Completed

On January 20, 2000, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) authorized new, non-commercial Low Power FM (LPFM) broadcast stations throughout the FM band at powers of up to 100 watts. Using a 30 meter (100 foot) mast, high quality coverage is possible over a 7 to 12 mile diameter, according to terrain and the strength of competing FM stations.

Transportation agencies were given priority over education, church and community group applicants in that, for example, they could apply for many licenses within a state. However, all applications had to be made within a very narrow time window of June 11 to 15, 2001 . Once granted, the licenses are good for eight years.

The new LPFM service provided a unique opportunity to get rural roadway, weather and tourism ITS information into every car and truck at a reasonable cost. FM offers high quality reception and other benefits over traditional AM Highway Advisory Radio. LPFM is affordable, at about $12,000 per station for the broadcasting equipment. However, many LPFM sites -perhaps over a hundred – may ideally have been needed to cover a single state

Project Activities

ITS proponents may have felt that the LPFM concept was relatively ‘low tech’. Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS) technologies using digital traffic messages had been proposed for over fifteen years, without reaching the marketplace. Instead of waiting for ATIS digital systems, LPFM required nothing more than the car radio already found in every vehicle, albeit served with content using the latest MP3 technologies.

While LPFM avoided the critical mass problem that has frustrated ATIS, LPFM can still take advantage of future ATIS sub-carrier systems. Sub-carrier data could be added to LPFM to carry digital traffic messages right into vehicles. And while sub-carrier data rates could be quite low, the cellular design of LPFM meant that local data could get priority. The same Internet connections to LPFM stations that carry MP3 also support digital traffic message services.

There were however, several challenges which need to be addressed before successful implementation and deployment could occur. The project took the following approach:

Task 1 – Develop recommended alternative for each site with opposing applications.

Although the FCC has given priority to transportation agencies over education, community and church groups, there were cases where agencies are competing for air space. Task one suggested and developed methods for creating a mixed use air space which would allow for traveler information messages to be spliced with either education, community or church group program content.

Task 2 – Begin negotiations for space sharing on cell and radio towers

LPFM service is capable of operating from a transmitter attached to a cell or radio tower. Institutional negotiations occurred to determine the cost of installation, rental fees and other issues which may arise in the future.

Task 3 – Preparing for equipment deployment

Task three identified the necessary equipment for a single, state or county wide LPFM operation. The equipment included the following:

• Fix signs with flashing beacon;
• Transmitter;
• PC’s;
• Software Integration (CARS, Foretell, MP3)
• Radio Data System Technologies

Task 4 – Develop LPFM content and quality control

Task four developed traveler information content to be disseminated to motorists such as road and weather conditions, timing of recorded sequences and sponsorship messages and the format that message sets were developed and disseminated.

Task 5 – Begin sponsorship negotiations

Private sponsorship was well established in public broadcasting. Since March 1984, FCC had allowed public broadcasters to carry sponsors’ information such as (1) slogans or ‘logograms’ which identify rather than promote, (2) location information, (3) value-neutral descriptions of product lines or services, and (4) brand names, trade names and product/service listings. In the context of LPFM, such business sponsorship can not only fund vital public safety information, it also helps travelers find out the facts on local services and visitor attractions.

Task five identified the role of sponsors and the format of the sponsorship messages. Furthermore negotiations with sponsors reviewed issues such as maintaining and updating message content.

Deliverables

A document recommending best practice approach for LPFM implementation and deployment.

Field studies in the Netherlands have shown that a new algorithm can accurately monitor and detect freeway traffic incidents. This project addressed the problems associated with, the tedious human task involved in freeway video surveillance as well as potentially inefficient incident detection algorithms that were in place in the United States.

With regard to the high success rate the algorithm has proven to show in the Netherlands, incorporating such a program into Enterprise member jurisdictions may be highly effective. In order to move forward however, statistics on traffic flow disruptions, video coverage capacity and the necessary detection equipment available needed to be determined.

Dutch DOT prepared a review sheet so that Enterprise members can conduct a survey of incident detection conditions in their jurisdiction.

