Iteris, ITS America Board Chairman
Abacus Team Completes Successful Colorado Springs Project
In the city of Colorado Springs, with a population of half a million and a unique combination of urban sprawl, varying weather, and topography, traffic issues range from mild to severe. Traffic conditions can change radically in minutes, where demand overtakes capacity. In our poor economic climate, the innovative traffic engineers and city planners decided that the most economical way to help ease congestion would be to put control in the hands of the people, while taking advantage of existing infrastructure. This cost-saving plan uses the city’s existing 100 cameras throughout the crowded arterial corridors and will generate a publically accessible congestion map to relay the information to drivers. This approach of disseminating information decreases congestion while saving tax payer dollars.
Rob Helt, Colorado Springs Traffic Engineer, realized that applying some of the latest in machine vision technology could transform the city’s cameras into continuous data collection devices, rather than simply using them for a few minutes each day for surveillance. Rob found that Abacus, the video processing solution from Iteris, is capable of detecting vehicles and tracking objects, as well as providing automatic incident detection by identifying stopped vehicles, wrong-way drivers, and pedestrians. The development of this technology coincided with Mr. Helt’s vision of an accurate and reliable real-time congestion map. Abacus provides turning movement counts as well as occupancy and size classification data, thereby providing a metric of traffic flow and vehicle volume flowing through the intersection. This data feeds a calibrated model that was developed so that travel times could be calculated.
Two corridors have been fitted with Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) cameras, digital encoders, and automated video processing software, where data collection has been underway. To date, the project has been a huge success in the prediction of travel-times and the analysis of traffic conditions. Using a single camera to collect data at intersections and by employing sophisticated neural network models, the system has proven to be the most cost effective and efficient way of implementing this project. The congestion mapping portion will go live to the public soon, giving drivers the ability to create their own routes and make their own decisions, based on real-time traffic conditions. This novel application of new technology sets a precedent for efficiency and cost reduction in helping to reduce congestion and travel times across a major urban area.
iPerform
TM— Leverage Your Data to Develop a Real-time Decision
Support System
At the ITS World Congress held in Florida in October 2011, Iteris announced a new software product offering called
iPerform™ that had been in development for over a year. This software offering represents a new, additional
focus for Iteris in its portfolio of intelligent transportation system services and products – so much so that it necessitated the creation of a brand new business line in the company (see story on Page 2). The ITS sector within the transportation system market has gained significant momentum over the last decade, and the active managing and monitoring of transportation networks’ performance is fast becoming a high priority task for those networks’ owners and managers. Not only because federal funding requires some effort be focused on performance assessment, but also because performance management is a strategic action that helps decision makers find optimum solutions, and there is a great need for a tool in this genre. There is an enormous amount of mostly untapped value in the data that is routinely collected in the typical transportation network. The new iPerform
product is just such a tool that can leverage that data for better decisions.
iPerform is the analysis system that can
successfully analyze a network’s performance as it is operating under a range of values for independent variables. As a decision support system (DSS) tool, iPerform provides analytical
results as to network performance that will be highly useful not only to owners, but also to those that operate and/or maintain those networks on a daily basis. In addition to this prime function,
iPerform also automatically creates a wide
array of standardized reports that characterize the performance of the monitored network, both for current conditions and for trends revealed in user-specified historical time spans. These analytical results can be selectively pulled into an agency’s traveler information service, to provide a richer and more accurate view of traffic conditions to drivers, and the current effects of anticipated anomalies.
This revolutionary software tool is used via a web browser interface to the “back office” system running on a server. No installed software client (thick or thin) is needed on a user’s computer, and so via your agency-wide license everyone in your organization will have access to this productivity tool. A variety of canned statistical reports covering an array of performance metrics are just a click away.
Analytics Engine: The heart of the iPerform system is the software component that performs a requested
analysis action upon a select subset of data. This analytics “engine” contains proprietary statistical and analytical algorithms. A basic precept of the analysis is divining what constitutes “normal” conditions of performance for a given set of network operating conditions. By characterizing these baseline conditions, small variations and deviations from normal stand out more prominently. A common key goal of any transportation network provider is to have the network operate in a consistent, “normal” manner at all times, given the magnitude of the demand users place on the network/system. A common key need for administrators, then, is to identify what situations or factors are creating a chaos level in the network sufficient to degrade the users’ perception of its performance. End users of transportation networks desire normalcy even more so than reduced congestion-caused delays. iPerform is
the DSS tool that will enable administrators to take both strategic and operational actions that guide the system’s performance back toward stasis.
