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-usWed, 28 Jul 2010 08:32:48 EDTimages/NTOC_logo.gif The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) has been changing the face of our nation—physically in terms of improvements to our infrastructure and economically by saving or creating tens of thousands of jobs. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has been instrumental in ARRA's success by working with our state partners to beat Congress's deadline to obligate 100 percent of our Recovery Act funds by March 1, 2010. The FHWA Office of Operations recently performed an analysis on ARRA projects obligated through February 19, 2010 to determine the approximate ARRA investment level in ITS and transportation system management and operations projects. The results showed that nearly $600 million in ARRA funds were invested in 509 operations and ITS projects, with approximately half funding ITS projects and the other half funding traditional operational improvements across 41 States, plus Washington, DC. The categories used to define operations and ITS projects were: • Traffic Signalization projects (258 projects, $204 M) • Intersection geometric improvements (75 projects, $127 M) • Signs (36 projects, $40 M) • Pavement markings (60 projects, $30 M) • ITS field devices (80 projects, $192 M) Both the number of projects and total investment level in each category should be regarded as close approximations of actual investment levels. The top five States to use funding on operations and ITS projects were Georgia, Pennsylvania, California, Maryland, and Tennessee. It is likely that ITS and operations played a larger role in the ARRA projects overall, as there was no method for capturing ITS and operations investments as part of larger projects. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/economicrecovery/index.htm 2010-07-28 08:32:48 A new report credits major federal funding increases for roadway safety engineering projects for the dramatic reduction in highway fatalities between 2006 and 2009. The study, Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Obligations and Fatalities on U.S. Highways: Final Report, prepared for the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) by Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), examines engineering funding increases provided under the 2005-2009 federal-aid highway law. With sharp safety project funding increases beginning in 2006, the report analyzes the extent to which the new HSIP program can be credited with the reduction in fatalities that started around the same time, following a 10-year period with little change. For years that figure fluctuated slightly, but remained around 42,000. By 2009, following annual reductions since 2006, the number of deaths had fallen to 33,963. As fatalities decline, a variety of non-engineering factors have been commonly hypothesized as responsible, such as the temporary reduction in driving that occurred with the economic downturn and fuel price spikes of 2008. SAIC found that none of the commonly cited reasons sufficiently explains the sharp decrease in deaths seen since the HSIP program was created. Rather, the report found that the HSIP program spending changes correlated with the sharp decrease in traffic fatalities. Further, the report estimates that the United States realizes an annual savings of $42.7 million for every $1 million increase of HSIP funds spent. 'This report makes it crystal clear that modern engineering enhancements are making our drivers and passengers much safer and these investments are going to continue to save tens of thousands of families from heartbreak,' said Greg Cohen, Executive Director of the Roadway Safety Foundation. 'It is critical that we prioritize systemic safety improvements on our nation's roads and bridges in the years ahead to continue this trend. We can't forget that road crashes are the #1 killer of children and young adults aged 3 34.' The full report is available online at http://atssa.com/cs/roadway-safety-policy. http://atssa.com/cs/roadway-safety-policy 2010-07-28 08:31:53 The 2010 version of the Traffic Incident Management Handbook (TIM) includes the latest advances in TIM programs and practices across the country, and offers practitioners insights into the latest innovations in TIM tools and technologies. The 2010 TIM Handbook also features a parallel Web-based version that can be conveniently bookmarked, browsed, or keyword-searched for quick reference. This version supersedes the Freeway Incident Management Handbook published by FHWA in 1991 and the Traffic Incident Management Handbook published in 2000. (Publication Number: FHWA-HOP-10-013) http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/eto_tim_pse/publications/timhandbook/index.htm 2010-07-28 08:31:17 To further implement the successful National Unified Goal for Traffic Incident Management (NUG) goals and practices, the I-95 Corridor Coalition, FHWA, and the National Traffic Incident Management Coalition (NTIMC) will host a national NUG Summit. The agenda will include such topics as NTIMC and NUG Progress, Incident Management Best Practices, TIM Self Assessment, TIM Training, Towing and TIM, and interdisciplinary incident management issues and best practices for the resolution of those issues. The three major objectives of the NUG are Responder Safety, Safe, Quick Clearance and Prompt, Reliable Interoperable Communications. The NUG Summit will convene on Tuesday, September 21, 2010 at 12:00 p.m. at The Conference Center