http://www.ntoctalks.com/ The NTOC Talks site is intended to provide information and resources to transportation practitioners, coalition members, and the general public on current news, upcoming meetings, and available products and documents. en-usTue, 02 Feb 2010 09:12:42 EDTimages/NTOC_logo.gif The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) released a comprehensive update to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) on December 16, 2009. ATSSA, in cooperation with AASHTO and ITE, is hosting four Web briefings on February 9 and 23 and March 2 and 9 that will give an overview of the changes from 2003 to the new 2009 MUTCD. Site Fee: $100 for ITE/ATSSA/AASHTO members and $125 for non-members. To register, click on the link below. http://ntoctalks.com/news/news_detail.php?news_id=382 2010-02-02 09:12:42 Information is available on the ITS JPO Web site at: http://www.its.dot.gov/strat_plan/index.htm. http://ntoctalks.com/news/news_detail.php?news_id=381 2010-01-21 13:29:17 Congestion pricing can be used to make more efficient use of existing transportation infrastructure. This provides users with the benefits of reduced congestion but at a much lower cost than adding new capacity. The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) initiated the Urban Partnership Agreement/Congestion Reduction Demonstration (UPA/CRD) Program to reduce congestion through the implementation of pricing activities. Program applicants were required to include four complementary strategies, called the 4 Ts, in their proposals: 1) Tolling; 2) Transit; 3) Telecommuting, which includes additional travel demand management (TDM) strategies; and 4) Technology. In Miami, Florida as a part of the UPA Program, the single High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane on I-95 was converted into two express lanes based on the High Occupancy Toll (HOT) concept. Click on the link above to read about the Miami 95 Express Lanes Urban Partner Mid-year Evaluation.You can also visit http://www.sunguide.org/index.php?/tmc_reports/ to view the Mid-Year Report and other performance reports concerning the 95 Express Lanes. For more information, contact Angela Jacobs, U.S. Department of Transportation, at Angela.Jacobs@dot.gov. http://ntoctalks.com/news/news_detail.php?news_id=380 2010-01-21 13:28:33 This Talking Operations Webinar will take place on Wednesday, February 3, 2010, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Register now through the link below. While some U.S. cities have shown themselves to be world leaders with regard to managing demand on highway lanes using congestion pricing, broader scale application of this approach has been limited in the U.S. Several international cities and countries are operating broad scale pricing schemes, however. To gain an understanding of the political, institutional, public acceptance and technical factors that contributed to their success, a team of U.S. transportation professionals met with key representatives from Singapore and several countries in Europe (including Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, and the Czech Republic) over a two-week period in December 2009. The scan team's findings will be documented in a report to be published later this year. The scan trip was co-sponsored by FHWA, AASHTO and TRB. At this webinar, members of the team will present a pre-report summary overview of the scan findings. The presentation will include the various types of broad-scale road pricing schemes and lessons learned. Speakers are listed below: Robert (Bob) Arnold, co-chair of the Scan Team, is the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Director for the Office of Transportation Management. He is responsible for National programs focused on the reduction of roadway congestion. He is also responsible for contributing to overall strategic planning, policy development, and developing legislative proposals for the Administration. Jayme Blakesley is an Attorney-Advisor with the U.S. Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Office of Chief Counsel. He is FTA's lead attorney on road pricing, transit-oriented development, and public-private partnerships. John Doan (Report Facilitator) is a Senior Associate at SRF Consulting Group, based in Minneapolis, MN. Doan leads SRF's road pricing practice with national and local expertise in the area of transportation planning, innovative finance, and public involvement. Mark Muriello is the Assistant Director of Tunnels, Bridges and Terminals for The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and is responsible for the six vehicular crossings between New York City and New Jersey. He directs a wide range of tolling and revenue programs, and serves in leadership roles in several research and industry organizations. Patty Rubstello is the Director of Tolling Systems Development and Engineering for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Toll Division. Patty was the project manager for the State's first HOT lane project and is currently the Project Director for the Seattle Urban Partnership Project. http://ntoctalks.com/news/news_detail.php?news_id=379 2010-01-21 13:25:58 The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released its report on real-time traffic information entitled 'Efforts to Address Highway Congestion through Real-Time Traffic Information Systems Are Expanding, but Face Implementation Challenges.' The report provides extremely relevant information as Congress works to craft a transportation bill that encourages a shift to a more performance-based system. Among