Iteris Expands in Middle East
A New Solution next-generation product has been developed by Iteris that specifically targets this dilemma zone safety applications: Vantage VectorTM is an all-in-one vehicle detection sensor with a wide range of
intersection sensing capabilities, including stop-bar and advanced zone
detection, as well as sensing properties that enable new safety and adaptive control applications. It enhances the proven benefits of Iteris’ video detection with radar sensor technology that extends the distance and richness of detection data.
Vector’s radar sensing capability offers high precision for “dilemma zone” detection out to beyond 600 feet and also provides richer data that enables an exciting new range of speed-related intersection safety functions. The enhanced information includes real-time position and speed of individual approaching vehicles. As existing Vantage users have come to expect, Vector provides a robust GUI for simple radar set-up, along with the typical video detection zone configuration process. As a standard in the Vector product, communication between it and the roadside cabinet is accomplished via Wi-Fi.
As the world leader for traffic management, Iteris’ Vantage Vector demonstrates the ability of our market research and engineering teams to develop new technologies that better serve our customers’ needs and sustain our market leadership.
Improving Intersection Safety (continued)
Innovation for better mobility
Gulf Traffic 2011 was held on December 12-14, 2011 at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre in Dubai. Iteris had a presence at the conference with a booth at the exhibition.
Iteris, which vews the Middle East region as a vital part of its global business development strategy, announced, on the opening day of Gulf Traffic, an extension of its existing partnership with TrafQuest to include the distribution of its roadway sensors product line in the UAE. This includes the Vantage, Versicam and Pico video sensors for adaptive
traffic signal control and the Abacus product for automated incident detection and data collection.
TrafQuest is a transportation and traffic technology company with expertise spanning a wide range of areas, providing innovative solutions and applying advanced technologies to meet the safety and mobility needs of a modern surface transportation system. The company has active presence in the UAE and is pre-qualified with the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority, Abu Dhabi Department of Transport and the municipalities of all the other Emirates in the areas of traffic operations, intelligent transportation systems, transportation planning & management and transportation safety.
“Combining world class video sensing technologies from Iteris with local ITS, traffic engineering and solution development from Trafquest, provides a powerful capability to deliver effective local solutions and results,” said Abbas Mohaddes, president and CEO, Iteris. “Together we will help transportation agencies in the UAE to define and implement advanced traffic management solutions that are relevant to the local context, solve local problems and deliver tangible results.”
BusFeeder
TM— Iteris Provides a Powerful Management Tool
Iteris’ Transit Data Organizer, BusFeeder™, gives small urban and rural transit providers a powerful tool for increasing awareness of their service, improving customer service, and making information about their operations widely available. Through a web-based graphical user interface, BusFeeder allows small transit providers to manage their service information in Google’s popular General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) format. BusFeeder’s easy graphical tools allow fast, accurate data entry that requires no hardware, software, or specialized technical skills. The tool also automatically generates and validates a GTFS for them.
Once a transit provider has a valid GTFS, it can participate in Google Transit, a free tool that allows agencies to give their customers trip planning functionality that increases awareness of multi-modal travel opportunities.
The GTFS is widely accepted and widely used. Using it, providers can make their service information available on mobile applications that identify the traveler’s location and the nearest bus stops, and compare transit service to the cost of automobile trips. In Idaho, BusFeeder-generated GTFS are used by the state 511 to provide consistent and accurate statewide transit information.
Iteris developed BusFeeder by working with small urban and rural transit agencies who struggled to understand the complex GTFS. BusFeeder simplifies data management through innovative mapping interfaces that let agencies point and click to locate their stops and route paths instead of entering latitudes and longitudes and remembering point sequences. The tool also clearly simplifies the entry of schedules and service descriptions. Because the tool is hosted by Iteris and is web-based, there is no software or hardware for the small transit providers to maintain. Iteris has provided BusFeeder to transit providers in Idaho, Washington, and Wyoming. BusFeeder has allowed eleven agencies to participate in Google Transit that otherwise did not have the time, technical skill, and resources to develop a GTFS. The providers can contract to have Iteris provide BusFeeder and they maintain their own data. If an agency chooses, Iteris is also available to develop and maintain the GTFS, and the provider uses BusFeeder to view and verify the data.
