ITS America Transportation Technology News

The White House, Xerox, Ford, Verizon, other technology leaders to hold key discussion on moving innovation in transportation forward at ITS America's Annual Meeting

16 May 2012 14:34:08 CDT

ITS America has announced that on Monday, May 21, it will hold a key discussion event concerning intelligent transportation and its role in helping to solve America's infrastructure crisis with national leaders including Ursula Burns, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Xerox; Chris Vein, Deputy White House Chief Technology Officer; Robert Brown, Ford Motor Company's Group Vice President of Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering; and Martin Hall, Verizon's Vice President of Telematics. This is just one of numerous sessions examining ways to bring innovation to the nation's transportation system that will take place during ITS America's Annual Meeting & Exposition being held from May 21-23, 2012 at the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center in National Harbor, Md., just outside Washington, D.C. You can register online here to join us. View the Final Program & Exhibitor Directory and find out more about the exciting programs and exhibits at http://www.itsa.org/annualmeeting.

Stay connected at ITS America's Annual Meeting

16 May 2012 14:34:08 CDT

Attendees can download the free annual meeting smartphone app, compatible with iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry and Android devices, and integrate special events or sessions into their calendar, preview the exhibit floor or find local tourism options. To download the Annual Meeting 2012 Mobile Phone App, visit the App Store or Android Market on your phone, search for 'ITSA 2012' and download the app or point your mobile browser to http://m.core-apps.com/itsaexpo12. The system will direct you to the proper app version for download to your device. ITS America will also post updated meeting information and photos on Facebook and Twitter. The official Twitter hash tag is #ITSA2012.

Thank you sponsors

16 May 2012 14:34:08 CDT

ITS America is proud to acknowledge our Gold and Silver sponsors for their generous support of our 2012 Annual Meeting & Exposition. It is through their support and the support of all of our sponsors, advertisers and exhibitors that make this event such a success. Click on the logos below to learn more about these Annual Meeting sponsors.

Join ITS America and your fellow ITS colleagues at the Gaylord National Harbor, May 21–23 for the nation's largest annual ITS event and gathering of country's leading ITS thought leaders and practitioners. See you in D.C.!

2012 National Traffic Signal Report Card released by NTOC

16 May 2012 14:34:08 CDT

The latest national traffic signal assessment conducted by the National Transportation Operations Coalition, a group of transportation associations, shows that gradual but steady progress is being made on the management and operation of traffic signals despite continued funding challenges. NTOC has released the 2012 National Traffic Signal Report Card with a grade of 69, equivalent to a D+ letter grade, based upon the assessment. The 2012 score is a modest four point improvement over the 2007 result of a D letter grade (65). The effort to improve the Nation's traffic signal systems is driven by benefits such as reduced fuel consumption and congestion mitigation. The 2012 National Traffic Signal Report Card Technical Report and Executive Summary can be found at www.ite.org/reportcard.

Last chance to register for May 17 Webinar: Sustainability Performance Measures for Transportation Agencies

16 May 2012 14:34:08 CDT

The ITS America webinar series continues this Thursday, May 17 at 1 p.m. Eastern with a presentation by staff from the Texas Transportation Institute on "Sustainability Performance Measurement for Transportation Agencies." This one-hour webinar will provide an overview of A Guidebook for Sustainability Performance Measurement for Transportation Agencies which outlines a framework and practical approach to understanding sustainability and identifying sustainability-related performance measures for transportation agencies. The guidebook explains the integration of sustainability measures into a transportation agency's core functions and also contains a compendium of sustainability performance measures. Register by clicking here, or visit the ITS America webinar series page.

UPDATE — Integrated Corridor Management: Integrating Highway, Arterial and Transit Operations for Improved Corridor Performance

16 May 2012 14:34:08 CDT

The Federal Transit Administration will hold a workshop on U.S. DOT's Integrated Corridor Management (ICM) Initiative entitled "Integrating Highway, Arterial and Transit Operations for Improved Corridor Performance" on Wednesday, May 23 from 12:30–4:30 p.m. during the 2012 Annual Meeting. The ICM Initiative challenges freeway, arterial and transit operators to break with stove-piped thinking of the past and move toward truly integrated, multimodal corridors. While integrating operations and technologies to improve corridor performance may be a logical next step, it is easier said than done. The workshop provides attendees with the opportunity to discover how ICM can help you improve the performance of your region's multimodal transportation corridors; explore challenges and opportunities with real-world implementers from freeway, arterial and transit perspectives including representatives from the two ICM Demonstration Sites; examine what it really takes to integrate technologies and operations across modes and jurisdictions to improve corridor performance and discuss how transportation operations can better coordinate with neighboring agencies. The agenda can be found here. Please register for the workshop at: www.itsa.org/fta-icm.