the findings are that the estimated cost to establish and operate real-time transportation information programs in all 50 states and the nation's 50 largest metropolitan areas through 2018 would be approximately $1.2 billion, while the anticipated cost savings due to increased safety, mobility, and environmental benefits from the system is estimated to be $30.2 billion. The report is available online through the link above. http://ntoctalks.com/news/news_detail.php?news_id=378 2009-12-23 10:38:16 A diverse coalition that includes the world's largest business association, environmental and Smart Growth advocates, public safety organizations, highway, transit and automotive associations, former Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters, and other transportation leaders joined forces to urge President Obama to invest in the deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) to accelerate job creation and economic recovery. The coalition of some 70 public and private sector and academic leaders joined the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) in signing a letter to Obama outlining the numerous economic, environmental, and transportation benefits of investing in ITS technologies. 'As you work with Congress to draft a jobs bill, we urge you to invest in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and operational improvements that will expand green jobs, small businesses and the smart-tech industry while also saving lives, time and money by preventing traffic crashes, improving emergency response, reducing congestion, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, improving transportation system performance, and creating more livable, sustainable communities,' ITS America President and CEO Scott F. Belcher and the coalition wrote to Obama. To read the coalition's entire letter to President Obama go to: http://www.itsa.org/itsa/files/pdf/ITSAJobsLetterPresidentObama1217Signed.pdf. http://ntoctalks.com/news/news_detail.php?news_id=377 2009-12-23 10:36:59 The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) released a comprehensive update to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) on December 16, 2009. ITE, in cooperation with AASHTO and ATSSA, will print FHWA's Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), 2009 Edition. The printed version of the manual, which sets the standards for road safety throughout the country, is now available for presale from THE Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE). Reserve your copy through the ITE Bookstore at http://www.ite.org/bookstore. The MUTCD is the national standard for all traffic control devices, including traffic signs, pavement markings, signals and any other devices used to regulate, warn, or guide traffic. Ensuring uniformity of traffic control devices across the nation - from their messages and placement to their sizes, shapes and colors - helps to reduce crashes and traffic congestion. This is the first comprehensive update to the manual since 2003. The MUTCD's 2009 edition features many new and updated requirements, ranging from changes in highway signs and bike lanes to the color of high-visibility garments worn by road workers. Most changes are a result of extensive research; however, seven changes stem from recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). This is the largest number of NTSB recommendations adopted by the MUTCD at one time. For an overview of the new rules and recommendations, visit the link below. http://ntoctalks.com/news/news_detail.php?news_id=376 2009-12-23 10:36:00 A special feature article in the September-October 2009 issue of the TR News highlights the TRB Planning and Environment Group's recent annual competition to recognize fresh and creative methods of communicating technical transportation issues and concepts to the public. The focus of the competition was energy and climate change in transportation. The top entries ranged from a book to multimedia presentations and interactive online games. For more information, click on the link above. http://ntoctalks.com/news/news_detail.php?news_id=375 2009-12-17 11:21:32 The Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office (ITS JPO) announced that its Strategic Research Plan 2010–2014 has been endorsed by the ITS Management Council with full support. The council embraced the plan's potential to substantially improve safety, mobility and present opportunities for environmental improvement through connectivity. More information will be available on the Web site soon, and more detailed information will be released at the Transportation Research Board's annual meeting in January. http://ntoctalks.com/news/news_detail.php?news_id=374 2009-12-17 11:20:18 FHWA has released a report that examines practices related to developing and sustaining a Regional Traffic Signal Operations Program, which provide regional partners with a formal framework to collectively manage the signal system performance for efficiency and consistency. To access the report, click on the link above. (Publication Number: FHWA-HOP-09-007) http://ntoctalks.com/news/news_detail.php?news_id=373 2009-12-17 11:19:48 In an historic step towards ending gridlock in urban areas across the country, the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) today announced that the Dallas and San Diego areas will receive $14 million as the nation's first demonstration sites for new Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) technologies that help fight congestion and enhance travel. The Integrated Corridor Management (ICM) initiative will help the Dallas and San Diego metro areas become "living laboratories" in the fight against congestion. 