Enterprise members needed to identify the feasibility of implementing such a program within their jurisdictions. Members then recognize the necessary local arrangements before conducting a field trial version at the cost of $50,000 and considered what arrangements ultimately imply and cost. After careful consideration, potential site selection was discussed at an Enterprise meeting.

Project Activities

The goal of the JAAP project was accomplished through three tasks. These tasks include, a survey of incident detection technologies in place, usefulness assessment document and deployment recommendations.

Task 1. Survey Development and Distribution
A survey that identifies the current incident detection technologies, processes and algorithms as well as the perception of effectiveness and existing infrastructure (e.g. detectors, video surveillance and traffic operations center), was developed and distributed to Enterprise members.

Task 2. Usefulness Assessment
A document that assessed which members are likely candidates, based on the existing technology and the amount of additional technology required to support such a system within the member’s jurisdiction.

Task 3. Deployment Recommendation
The last task entailed determining if a field operational test is feasible. If a candidate is found, arrangements with the member for deployment would be made in addition to a recommendation of whether or not a test should take place.

Deliverables

• A completed survey from participating Enterprise members.
• A usefulness report and potential members for deployment.

At the April, 2005 ENTERPRISE meeting, members discussed the fact that rural intersection collisions were a known problem in rural areas of member states. This project was based on the following points:

• A solution was implemented in European countries with great success for reducing collisions by using an advisory speed limit sign to caution travelers when they approach a cross street with a vehicle waiting;
• The solution offered a low cost approach, and a five year test of 18 locations was currently underway overseas;
• The intent of this project was to help break down any barriers that might have prevented this approach from being deployed widespread across the United States by understanding the benefits and costs, as measured overseas;
• Once the benefits and costs were understood, this project funded outreach and education of this approach and delivered useful marketing material to support ENTERPRISE member states at promoting it within their jurisdiction;
• Finally, this project attempted to demonstrate this approach in a real-world (North America) deployment location. This demonstration was a small (1-2 sites) limited deployment. However, the preferred Phase 2 for this project was a larger scale deployment where ENTERPRISE funds were leveraged against funds from an outside source. Michigan believed that with sufficient cost/benefit justification (gathered in Phase 1) that MDOT safety funding during FY 2006 was available to add to the ENTERPRISE funding for a large scale deployment that proved to be a very adequate demonstration of the technologies and remain in operation within Michigan .

Project Background

Intersection crashes account for almost 44% of total vehicle crashes in the United States . According g to a University of North Carolina study, there are approximately three million intersection-related crashes and 8,500 fatalities at intersections each year. Intersection collision avoidance is particularly important in rural, non-signalized intersections, since 85% of fatal intersection crashes occur at junctions without signals. The primary reported causes for intersection collisions include misjudgment of the situation, failure to correctly observe the situation, and inability to accurately perceive the degree of dan g er at the intersection. These factors should be taken into account in order to develop a successful collision avoidance system.

Several European countries developed and implemented successful intersection collision avoidance measures, including the United Kin g dom and Finland . The Swedish National Road Administration (SNRA) launched a five year trial project on variable speed limits. This involved equipping 18 non-signalized intersections with sensors at the cross-street to detect vehicles. Upon detection of an approaching vehicle, signs were illuminated on the main route to recommend or enforce a temporary speed reduction. This method was proven to provide an easy, low-cost solution for reducing the number of intersection-related crashes.

Although an intersection collision avoidance system was successfully implemented and was proven to reduce intersection-related crashes in parts of Europe, the approach had yet to be deployed in North America .

Project Summary

The primary goal of this project was to investigate the applicability of the European method of intersection collision avoidance and to help ease the deployment of this solution within North America. The scope of this project was to first gather information on the collision avoidance methods that were successfully employed in Europe, and to document the proven benefits and costs (cost benefit ratio) of these approaches. The intent of this was to develop a ‘Toolbox’ description of this approach that described each aspect of the approach as well as the anticipated benefits. This phase of the project performed outreach and technology transfer information sharing to transportation professionals (such as statewide traffic engineers and other key decision makers). An outreach plan was developed to perform the coordinated outreach activities, and included presentations at key conferences (e.g. the Rural ITS Conference, ITE, AASHTO) as well as briefings made to one or more representatives within ENTERPRISE member states.