Request for proposals: ITS ePrimer technical editor

16 May 2012 14:34:08 CDT

The U.S. Department of Transportation's ITS Joint Program Office, Institute of Transportation Engineers and ITS America are requesting proposals from an individual to serve as the technical editor for the development of a new ITS ePrimer. The primary purpose of the ITS ePrimer will be to present a comprehensive source of fundamental concepts and practices related to ITS technologies, commensurate with the state of the art. The ITS ePrimer is intended to be a series of up-to-date, Web-based modules that provide basic introduction to key ITS topics, with a multi-modal perspective.

Electronic proposals will be received until May 29, 2012 at 2 p.m. EDT. Proposals should be submitted to Ms. Natalia Vlasov at nvlasov@ite.org in accordance with the instructions found on the detailed request for proposal.

ITS America member: Connected vehicles: University of Michigan seeking 3,000 Ann Arbor motorists for $18 million wireless project to prevent collisions

16 May 2012 14:34:08 CDT

Is there a future where vehicle crashes are drastically diminished? That's the question the University of Michigan is seeking to answer as it launches an $18 million pilot program that will equip thousands of area cars, trucks and buses with devices that can communicate with one another and let drivers know if they're at risk of a collision.

ITS America member: ACS, A Xerox Company, helps make parking and travelling at Geneva Airport easier

16 May 2012 14:34:08 CDT

ACS, A Xerox Company, is making the first step in every journey easier for travelers who use the Geneva Airport by providing more timely and personalized information before their trip begins. Xerox, which acquired ACS in 2010, will replace Geneva Airport's entire parking management system for its 20 parking lots featuring more than 7,000 spaces including walk-up pay stations, parking guidance and a global monitoring and management system which will connect with the rest of the airport's computer systems.

Cars of the future will be computers on wheels

16 May 2012 14:34:08 CDT

A handful of people have seen the car of the near-future, and it looks suspiciously like a lunar land rover. Or a plane. Or a driverless vehicle. Take your choice. At auto shows and tech conferences around the globe, prototypes of whiz-bang cars offer a visual narrative into what to expect on the nation's streets a decade from now.

LightSquared pledges to push forward after bankruptcy filing

16 May 2012 14:34:08 CDT

LightSquared said in its recent bankruptcy filing, it will continue to try to win over the Federal Communications Commission to get its satellite venture up and running — a process that can take up to two years.

Shuster: President will sign transportation bill in the fall

16 May 2012 14:34:08 CDT

Congress member Bill Shuster, R-Pa., Chair of the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines & Hazardous Materials, predicts President Barack Obama will sign a transportation bill — with a provision to build the Keystone Pipeline included — in September or October.

US Transportation Secretary LaHood announces changes to positive train control regulations that will ensure safety, allow flexibility and save money

16 May 2012 14:34:08 CDT

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood recently announced changes to regulations governing the installation of positive train control equipment that will give railroads additional flexibility, save money and maintain a high level of safety. PTC is a system of integrated technologies capable of preventing collisions, over-speed derailments and unintended train movements.

Why teen driving deaths have tumbled to historic lows

16 May 2012 14:34:08 CDT

Teenage driving deaths have registered a historic decrease, dropping 64 percent since 1975, the first year that the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety kept such data. U.S. traffic deaths for all age groups continue to plunge at a record-shattering pace.

Peapod unveils virtual grocery store aisle at CTA State/Lake tunnel

16 May 2012 14:34:08 CDT

A Chicago "L" station is about the last place you would think of to pick up a carton of milk. But online grocer Peapod has turned a busy CTA station at State and Lake streets into a virtual supermarket aisle, enabling commuters to use their smartphones to scan and buy any of 70 items.