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, 25 Aug 2010 14:50:11 EDTimages/NTOC_logo.gif Maybe a thriving metropolis can't build its way out of traffic congestion, but there's growing evidence that it can manage its way out. And the Twin Cities are becoming a national model for how to do it. In a coordinated multi-agency effort stretching from park-and-ride lots in the distant suburbs to reconfigured bus routes in downtown Minneapolis with lots of innovation in between, Minnesotans are showing there's more than one way to speed up glacial rush-hour commutes. To read the complete article, click on the link above. http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/news/2010/08/09/twin-cities-ahead-curve-managing-congestion 2010-08-25 14:50:11 The Climate Policy and West Coast Transportation conference, taking place September 16, 2010 to September 17, 2010 at Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA brings together leading federal and state policy makers and regulators, utilities, automakers, alternative fuel advocates, environmental organizations and key legislators to address climate policies and regulations regarding transportation and the implementation of measures on the West Coast to meet those goals and regulations. A specific focus of this two-day event is to discuss programs supporting the implementation of the I-5 Green Highway as envisioned by the west coast Governors and the Premier of British Columbia in their Pacific Coast Collaborative and to showcase strategies being deployed not only for clean fuels and other strategies for light and heavy-duty ground transportation but also marine/port transport. For complete information and to register, click on the link above. http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=881782 2010-08-25 14:49:27 Seattle, WA area commuters are benefiting from new technology on I-5 to help reduce congestion and crashes, as the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) last week unveiled new high-tech message signs that deliver real-time traffic information to drivers and adjust speeds based on traffic conditions. The Smarter Highways initiative was recognized by the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) with a Smart Solution Spotlight award for using innovative technology – known as Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) – to create a safer, cleaner, more efficient and sustainable transportation system. Similar initiatives in Europe have resulted in 30 percent fewer injury collisions, and this project is one of the first deployments in the United States. Using real-time traffic speed and volume data gathered from pavement sensors, WSDOT has deployed 97 electronic overhead signs stationed every half-mile along I-5. Depending on traffic conditions, drivers will see variable speed limits, lane status alerts, and real-time information about traffic incidents, backups and alternate routes. The system automatically adjusts speed limits based on real-world traffic conditions, with staff at WSDOT's traffic management center continuously monitoring traffic conditions and making necessary adjustments, including closing lanes as needed to help emergency personnel respond quickly to crashes and other incidents. In addition, the signs provide advance notice of lane mergers and closures, allowing drivers to change lanes ahead of time or exit the highway to avoid traffic jams. The new technology is a key element of WSDOT's congestion relief program, Moving Washington, and will help manage traffic during major construction on the Alaskan Way Viaduct, one of the most heavily traveled north-south routes for freight and commuters through the Seattle area. http://www.itsa.org/press_release_content/c71_a3399/News_and_Events/Press_Releases.html 2010-08-25 14:48:42 This Guidebook provides an overview of the mission and functions of Transportation Management Centers, Emergency Operations Centers, and Fusion Centers. The Guidebook is focused on the types of information these centers produce and manage and how the sharing of such information among the centers can be beneficial to both the day-to-day and emergency operations of all the centers. There are some challenges to the ability to share information and these challenges and some options for addressing them are addressed in the Guidebook. The Guidebook also provides some lessons learned and best practices identified from a literature search and interviews/site visits with center operators. (Publication Number: FHWA-HOP-09-003) http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop09003/index.htm 2010-08-25 14:48:02 This publication is a reference manual designed to provide "how to" information to assist transportation professionals in taking actions to integrate these activities. It identifies and describes opportunities at various levels of decisionmaking - statewide, regional, corridor, and project - and the benefits of these approaches. It also highlights overarching themes such as the important role of multidisciplinary teams; data collection, sharing, and analysis; and broad use of performance measures within each of these levels. Publication Number: FHWA-HOP-10-028, May 2010. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/statewide/manual/index.cfm 2010-08-25 14:47:18 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 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. You can also join the NUG Summit virtually via a Webinar on September 21 from Noon to 4:45 p.m. EST. There is no registration fee for the NUG Summit or fee to participate through Internet access. Click on the link above for information regarding agenda details, registration, and Maritime Institute Hotel Room block and other information. Register for the Webinar at http://152.122.41.186/NUG/register.asp. http://hosting-source.bronto.com/458/public/NUG.pdf 2010-08-25 14:46:11 CITE's 2010 Fall course schedule is now available through the link above. The schedule includes courses on Traffic Signal Timing and Road Weather Information Systems Equipment and Operations. http://www.citeconsortium.org/courses/Marketing%20for%20Fall_2010.pdf 2010-08-25 14:45:30 U.S. DOT will host a one-day public meeting on October 20, 2010 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 here for registration and additional information. The online registration deadline is October 15. http://umtri.umich.edu/public/ivbss/ 2010-08-25 14:44:50 U.S. DOT has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to help refine the plans for one or more demonstrations focused on the use of IntelliDrive(SM) (1) data sources for performance measurement and performance-based management. The U.S. DOT seeks comments, responses and innovative ideas from the public sector, private sector, and academic communities concerning the demonstration program described in this RFI. (IntelliDrive is a service mark of the U.S. Department of Transportation.) http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/regulationpolicy/fedreg/index.htm 2010-08-25 14:44:10 In December 2009, FHWA published the 2009 edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). This free Webinar, on August 24 from 1 to 2pm EST, will provide a brief overview of the major revisions to Parts 1 and 6 since the 2003 version of the Manual. The Webinar will be presented by Ken Wood of FHWA and is being done in collaboration with the American Traffic Safety Services Association. Registration is required. http://www.atssa.com/galleries/default-file/Aug24%20Registration-2009-MUTCD.pdf 2010-08-25 14:43:13 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. Click on the link above for information regarding agenda details, registration, and Maritime Institute Hotel Room block and other information. http://hosting-source.bronto.com/458/public/NUG.pdf 2010-08-11 08:42:52 The Office of Operations has updated and posted its latest Current Activities Report. This report lists by program area major projects and initiatives underway, their status, and the FHWA manager responsible for the item. Updated quarterly, this report provides a comprehensive look at the work that the Office of Operations is pursuing, and who to contact for more information. http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/program_areas/progmactiv.htm 2010-08-11 08:42:20 TRB will conduct a web briefing or 'webinar' on Tuesday, August 17, 2010 from 2:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m. EDT that will explore a project developed by TRB's second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2) on research and practical methods that can be used in predicting highway travel time. Participants must register at least 24 hours prior to the start of the webinar, space is limited, and there is a fee for non-TRB Sponsor employees. For more information, click on the link above. https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/742452353 2010-08-11 08:41:48 Seven states will receive more than $9.7 million as part of a national program to encourage innovative strategies to relieve congestion. California, Florida, North Carolina, Minnesota, Texas, Virginia and Washington received grants for 10 projects under the Federal Highway Administration's Value Pricing Pilot Program (VPPP). "Value pricing" refers to varying price levels by time of day or traffic volume in order to manage congestion. It can significantly improve traffic flow by encouraging people to choose to drive at different times of the day, thereby spreading out demand and reducing congestion at peak hours. To read more, click on the link above. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/pressroom/fhwa1029.htm 2010-08-11 08:41:22 This report updates VPPP activities described previously in the U.S. Department of Transportation's "Report to Congress on the Value Pricing Pilot Program through April 2006." It is the second Program report to Congress subsequent to passage of SAFETEA-LU, following a series of reports submitted to Congress under prior pricing legislation. This report presents a description of the concept of congestion pricing and the latest information available on the extent and nature of the VPPP. The report highlights some important lessons that have been learned since the inception of the Federal pricing program in 1991 about the effects of congestion pricing and the process of implementing congestion pricing projects. The report also discusses issues that have been raised with regard to broad congestion pricing approaches, and potential benefits. The final section of the report looks at potential future directions. http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/tolling_pricing/value_pricing/pubs_reports/rpttocongress/may09.htm 2010-08-11 08:40:54