The next phase of the project involved developing and deploying the proposed collision avoidance system at a trial location(s) in order to test the effectiveness of the solution. The test ran over a twelve month period, to allow statistics to be gathered during all weather conditions. A radar was set up after the warning signs to establish the extent to which drivers heeded the warnings.

A final report was written to explain the findings of both the research and deployment. This served as a “best practices” document and as such a manual for DOT’s to reference when considering collision avoidance solutions.

Project Activities

This project proposed two sequential Phases.

Phase 1: Technology Transfer and Information outreach

Task 1 included performing research on the current collision avoidance system that had been successfully deployed in Europe and established the most effective approach to adapt them for use in North America, together with a ‘Toolbox’ description of the approach. Some potential issues that were addressed included determining and addressing the reasons why this system had not already been implemented the United States, finding and addressing any negative effects the proposed solution had on drivers including increased driver distraction, and ensuring the proposed solution fit within established AASHTO guidelines. Any information describing the cost/benefit relationship for this deployment was documented as that was a key decision point for the use of safety funds in the U.S.

Phase 1 included the preparation of outreach material and budgets for presenting the solution at various conferences or technical meetings. The overall goal of Phase 1 was to educate key decisions makers (e.g. traffic engineers) on the steps to deployment and potential benefits of such a solution.

Phase 1 included a Final Report summarizing the results of the research and the information sharing activities. A portion of the deliverable was presentation material that may be reused by other members to present the approach and benefits of the solution.

Phase 2: Trial Deployment of the Collision Avoidance System

Phase 2 aimed to take the recommendations provided in Phase 1 and deploy the proposed intersection collision avoidance system at one or more trial locations in member states. The ideal scenario was that the results of Phase 1 would provide sufficient evidence of the benefit/cost relationship of this solution so that the ENTERPRISE funds set aside for the Phase 2 trial could be leveraged against additional funds from an outside source. One of two approaches was likely for Phase 2 of this project:

• If no outside funding from other agencies was assembled, a limited deployment of 1-2 sites provided evidence of the ease of deployment of the system coupled with the low-cost and potentially high-return associated with the reduction in intersection-related crashes.
• If sufficient cost/benefit support was gathered from previous trials in Europe to support a request for additional safety related funds, the ideal scenario would be the creation of a large scale deployment for Phase 2 of the project.

Real time information showing current conditions and scheduled construction is available in many jurisdictions in electronic form. As the Internet’s worldwide web becomes more popular it is being utilized increasingly by jurisdictional governments to provide real-time information for travel planning. Many states, provinces and smaller county and city agencies have established such Internet sites.

There were no formal means for the various traveler information worldwide web sites to interact or coordinate. Existing systems used ad hoc technologies which were not easily portable to different locations and system configurations. Typical system installations were built independently in their jurisdictions and lacked integration between agencies for specific information exchanges or links. Additionally, existing systems did not adequately address multi-modal needs or the special needs of emergency vehicles, including police, fire and ambulance services in urban and rural areas.

As more traveler information sites became available to the public, formats for data exchange between jurisdictions, for links to other sites, and for displays that are understandable from jurisdiction to jurisdiction made the traveler information more effective and attractive to the public.

Internet Applications examined the current and proposed uses of the Internet as a tool for providing pre-trip planning information to travelers and for exchanging data between transportation professionals. Users benefited significantly from the coordination of websites through time savings and by being provided with more, and better, information.

In many cases, there were larger jurisdictions that contained many smaller organizations that each had their own traveler information websites. These entities may have all benefited from the sharing of information but had no architecture or standards to do so. Also, adjacent jurisdictions may have benefited greatly from sharing information from their websites. Because of the speed data can be sent over the Internet and because of the already developed infrastructure, it proved to be a very effective method for transportation professionals to exchange transportation related information.

This project proposed to develop the tools that will enable jurisdictions to coordinate sites and be able to exchange a variety of data in a standard format

Project Activities

Task 1 – Website Program Review
ENTERPRISE studied the layout and information presentation of existing Internet sites. This included examining the tools used to link the sites to other sources of information, the types of information presented and the format for presentation.

