(via Gizmodo)
Is it actually dangerous to use cell phones or other portable electronics on board an aircraft? NOPE. NOPE. NOPE.
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(Source: Google)
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Google hits a home-run with this real-life demonstration of its autonomous vehicle by putting a vision-impaired person behind the driving wheel in the regular streets. Steve Mahan, the man behind the wheel, is legally blind (95% gone) and he goes about what most of us drivers do in a normal day – runs errands, stops by a drive-through window for a burrito, picks up his dry cleaning, etc – all this without touching the steering wheel. For people like him this self-driving car should feel like a god-sent and the level of autonomy it offers should be priceless.
(Source: National Coalition for Safer Roads)
No technology in the transportation domain gets the general public in a tizzy as much as the red light enforcement. Though the technology has been in use for over a decade and raked up some impressive stats in terms of lives saved, the sight of cameras at the intersection continue to remain a point of contention in many communities across the country. For the naysayers, here comes an infograph highlighting the dangers of red light running and how enforcement technology has helped address this problem. Also check out the one-page Get The Facts (PDF document) that accompanies this infographic.
(Source: Mashable)
In line with its tradition of producing many of the safest cars on this planet, Volvo is once again upping the contributions towards road user safety. Mind you, this is not just occupant safety but also one that cares about the most vulnerable of all road users – the pedestrians. The video below explains how this tech. feature will help save pedestrians during a collision.
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Don’t Miss Your Chance to be Part of the Connected Vehicle Demonstrations Taking Place in Alameda, CA
When: Tuesday, January 17, 2012 – 9:00am to 5:00pm
Where: Alameda Naval Air Station Alameda, California
Registration Details:
Pre-registration is required. Register online at: www.v2vtechreview-california.com
The U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) and its research partners will be offering a live demonstration of connected vehicle safety technology at the Alameda Naval Air Station. During the demonstration participants will be able to experience the cars in action, witness how wireless-based safety communications help prevent crashes, speak one-on-one with the government and industry researchers, and learn how connected vehicles will change the future of automobile safety.
Questions? Contact Mike Pina at mike.pina@dot.gov
To learn more about connected vehicles, visit: www.its.dot.gov
(Source: YouTube via @Ben_Caves)
You can either write volumes to say how important it is to include physical activities such as walking, biking, etc as part of your life style for a healthy life. Or, you can instead opt to doing something as simple as this video animation and make a compelling argument for an active lifestyle. Great video by DocMikeEvans with a great message!
(Source: Jalopnik)
Aahh.. The highway hackers have struck again. This time in a suburban Washington, DC neighborhood and they hit (a private sign and not one owned by the local government) with a funnier & slightly smutty message. The hackers tweaked the portable VMS (for the uninitiated VMS = Variable Message Sign) signage and made it read: “Honk if you are wearing a thong”. The local FOX news reporter covering the scene reported hearing a lot of honking. Hmmm.. The not so enthused county officials have reportedly shut down the sign. LOL. You can check out the signage for yourself in the video below (H/T to Jalopnik for the awesome scoop).
Hacked Road Sign Prompts Underwear Disclosure About Thongs: MyFoxDC.com
| Date: December 15, 2011
Time: 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM ET Cost: All T3 webinars are free of charge PDH: 1.5 View PDH Policy
T3 Webinars are brought to you by the ITS Professional Capacity Building Program (ITS PCB) at the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (US DOT) ITS Joint Program Office, Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA). Reference in this webinar to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the public, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by U.S. Department of Transportation.