Upcoming Events
Transportation Research Board 91st Annual Meeting
January 22-26, 2012 Washington, DC Iteris Booth 1400
14th Annual Needham Growth Conference
January 11, 2012
New York Palace Hotel, New York
ITSVA Legislative Reception
February 22, 2012 Richmond, VA
ITE 2012 Technical Conference
March 4-7, 2012 Pasadena, CA Iteris Booth 402
Intertraffic Amsterdam 2012
March 27 - 30, 2012
Amsterdam, the Netherlands Iteris Booth 11.915
Ramin M. Massoumi, PE Vice President
MBA/2004; MS/1996/Engineering; BS/1994/Civil Engineering; 2003/Civil Engineer/CA #C64225 Orange County Traffic Engineers Council – Board Member; Institute of Transportation Engineers
Mr. Massoumi has over 17 years of experience with a background in transportation systems analysis and design, ITS planning and design, and traffic engineering utilizing system engineering practices. He has served as Project Manager, Deputy Project Manager, Task Manager, Quality Control Advisory, and Project Engineer on numerous projects. This includes providing regional based signal timing analysis and deployment, ITS-based traffic, transportation, transit, and communications consulting systems engineering services to public agencies and transit operators. He is experienced in a wide range of applications including the development of coordinated advanced traffic management systems and the design and implementation of systems for arterial, highway, transit, and highway-railroad grade crossings.
Richard Shinn
Associate Vice President
MS/1995/Systems Technology (Scientific & Technical Intelligence); BS/1990/Accountancy; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Member
Mr. Richard Shinn has extensive Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) experience in systems engineering, telecommunications engineering, network analysis, systems management, and system integration. This has involved fiber optic cable system design, digital and analog video system design, CWDM multiplexing techniques, Spread Spectrum wireless communications, and Gigabit Ethernet network design. Elements include the design of Traffic Operations Centers, specifications for system components, preparation of Network Management and Configuration Management policies and procedures, and preparation of PS&E documents. He is also an industry leader in ITS Strategic Planning for Small & Medium-sized communities. As an Information Technology Manager for a Fortune 500 company and an officer in the United States Navy, he managed 20 separate systems integration projects for enterprises ranging from 200 to 11,000 people.
Iteris Adds Talent
Innovation for better mobility
Timothy E. Byrne, PE Associate Vice President
MS/2004/Public Administration; MS/1994/ Transportation Engineering; BS/1992/Civil Engineering; 2000/PE/CA #60532; Institute of Transportation Engineers; Orange County Traffic Engineering Council
Mr. Byrne has 17 years of experience in transportation planning, project management, and travel demand forecasting. He has extensive experience in managing small and large transportation projects, analyzing complex situations, and developing recommendations and solutions.
As the Regional Modeling Section Manager at the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), he led various planning and technical studies to evaluate multi-modal options for the county’s transportation system. He has analyzed toll, carpool, local bus, bus rapid transit, light rail, and commuter rail modes for planning projects throughout Orange County over the last decade. Based on specific project and Authority needs, he managed OCTAM development projects to incorporate specific capabilities for various modes including light rail, bus rapid transit, and tolling. He continually maintained OCTAM, evaluated and incorporated Orange County Projections (OCP) datasets, and ensured the model met current FTA New Starts standards. He also managed and participated in the planning, development, and implementation of regional and subregional travel demand models, He has developed and applied several local and regional models for applications in a variety of multi-modal projects including toll feasibility assessment, commuter rail patronage studies, general plan updates, and Caltrans project assessment/environmental documentation projects. Mr. Byrne specializes in the development, application, and evaluation of tools and results to effectively evaluate circulation system performance.
The Importance of Performance Measurement
A general truism is that measuring the performance of a system – any system – is a prerequisite activity for (1st) improving its operation and (2nd) cost-justifying the expense of specific enhancements. In transportation systems (road networks, public transit routes, toll facilities, etc.), the demand for rigorous and continuing performance measurement from policy makers and funding agencies has always been strong, but the toolsets available to system owners and operators have not been commensurately rich or robust.
Performance Measurement - Rationale
A self-evident way to improve the performance of a system is to measure its performance, and then target specific actions that have the capability of affecting said system’s operation. Measure its performance again and again (or continuously) to reveal the effects of the actions. Presuming these targeted actions do achieve the desired goal, then both the performance measurement activity and the specific actions will be meaningful.
