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-usThu, 17 Jul 2008 15:14:35 EDTimages/NTOC_logo.gif The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) invites you to attend a series of webinars showcasing the eight Integrated Corridor Management (ICM) Pioneer Sites and their results to date with the ICM initiative. These webinars are meant to help other regions around the country learn about the concepts involved with implementing ICM. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and interact with the presenters. Visit the link below to learn more about this webinar series and register for these upcoming webinars to be held July 17, 22, and 24, 2008. http://ntoctalks.com/news/news_detail.php?news_id=272 2008-07-17 15:14:35 This Web cast on Work Zone Traffic Analysis Strategies will take place July 9, 2007. It will start at 12:45 p.m. EDT with an overview and introduction of the speakers, and the presentations will take place from 1:00-2:30 p.m. Work zone planning and management has become challenging because of increasing travel demand and an aging roadway network infrastructure facing both more frequent maintenance and major rehabilitation projects. These two factors have sharpened interest in analytical tools to assist in better understanding projected work zone mobility impacts. However, it is often unclear what kind of analytical approach may be of most value, particularly in light of complex data requirements and staff training. The decision to create an analytical capability to support decision making can be a significant investment, and deserves careful consideration. In the end, work zone analysis should never be used to make key decisions but instead it should be used as a valuable resource for understanding mobility impacts and collecting information to assist with decision making. To help decision-makers and analysts in using analytical tools for work zone planning and analysis, FHWA will publish two additional volumes of the Traffic Analysis Toolbox (TAT) series in 2008. In support of these two new TAT volumes, the FHWA Office of Operations in collaboration with the National Transportation Operations Coalition (NTOC), is hosting this Talking Operations Web cast on Work Zone Traffic Analysis Strategies. The Web cast will cover three key topics from these upcoming publications: Topic 1: Perspectives on Work Zone Traffic Analysis Strategies Topic 2: A Process for Integrating Traffic Analyses Into Work Zone Decision-Making Topic 3: Issues in Work Zone Traffic Analysis. For each topic, selected case study examples will be used to illustrate how various agencies and jurisdictions have incorporated work zone modeling into their decision-making process and the impact these analyses are making in improving work zone planning and operations. http://ntoctalks.com/news/news_detail.php?news_id=269 2008-07-09 07:58:17 American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) President Pete Rahn is very concerned about what he describes as a 'cliff ahead' for transportation. In a candid one-on-one interview, Rahn assesses the future of transportation and the growing problem of traffic congestion in America. Rahn, who is also the Director of the Missouri Department of Transportation, offers a unique perspective on the challenges state DOTs are facing. 'We do not have the means today, with the resources that we have available to us, to reduce congestion and give back to people the time taken from them while they are tied up in traffic,' Rahn says. You can watch AASHTO President Pete Rahn's entire interview on YouTube through the link below. http://ntoctalks.com/news/news_detail.php?news_id=274 2008-07-02 08:52:55 Sponsored by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Committee on Regional Transportation Systems Management and Operations (RTSM&O), the TRB National Workshop to Advance Regional Transportation Operations will take place December 10–12, 2008 in Washington, DC. This highly interactive workshop features prominent guest speakers and facilitated breakout group sessions to shape innovative models for making effective regional operations a reality in your region. You will have an opportunity to share with your peers and learn from national leaders in organizing, planning, implementing, and monitoring regional operations. This workshop brings together a mix of perspectives from planning, traffic engineering, transit, public safety, emergency preparedness, and others to offer a unique opportunity for you to gain insights on coordinating with a variety of players in the operations arena. An agenda, registration, and travel information will be available soon. Information also will be posted to the RTSM&O Committee Web site as it becomes available at http://rtsmo.cts.virginia.edu/. Sponsorship opportunities are available for this important meeting. For more information, please contact Rich Cunard, at RCunard@nas.edu or (202) 334-2965, or Wayne Berman at wayne.berman@dot.gov or (202) 366-4069. http://ntoctalks.com/news/news_detail.php?news_id=273 2008-07-02 08:49:27 The I-95 Corridor Coalition is excited