at the Maritime Institute in Linthicum Heights, MD (near BWI/Baltimore Airport), and will adjourn at 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 22, 2010. There will also be opportunity to join the September 21 segment of the NUG Summit virtually via the Internet. There will be no registration fee for the NUG Summit or fee to participate through Internet access. Federal, State, Regional and Local Traffic Incident Responders should plan to attend to improve the way we manage traffic incidents and to increase safety and efficiency by working toward the implementation of the National Unified Goal's three goals and 18 strategies. Information will soon be available regarding agenda details, registration information, and Maritime Institute Hotel Room block and other information. http://www.transportation.org/sites/ntimc/docs/NUG%20Summit%20Save%20Date.doc 2010-07-28 08:30:46 This year's ITS Committee mid-year workshop will focus on IntelliDrive(SM) and is planned for September 21-22 at the Beckman Center in Irvine, California. Visit the link above to register and reserve your hotel room. The deadline for reduced hotel rates is August 13. The goal of the mid-year workshop is to consider the potential impact of IntelliDrive, and the data it will generate, on the various components of the transportation enterprise, including agency organization, finances, and staffing, in addition to planning, operations, safety, and maintenance. The workshop will bring together public and private sector transportation thought leaders and practitioners to develop research statements that explore how IntelliDrive will affect the work of infrastructure owners and operators. In addition to the ITS Committee workshop, the ITS Joint Program Office will convene a one-day workshop on Monday September 20, (preceding the TRB meeting) to explore the impact of emerging trends and innovations, shifting priorities and changing requirements on the evaluation of ITS. The release in early 2010 of the U.S. DOT ITS Strategic Research Plan lays out new goals and initiatives in the ITS Program that impact national and local ITS projects. The ITS Evaluation Program managers are keenly interested in the input from the transportation community on advancing the practice and increasing the value of ITS evaluation, and identifying the evaluation needs of the transportation community. The workshop will give participants the opportunity to provide feedback on the Evaluation Program, share innovative evaluation practices, and identify evaluation needs.This intense and engaging two-part event promises workshop participants a great opportunity to learn and to contribute to the continuing evolution of the ITS program. http://guest.cvent.com/EVENTS/Info/Summary.aspx?e=7fbf628b-1ce1-4328-b473-3d8c894a7cce 2010-07-28 08:30:16 Prepared by ITS America's Technical Forum on Sustainability, the report 'ITS Technology and Sustainable Transportation' looks at the role ITS can play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The paper states, 'We believe that we have technology and solutions that can ease traffic flow and reduce GHG emissions, but to date we have neither articulated that message nor delivered it effectively. It is unfortunate but we are largely seen as a part of the climate change problem; not part of the climate change solution. However, ITS America believes that transportation technology can have a significant impact on a GHG reduction strategy.' To read the complete report, click on the link above. http://www.itsa.org/itsa/files/pdf/Sustainability%20Position%20Paper.pdf 2010-07-28 08:29:46 A featured article in the May-June 2010 TR News provides an overview of the articles in this issue, which collectively explore the body of evidence, the mix of transportation strategies, potential regulatory approaches, modal initiatives, and opportunities for innovation that encompass transportation's role in addressing climate change. To read the article, click on the link above. http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/trnews/trnews268RubinNoland.pdf 2010-07-28 08:29:13 Informing an Effective Response to Climate Change is the newest panel report from the America's Climate Choices suite of studies. The report demonstrates that demand for information to support climate-related decisions has grown as people, organizations, and governments have moved ahead with plans and actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt to the impacts of climate change. Today, however, the nation lacks comprehensive, robust, and credible information systems to inform climate choices and evaluate their effectiveness. This report examines information needs and calls for the federal government to build upon its existing efforts and those of state and local government, the private sector and citizens by establishing clear federal leadership, responsibility, and coordination for climate related decisions, climate risk management, information systems, and services. To access the report, click on the link above. http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=12784 2010-07-28 08:28:37 U.S. DOT will host a one-day public meeting on October 20, 2010 in Ypsilanti, MI, to provide a report on results from the Integrated Vehicle-Based Safety Systems (IVBSS) field operational test to members of the vehicle safety research community and other interested parties. The IVBSS program is a five-year cooperative research agreement to combine several crash warning subsystems—including forward collision, lane