Without measurement, the magnitude of benefits (and therefore, the true value of those benefits) can only be guessed at. A performance measurement system, therefore, should be a mandatory building block of any hoped-for enhanced system.
A Primer on Performance Management
Many transportation agencies (both Departments of Transportation (DOTs), local municipalities, & Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) have begun to embrace the concept of needing to support strategic decisions at least partly based on the effects those decisions
will have on the performance of the altered system. Gaining insight into the change in performance is therefore a necessary component of this decision-making paradigm. The reporting of measurements has evolved from publishing whatever data are on hand, to a select set of data that are most useful in setting targets, seeing statistically significant changes, and highlighting the most visible or most difficult problems. In this evolved management environment, the Performance Measurement system is less visible to, but even more important to, the much larger process – namely, Performance Management. The latter is “the regular ongoing process of selecting measures, setting targets, and using measures in decision-making” as stated in Transportation Performance Management: Insight from Practitioners (NCHRP Report 660 / NCHRP Project 08-62 Final Report). June 2010,).
Most literature on Performance Management focuses strictly on how an agency can or should use Performance Measures in making appropriate strategic agency decisions as to (a) resource allocation, (b) resource efficiency, and (c) operational decisions. Little in the Performance Management discussion seems to be mentioned about how a Performance Measurement system can be of direct use also to the agency’s customers – namely, the traveling public.
While the data analysis obviously can be useful to an agency when making decisions as to changes in short- and long-term strategies, an obvious additional real-time benefit would be to impart knowledge to drivers so that they may make nearly instantaneous decisions about the trip they are on or about to commence. In this regard, a more capable Performance Measurement system can feed not only management’s needs, but also provide enhanced support for a region’s traveler information program.
ITS Design for MDOT on I-69
This project will provide design for ITS devices along 26 miles of the I-69, a freeway of international significance, from the St. Clair County line to the I-94/I-69 interchange connecting to the Blue Water Bridge, the second busiest border crossing between the US and Canada. This project includes developing a final bid package based on 100% complete plans, provide cost estimate for construction, and serve as MDOT representative system manager, through the construction phase. The project will scope the project, refine locations of equipment, develop plans to 100% complete, provide necessary geotechnical information, provide necessary survey work, and develop functional requirements. The system will include Dynamic Message Signs (DMS), Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) Cameras, detectors, and communications infrastructure which will interface with all of the existing ITS monitoring software and equipment. Iteris is the prime consultant for this project.
Vantage used with ACS Lite
Adaptive control systems are becoming the traffic signal systems of choice in many parts of the country. The successful operation of all adaptive control systems is dependent on accurate and dependable detection. Pearland, Texas (a suburb of Houston) recently selected and deployed a Siemens ACSLite system. Siemens used the Vantage Edge2 video detection system for both the stop bar and advanced detection. The system was successfully turned on in October of 2011.
To achieve the level of detection accuracy required for an adaptive control system, 2 cameras were installed on the main street approaches, one for traditional stop bar presence detection, and one installed for advanced detection. The camera for advanced detection was installed on luminaire poles mounted to achieve maximum height. The camera was then zoomed in to provide the ideal vehicle size the required detection distance. All cameras are being monitored using EdgeConnect using the same communication channels as the traffic signal controllers. Additional adaptive controls systems with Vantage detection are being deployed in Texas this year.
Iteris Strategic Wins
KDOT Wichita TMC Operations Support
Iteris is currently conducting operator training for the new Traffic Management Center (TMC) in Wichita, KS. The Phase I Wichita TMC deployment, which includes CCTV cameras, dynamic message signs, traffic sensors, road weather information systems (RWIS), and a hybrid communications network, was completed this year. Managed by the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), the Wichita TMC is co-located in the Sedgwick County Emergency Operations / 911 Center.
City of Omaha Traffic Signal System Master Plan
Iteris was recently selected to conduct a Traffic Signal System Master Plan and Feasibility Study for the City of Omaha, NE. The project will include an assessment of available traffic signal control technologies and associated ITS devices and strategies as well supporting
communications infrastructure alternatives to allow the City to migrate to a new, state-of-the-practice advanced traffic management system (ATMS). A phased implementation plan and deployment strategy will be developed based on identified project priorities and available funding.