to announce the first offering of the Freight Academy - a unique, week-long immersion program designed to efficiently train public sector agency staff involved in planning, operational, and/or management work that impact goods movement decisions, investments and interactions. Participants will have opportunities to see and learn about the inner workings of the goods movements system, including marine terminals, the distribution centers of major corporations, air cargo operations, trucking operations, and rail operations. The inaugural Academy program will be conducted at the Center for Advanced Infrastructure Training at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ from October 26 – 31, 2008. The program is open to applicants from throughout North America. Scholarships are available for applicants from I-95 Corridor Coalition member agencies. The application deadline is July 11, 2008. For more information and the application form please see: http://www.freightacademy.org. http://ntoctalks.com/news/news_detail.php?news_id=271 2008-06-20 08:01:07 The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has posted the Request for Proposals for Phase 3 of the Clarus Regional Demonstration on the FedBizOpps web site. For the full text, please visit the link below. In short, the objective of this contract is to show how quality-checked road weather observations from the Clarus System are utilized by, or a benefit to, the public and the public agencies responsible for transportation system operations. This will be achieved through the development and deployment of Clarus-enabled services (e.g., enhanced road weather information and related decision support tools) which build upon use case scenarios provided within the Phase 1 Concepts of Operations. In addition to the development and implementation activities, the contractor(s) will be expected to document their experiences in using the Clarus System. For more information regarding the Request For Proposals, contact Charles D. Kotsch or at 202-366-6622. For more information about the Clarus Initiative, visit http://www.clarusinitiative.org. http://ntoctalks.com/news/news_detail.php?news_id=270 2008-06-20 07:59:59 Link to story from WTOP Radio news referencing the NTOC 2007 National Traffic Signal Report Card. http://ntoctalks.com/news/news_detail.php?news_id=267 2008-06-02 11:21:18 Link to article from McClatchy Newspapers Fine-tuning controls on the nation's traffic signals would cut U.S. road congestion by as much as 10 percent, transportation experts estimate. It would also reduce air pollution from vehicles by as much as a fifth, cut accidents at intersections and save about five tanks of gas annually per household, according to the National Transportation Operations Coalition, an alliance of federal, state and local traffic departments and equipment-makers. That's the good news. The bad news is that the average local traffic department earned an overall grade of D on the alliance's latest report card. Streamlining intersections is happening in only some cities and states, even though it's eminently doable. Click on the link below to read the complete article. http://ntoctalks.com/news/news_detail.php?news_id=266 2008-05-22 07:33:24 This interim guidebook document showcases opportunities to utilize an objectives driven, performance-based approach to enhance the quality of Management & Operations (M&O) in the planning process. This interim guidebook document, along with the CMP interim guidebook document, will be finalized in the Fall of 2008 after FHWA and FTA conduct a wide-ranging outreach program in Summer 2008 to showcase the guidebooks and receive further input on this approach. http://ntoctalks.com/news/news_detail.php?news_id=265 2008-05-21 13:59:34 U.S. DOT Seeks Organizations to Participate in the Development and Deployment Phase of the Clarus Multi-state Regional Demonstrations The purpose of this solicitation is to provide an opportunity for one or more organizations to participate in the Development and Deployment phase of the Clarus Multi-state Regional Demonstrations. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), both agencies of the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT), request proposals to result in the award of one or more contracts to private sector and/or academic institutions for the development and implementation of new, innovative Business-to-Government (B2G) services, and to some extent, Business-to-Traveler (B2T) services. The Clarus Initiative, established in 2004, is a multi-year program administered and funded by the USDOT. The Initiative includes program management, stakeholder coordination, education and outreach activities, and the actual engineering and implementation of the Clarus System. Through the Clarus System, the FHWA is demonstrating a data management system for sharing quality checked surface transportation weather and pavement observations. Through the sharing of high quality, surface transportation-related observations from the Clarus System, it is envisioned that this enabling technology will aid in reducing