Task 2 – Website Architecture Documentation
ENTERPRISE designed an architecture for sites. This structure defined the levels for data exchange among traveler information websites as well as defined linking tools between Internet sites.

Task 3 – Data Exchange Standards
Based on the needs and uses of the Internet for providing users with information, standards were developed for data exchange. These standards encompassed data exchange standards including standards for graphical, tabular and textual information as well as communication protocols.

Task 4 – Traveler Information Site Coordination
ENTERPRISE coordinated the traveler information sites by identifying existing and planned sites. Samples of icons and useful tools gathered during the study were made available from this site.

Perhaps the most significant challenge in using existing transportation infrastructure effectively is the lack of up to date road condition information for the broader roadway network.  In large urban centers, dedicated traffic sensors and cameras are deployed on major freeways (e.g. COMPASS and RESCU systems in the Toronto area) enabling traffic managers to obtain information on road conditions in near real-time.  But little real-time information is currently available for other roadways, least of all in remote areas.

Installing cameras on a network scale would incur prohibitive levels of costs for power and communication lines, and so more creative solutions are called for.  This project proposes a demonstration of innovative technology, to deploy a low-cost Satellite IP Camera (SIPC) Pilot Project, incorporating video capture, solar power and internet communications, thereby removing the need for expensive power and communications infrastructure costs.

Further economies will be realized because the particular communications technology incorporates a user-adjustable bandwidth capability.  In practice, this means that the number of video frames transmitted can range from low levels, like one every one to five minutes when traffic is light or normal, to 20 frames per second or higher during heavier or unusual traffic activity. 

This technology also affords flexibility inherent in quick set-up times.   

The project will incorporate two cameras.  One will be mounted at the Highway 400- Highway 9 interchange. The purpose of the second camera is to demonstrate sharing of communications bandwidth, and will not necessarily be installed in a remote location.  The video quality will be 640×480 pixel resolution. The project duration is 9 months, and the total estimated cost of this project is $80,000 including a $5,000 provision for contingencies.

Project Activities

The overall goal of the project is to deploy a SIPC pilot installation on an Ontario highway in a remote area within a three month time frame.  The purpose is to demonstrate the ITS application using low-cost satellite communication and renewable solar power to capture real-time video data of interest to both traffic managers and interested parties.

If this technology and the pilot are acceptable to operating agencies, it will constitute a breakthrough of ITS implementation in several ways.  It will demonstrate fast, flexible and a low-cost comprehensive ITS deployment.  It is technically feasible to add video incident detection, vehicle detector and on-site variable message signs to the system configuration, together constituting FAST, LIGHT and LOW-COST Advanced Traffic Management System deployment anywhere on the transportation network. These advanced features are technically feasible, but are not in the scope of the current project. 

Deliverables

• A Detailed Work Plan.  Within 4 weeks of the start of the project a detailed work plan will be developed.  A number of stakeholders will work with the guidelines provided by the System Integrator to develop this coordinated plan.
• The pilot site is expected to be in place 3 months after the start of the project, and will then be in operation and maintained for a period of 6 months, to give traffic managers and interested parties a chance to get accustomed to, and evaluate the results of the pilot project.
• A Final Report outlining what was done, results and recommendations for future work, prepared by MTO and System Integrator.

The initial purpose of this project was to establish the extent to which Intelligent
Transportation Systems (ITS) technologies are being used to support mass evacuation
procedures at a statewide level. Information was gathered to assess the potential
difficulties of installing new systems and their associated coordination. Subsequently,
lists of actions and so-called “next steps” were created so that individual state
Departments of Transportation (DOTs) could take to further mobilize ITS resources
during mass evacuations and other emergencies.

The final report was intended to serve as a resource for DOTs in the following manner:

• To view a glimpse of how other states use ITS to manage Mass Evacuations;
• To garner ideas that they can then discuss with there states’ Emergency
  Management groups;
• To serve as a resource, should the individual ENTERPRISE states embark on
  future efforts to implement ITS for support of evacuations.