'These communities are leading the way by using state-of-the-art technologies to create a commute that is safer, less congested and more convenient.' said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. 'America can't simply build our way to a more modern and efficient transportation infrastructure. These projects will show the rest of the nation that bumper-to-bumper traffic doesn't have to be the status quo.' The demonstrations will build on past findings about ICM to provide a first-hand evaluation of the real-world impact. The new technology will avoid the dangers of text-messaging and other distractions behind the wheel that result in distracted driving. The initiative is jointly sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), and the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA). To read the complete release, click on the link above. http://ntoctalks.com/news/news_detail.php?news_id=372 2009-12-17 11:19:08 The 2010 Technical Conference and Exhibit, Meeting Transportation's 21st Century Challenges, taking place March 14–17, 2010 in Savannah, GA, USA, will overlap with the city's St. Patrick's Day celebration, Savannah's largest annual celebration and the second largest St. Patrick's Day event in the United States. It is important to book your hotel room early for the conference, as most of the city's rooms are filled by March 1 or sooner. Attendees of the ITE Technical Conference and Exhibit staying at the Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort and Spa can take advantage of a special ITE group rate of $209 per night, plus state and local taxes, available through the link below Special ITE group rates expire at 5:00 p.m. ET on February 18, 2010. The conference's technical content will weave crucial areas of energy, environment and the economy into ITE's core focus areas of engineering and design, transportation operations, planning and safety. The conference will feature technical sessions, conversation circles and interactive learning experiences to facilitate networking, understanding of national policy initiatives and application of state-of-the-practice tools. Online registration is available at www.ite.org/conference/. This meeting is being held in cooperation with the U.S. DOT Federal Highway Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In addition, ITE is working collaboratively with the Transportation and Development Institute (T&DI) of the American Society of Civil Engineering to coordinate the technical program for this conference. It will serve as a lead-in to T&DI's Green Streets and Highways Conference, November 14–17, 2010 in Denver, CO, USA. See you in Savannah! http://ntoctalks.com/news/news_detail.php?news_id=371 2009-12-02 12:38:31 More than 65 sessions and workshops will be in the spotlight at the Transportation Research Board (TRB) 89th Annual Meeting, January 10-14, 2010—contributing to the meeting's spotlight theme, Investing in Our Transportation Future—Bold Ideas to Meet Big Challenges. The spotlight theme will focus attention on what transportation policy makers, practitioners, and researchers are doing and can do to address the major challenges currently facing transportation. Opportunities and obstacles for providing high-speed rail, lessons learned from the economic downturn, transportation's role in mitigating climate change, new approaches to financing, reducing congestion, applying advance technologies, and livability will be among the topics featured. For a complete list of spotlight theme events, go to the Interactive Program on TRB Annual Meeting Web site, under Subject Area check the box next to 'Investing in Our Transportation Future—Bold Ideas to Meet Big Challenges,' and click search. http://ntoctalks.com/news/news_detail.php?news_id=370 2009-12-02 12:37:06 With thousands of people taking to the roads this Thanksgiving, holiday travelers from Maine to Florida will be able to save time and better plan their trips with access to real-time traffic information and estimated drive times. A new Web site, www.i95travelinfo.net, provides updated information from 24 metropolitan areas and 14 states and D.C. The service offers travelers speed and congestion information on the Interstate 95 corridor, including I-95, the beltways surrounding each major city, and all associated routes that together make up the corridor. Visitors to the Web site can manipulate the map to zoom to any of the states. Traffic congestion information is presented using various color codes. Green to indicate free flow, yellow for moderate congestion, red for heavy congestion, maroon for stop-and-go, and black to indicate a closed road within the coverage area. The site comes from the I-95 Corridor Coalition. It is a partnership of transportation agencies, toll authorities, and related organizations, including public safety, port, transit and rail organizations, from Maine to Florida, working together to improve long distance travel for passengers and freight. http://ntoctalks.com/news/news_detail.php?news_id=369 2009-12-02 12:35:33 The NTIMC has initiated an effort to create the Traffic Incident Management (TIM) Network. The TIM Network will serve as a connection between the NTIMC and practitioners, trainers, and researchers. To begin the process of building a national resource on TIM, the NTIMC is conducting a web-based survey. Follow the link below to complete the survey. http://ntoctalks.com/news/news_detail.php?news_id=368 2009-11-20 07:24:49