departure, lane change, and curve speed warning—into a single, integrated concept to enhance the safety of both passenger vehicles and heavy trucks. Field tests using a fleet of light vehicles and heavy trucks were recently completed and the resulting reports are being finalized. The key findings report for the Heavy Truck field test will be available by the end of August. Click on the link above for registration and additional information. The online registration deadline is October 15. http://umtri.umich.edu/public/ivbss/ 2010-07-28 08:27:59 The University of Washington Professional & Continuing Education is offering two online Sustainable Transportation Certificates: the Certificate in Sustainable Transportation: Planning and Livable Communities and the Certificate in Sustainable Transportation: Environmental Issues and Impacts. The classes offered for these certificates will help you to: Understand the important issues involved in sustainable transportation planning. Review policies and programs that encourage mixed use and higher density levels designed to promote transportation modes other than the single occupancy vehicle. Study the impact that transportation options have on the quality of service, the environment and sustainability. Explore the movement of goods, various freight options and the strategies for making them more sustainable. Examine the relationship between transportation and the environment, including energy, climate change, air pollution and water quality. Develop tools, such as life cycle assessment, that will help you understand the full range of environmental impacts associated with transportation decisions. Learn to conduct environmental evaluations with a variety of analytical tools, such as travel demand forecasting and air and water quality modeling. For complete information, including registration, visit www.pce.uw.edu or call 888-469-6499. http://www.pce.uw.edu 2010-07-28 08:27:02 The TRB Technical Activities Division's Planning and Environment Group is holding its fourth annual competition to find top methods for communicating transportation concepts to non-professional audiences. Entries should focus on the 2011 Annual Meeting spotlight theme of transportation, livability, and economic development in a changing world. There is no restriction on the form of communication—graphics, illustrations, photos, software, demonstrations, interactive exercises or games—used to convey the message. Entries may be examples of successful communications efforts or techniques that can be used to communicate transportation concepts to non-transportation professional audiences. The entries will be evaluated by a panel of judges representing technical as well as communication disciplines. The winner will be announced at the 2011 TRB 90th Annual Meeting, January 23-27, 2011, in Washington, D.C. The top ten entries will be showcased in a poster session at the TRB Annual Meeting and featured in an article in TRB's TR News. http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/dva/JohnJaneCommunicationCompetitionCall_2010.pdf 2010-07-28 08:26:33 TRB's second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2) has issued a request for proposals to determine how data and information on the impacts of differing causes of nonrecurrent highway congestion can be incorporated into the performance measure estimation procedures in the Highway Capacity Manual. Proposals are due by September 27, 2010. For more information, click on the link above. http://144.171.11.40/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=2197 2010-07-28 08:26:01 The Center for Neighborhood Technology has released the beta version of a web-based tool designed to help individuals find what a typical household spends on transportation in their neighborhood. The tool also provides an estimate on carbon emissions associated with using a car from a particular location. To view the tool, click on the link above. http://abogo.cnt.org/ 2010-07-28 08:25:25 In North Dakota, with more than 8,500 miles of highways in the state and an additional 1,000 or so miles of interstate, planning road construction projects is a daunting task. But a high-tech van, the only one in the state Department of Transportation's fleet, is making that task more manageable. Meet the North Dakota DOT Multi-Purpose Data Collection Vehicle. It is a long name for a $600,000 van with five on-board computers that traverses the highways in North Dakota, all the while gathering information on the condition of roadways. Dirk Kienzle and Ben Red Horse are the DOT project engineers who drive the van about 2,400 miles per week, collecting information.The van is equipped with three lasers mounted on the front bumper, two high-resolution cameras on the top and two lasers on the back. To read the complete article, click on the link above. http://www.bismarcktribune.com/news/local/article_1d00177e-96df-11df-a10e-001cc4c03286.html 2010-07-28 08:24:48 Have you missed a recent NTOC Talking Operations Web Cast? Visit the Web Cast Archives page through the link above to access recordings, podcasts, and transcripts from these free, informative Web casts. Materials from the June 24 Web cast on the template for submitting dynamic mobility applications using Intellidrive are now online. If you missed the July 7 Talking Operations Webinar, 'How to Implement a Congestion Pricing Project,' the archive materials will also be available later today on the NTOC Web Site. http://www.ntoctalks.com/web_casts_archive.php 2010-07-14 08:26:18