the impact of adverse weather for all surface transportation users and operators. For more information, click on the link below. http://ntoctalks.com/news/news_detail.php?news_id=264 2008-05-21 13:58:30 ITS America is pleased to announces a Webinar series on the 15th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems. This informative series is designed to educate attendees, speakers, and exhibitors on the World Congress' program, exhibits, technology demonstrations, networking events, technical tours, and registration information from the organizers of the World Congress and ITS America staff. Premiering May 28, each Webinar will run approximately 60 minutes and is free of charge. The first in the series of Webinars will provide participants with a general overview of the World Congress, including program highlights of ITS America's 2008 Annual Meeting which is combined with the World Congress. 'Welcome to the World Congress' will be held at 2:00 p.m. (EST) on Wednesday, May 28, 2008. This highly informative, one-hour Webinar will be hosted by World Congress Organizing Committee Chairman Michael Noblett of Connexis LLC and ITS America staff. If you have already registered or are considering attending what is expected to be the largest ITS event of the year, make sure you mark your calendar for this interactive online presentation. Although there is no cost to participate in any of the World Congress Webinars, registration is required. Information on registration will be available soon through the link below. http://ntoctalks.com/news/news_detail.php?news_id=263 2008-05-21 13:56:00 The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Operations is seeking a Marketing Specialist. This position is located in the Office of Operations as a member of the Operations Support Team. The Office of Operations is composed of three offices, Office of Freight Management and Operations, Office of Transportation Operations, and the Office of Transportation Management and within these offices are interoffice teams. The office is responsible for FHWA's efforts in the areas of congestion management, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Deployment, traffic operations, emergency management, and freight management and operations. The FHWA Office of Operations provides national leadership for the management and operation of the surface transportation system. The employee serves as an authoritative expert in providing direction and leadership for a national program of strategic communication and outreach using a focused approach to all areas of operations. Based upon a strategic framework of customer needs driven by the Office of Operations' goals and objectives, he/she develops plans and strategies for communication and outreach efforts; coordinates these efforts with other FHWA offices, other DOT elements and Federal agencies, State and local officials, and highway operations in the private sector; and manages a program to execute the strategies. The announcement closes June 12. For more information, visit the link below. http://ntoctalks.com/news/news_detail.php?news_id=262 2008-05-21 13:55:16 FHWA is sponsoring a webinar on May 22, 2008 at 1:00 pm EDT to discuss strategies to improve safety at toll collection facilities. These strategies were identified as a result of the Toll Facility Safety Study. The intended audience of this webinar is those involved with toll operations who are interested in hearing about the safety practices of other agencies. To register please visit the link below. Registration is free and open to anyone who is interested. http://ntoctalks.com/news/news_detail.php?news_id=261 2008-05-07 12:29:20 The application of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) offers benefits that reach across all aspects of transportation systems performance, from crash prevention and safety to roadway operations and maintenance. While some of these benefits are very prominent in supporting the widespread applications of ITS, others are often difficult to measure, such as environmental benefits. Leslie Bellas, who has been appointed to ITS America's newly created role of director of environmental affairs, recently spoke with NTOC Talks about her efforts to develop and implement a climate change program that will quantify and capture the environmental benefits of ITS. http://ntoctalks.com/news/news_detail.php?news_id=260 2008-05-07 11:23:07 Have you visited the NTOC Web site lately? This month, NTOC is focusing on the relationship between ITS/M&O and the environment. The Resources page contains follow up resources to this month's interview with ITS America's Leslie Bellas on her new role as director of environmental affairs. The Resources page has also been updated to include YouTube videos and blogs that are relevant to our readers. If you would like to submit a suggestion for a future NTOC focus area, or if you have a transportation-related blog or video to share, please contact NTOC Talks editor Michelle Birdsall at mbirdsall@ite.org. http://ntoctalks.com/news/news_detail.php?news_id=259 2008-05-07 11:22:27