DescriptionThis webinar will provide an overview of Adaptive Signal Control Technology (ASCT) and the efforts of the FHWA Every Day Counts initiative to mainstream the implementation of this technology. Agency professionals will discuss their recent experiences with adaptive signal control projects and how systems engineering was used as a tool to inform decisions that affect technology selection, system operation, and procurement options. The webinar will also discuss how to apply the FHWA Model Systems Engineering Documents for ASCT to these types of projects. BackgroundThe goal of the Every Day Counts ASCT initiative is to mainstream the use of adaptive control where traffic conditions and agency capability support its implementation. The Model Systems Engineering Documents for ASCT provide the agency practitioner already knowledgeable about traffic signal operation the means to develop systems engineering documents that comply with system engineering requirements (23CFR940.11) with a significantly reduced level of effort compared with traditional processes. In so doing, the risks of implementing systems inconsistent with an agency’s objectives and capabilities are greatly reduced. These model documents and the associated guidance were developed by a team of traffic signal operations and systems engineering experts, with significant input from agency stakeholders, who have experience implementing ASCT in a variety of situations. Taken as a whole, this collection is the first of its kind, blending questions and potential responses to guide the reader through the selection of statements for a concept of operations and then linking requirements to those statements. To engage in a national discussion about adaptive control or any aspect of traffic signal management, operation, or maintenance, join the National Transportation Operations Coalition (NTOC) Traffic Signal Library and User Forum by visiting https://ntoctsl.groupsite.com/. Target AudienceAgencies involved in the management and operation of traffic signal systems. Learning Objectives
Additional ASCT Resources
Agenda
HostPaul Olson, P.E., PTOE, ITS Technology Specialist, FHWA Resource Center Paul began his career with the Washington State Department of Transportation designing and operating traffic signals in the Northwest Region that includes the King and Snohomish County Metroplex. Prior to joining FWHA, he served as a consultant in the San Francisco Bay Area. During that engagement, Paul managed traffic signal timing optimization projects for the California jurisdictions of Concord, Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek, Contra Costa County, and Caltrans. Paul has had significant roles in the development of the Traffic Signal Timing Manual and the development of many National Highway Institute courses. He also had a significant role in the development of the Mobile Hands on Traffic Signal Timing Training. Paul is a Fellow of the Institute of Transportation Engineers and has been active for many years on the Transportation Research Board’s standing committees on Traffic Signal Systems. He holds a B.S. in civil engineering from Washington State University and a Certificate in Telecommunications Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley; a Professional Transportation Operations Engineer certification from the Institute of Transportation Engineers; and he holds registrations as a civil engineer in Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona and registrations as a traffic engineer in California and Oregon. PresentersLeo Almanzar P.E., P.P., Senior Engineer, New Jersey Meadowlands Commission Leo’s career’s worth of experience in traffic engineering coupled with more than 3 years of adaptive signal control technology (ASCT) research and collaboration with adaptive system managers, communication, and detection providers have resulted in a comprehensive background in ATCS and related technologies. He recently designed the entire first phase of the project consisting of thirty traffic signals and prepared the Systems Engineering Analysis and Review Form for the project. Leo is a graduate of the New Jersey Institute of Technology, where he earned bachelor and master degrees in civil engineering. He is also an adjunct professor of computer aided design at Passaic County Community College. Hong Yuan, P.E., P.T.O.E , Senior Transportation Engineer, New Jersey Meadowlands Commission Hong developed the technical specifications and played a critical role in preparing the procurement packages and the Systems Engineering Analysis for MASSTR. Her experience in transportation planning and traffic engineering coupled with more than 3 years of adaptive signal control technology (ASCT) research and collaboration with adaptive, communication, and detection providers have resulted in a comprehensive background in ATCS and related technologies. Hong earned her bachelor degrees in civil engineering as well as economics from Tsinghua University, China; and her master degree in civil engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. She is a registered PE in New Jersey and Maryland, and a PTOE since 2008. Cindy Shell, Designer, Volkert & Associates, Inc.
Prior to coming to Volkert, Mrs. Shell worked 12 years for the Alabama Department of Transportation in the areas of Construction, Maintenance, and Administration. She holds a bachelors degree in biology from Auburn University and a masters degree in Counseling and Human Development from Troy State University. James Fritz Brogdon, P.E., Project Manager, Volkert & Associates, Inc.
Mr. Brogdon earned his bachelor and master degree in Civil engineering from Tennessee Technological University. He is a registered PE in Tennessee, Arkansas and Illinois. Richard W. Denney, Jr. P.E., Traffic Management Specialist, FHWA Resource Center Rick began his career at the Texas Department of Transportation in the Freeway Operations Unit. He then served as the Traffic Signal Engineer for the City of Austin, and subsequently as the Traffic Management Engineer for the City of San Antonio, where he managed the planning, design, and operation of traffic signals and several large and small traffic signal system projects for a combined network of 1,100 traffic signals. Rick holds a B.S. in civil engineering from Texas A&M University, and a M.S. in engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. He is widely published, and recently received the Transportation Research Board’s D. Grant Mickle Award for Outstanding Paper on Operations. |
The U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT), Research and Innovative Technology Administration will be hosting a free public webinar on December 9, 2011 to discuss plans for a certificate management entity (CME) to support a trusted and secure connected vehicle environment. During the webinar U.S. DOT will be seeking input on a set of high-level, alternative organizational structures for the CME.
The webinar will take place December 9, 2011 from 1:00 – 3:00 PM Eastern Standard Time. During the call the U.S. DOT will present results from an early analysis of organizational models. This analysis will describe the functions that need to be performed by a CME; identify key constraints as well as institutional and policy requirements; model how those functions may be organized; and present a high level assessment of these organizational models against a set of evaluation criteria.
Draft documentation of the analysis will be posted for comment at the following location on or before December 9, 2011 at www.its.dot.gov. Interested stakeholders are asked to submit comments about the analysis by the end of the day on December 14, 2011. Written comments may be submitted to: itscme@dot.gov. This is not an official docket. Stakeholders will have additional opportunities to provide input in to this project at later stages, including via a public meeting planned for March 2012.
Through 2014, the primary focus of the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Joint Program Office is a research initiative focused on developing rapid and secure wireless communications and trusted data exchanges among vehicles, roadside infrastructure, and passengers’ personal communications devices. This innovative use of wireless communications provides the foundation for a connected environment for transportation that is intended to enable a multitude of applications to enhance surface transportation safety, mobility, and environmental performance.
In the end state, users need to have assurance that the system offers trusted and secure communications. That is the fundamental purpose of the Certificate Management System (or Certificate Management Entities): to ensure that participants and their vehicles receive digital certificates that allow them to be trusted actors within the system and to access meaningful and trusted data that is generated by others. If trust in the communications breaks down, then trust in the overall connected environment erodes and users become reluctant to use it or rely on it. Trust can be violated in several ways:
The current study aims to analyze alternative operational models that describe potential organizational designs, institutional capabilities, and policies of a Certificate Management System. It also assesses the needs for operation, maintenance, and system enhancements over time. (This study is an institutional analysis only, not a technical analysis, and it is not intended to develop a system design.)
Persons planning to attend the webinar should use the following link: http://www.itsa.org/policywebinarregistration by December 5, 2011. For additional questions, please contact Adam Hopps at (202) 680-0091.
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About Your Speakers  TJ Bathras, TMC manager at Baltimore City Department of Transportation, Traffic Division, is responsible for supervising daily traffic signal operations, point control and the monitoring of traffic through CCTV cameras in their Control Room.
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Mrs. Shell is currently a designer with Volkert & Associates, has been responsible for the design of numerous intersection and signal upgrade plans, signal timing plans, and traffic studies for both public and private sectors throughout the southeast. Her most recent experience includes the ITS project that will provide signal upgrades and transportation network improvements at 123 intersections located within the City of Chattanooga metropolitan area and will include the use of adaptive signal control technology (ASCT).
Mr. Brogdon is currently a Project Manager with Volkert & Associates, Inc. He has been with the firm since 1997. He is responsible for developing ITS, roadway, lighting and traffic signal plan sets including design criteria, horizontal and vertical geometry, signing/striping, equipment specification, and detailed construction quantity estimates. Mr. Brogdon has extensive experience working in conjunction with multiple state departments of transportation on numerous ITS, roadway, lighting and traffic signal, and roadway projects.
