Description

IT and ITS have a common technical framework and similar technical challenges. As such, practitioners in both fields have much to gain by partnering together. The Oregon and New Hampshire State Departments of Transportation will present their experiences in bringing these different organizational groups together to promote efficient and successful ITS project deployment based on systems engineering principles. Each agency will share their successes, challenges, and lessons learned with the organizational and technical issues these new partnerships engender. Representatives from both agencies will discuss the ways that IT and ITS staff in program offices collaborate to support ITS deployments, making this an informative and interesting session and providing the audience with practical steps for initiating and maintaining collaborative, cross-departmental work partnerships.

This webinar is part of a webinar series on Systems Engineering for ITS projects. Many agencies use their Information Technology group as a source for systems engineering and information technology skills and as a way to build competency across different agency departments.

Audience

• Individuals involved in planning, deploying, and operating ITS
• ITS and IT staff and managers
• Human Resource and workforce development professionals

Learning Outcomes

• Understanding of the positive impact on ITS project outcomes derived from collaboration between the agency’s IT department and the ITS program office
• Steps that can be implemented to initiate cross-departmental (IT and ITS) collaboration
• Benefits of using systems engineering in the development and management of ITS projects
• Best practices for maintaining cross-departmental collaboration through the project lifecycle

Federal Host:

Mac Lister, ITS Professional Capacity Building Program, ITS Joint Program Office, US DOT’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration

Mac Lister is the Manager of the ITS Professional Capacity Building Program at the U.S. Department of Transportation’s ITS Joint Program Office (ITS JPO). He has over 35 years of experience in the field of information systems. Before joining the ITS JPO, Mac was an ITS Specialist at the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Resource Center. Before that, Mac worked as an IT manager for 25 years, the last 12 of which were for a public transit agency. His ITS areas of expertise are 511 technology/overall operations, the National ITS Architecture, ITS professional capacity building and workforce development, and systems engineering.

Mac has provided training, outreach and technical support for the National ITS Architecture and Systems Engineering programs. He has also the team leader for the FHWA‘s National Field Support team; the field co-chair for the FHWA Operations Council’s architecture and systems engineering working groups; and a member of the 511 Deployment Coalition Working Group.

Mac is a certified instructor and a master trainer for NHI. He has taught courses in ITS Software Acquisition, Systems Engineering and National ITS Architecture. He has also been an independent consultant to ITS America.

Presenters:

Denise Markow, New Hampshire Transportation Management Center, New Hampshire Department of Transportation

Denise Markow is the Program Manager for the New Hampshire Transportation Management Center and has been working for the New Hampshire Department of Transportation for 15 years. For the past two years, she has also managed the ITS Program, a program that she was integral in initiating. She has spent 13 years in the Highway Design Bureau working with Consulting Firms as a Consultant Reviewer responsible for the QC/QA of design plans. Denise is a registered PE in the state of NH. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business/French from the University of Wisconsin and a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of New Hampshire.

Gail Hambleton, New Hampshire Department of Transportation

Gail Hambleton is the IT Leader for Transportation at New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT), a position she has held since June 2008. She has worked in that department for the past seven years and has also worked as a Civil Engineer at NHDOT for 3 years. She has extensive work experience is software and hardware development. Gail is a PE in Civil Engineering (lapsed license since working in IT) and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of New Hampshire.

Galen McGill, Oregon Department of Transportation

Galen McGill has been the Intelligent Transportation Systems Manager for the Oregon Department of Transportation since the inception of the ITS Program in 1998. He has worked for ODOT for 21 years in various positions related to technology development and implementation. Galen is a registered professional engineer. He has a Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Oregon State University and an MBA degree from Willamette University’s Atkinson Graduate School of Management.

Coordinating, Planning and Managing the Effects of Roadway Construction with ITS Technology Web Briefing
http://www.ite.org/education/webinars_workzone.asp
Category > Opportunity: July 1, 2009 (ITE)

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) allocates significant funding to state transportation agencies for highway infrastructure investment projects. These funds are being used to rehabilitate roadway surfaces, build new capacity and deploy Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and other applications to improve operations. It is important to coordinate work zone planning and operations to avoid undue burdens on the traveling public and ensure safe and efficient traffic flow through individual work zones. The Web briefing will focus on ITS applications as a component of a larger work zone transportation management plan used to facilitate the coordination of multiple work zone projects as well as the planning, design and operation of individual work zones. It will highlight cost-effective technology applications available to state and local DOTs that can be rapidly deployed to improve work zone safety and mobility. See course details and learning objectives by accessing the link above. This event is sponsored by the U.S. DOT Research Innovative Technology Administration ITS Professional Capacity Building Program.

Date: Thursday, July 23, 2009
Credit: 1.5 PDH
Time: 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Eastern
Site Fee: $15.00 (Member/Non-Member/Full-time Student)
Intended Audience: Traffic/Transportation Engineers and Consultants

T3 Webinar: Advancing Traffic Signal Management Programs through Regional Collaboration
http://www.pcb.its.dot.gov/t3/s090701_signal.asp
Category > Opportunity: July 1, 2009 (U.S. DOT)

This free T3 Webinar, taking place July 23, 2009 from 1:00–2:30 p.m. ET, will explore Regional Traffic Signal Management Programs from an intuitional and organizational perspective. Over the last decade, Regional Traffic Signal Management Programs have developed in many metropolitan areas with the primary objective of improving traffic signal timing. How successful have these programs been at achieving and sustaining this objective? What types of organizational structures, funding, and technology facilitate the operation of the system? There are many approaches to starting, organizing, and sustaining regional programs; a cross section of these, will be explored from the perspective of State DOTs, Metropolitan Planning Organizations and Local Agencies. The activities, funding sources and champions that sustain regional programs are as diverse as the regions themselves; exploring and discussing these is an important step in improving and advancing traffic signal operations nationally.

For more information and to register, click on the link above.

T3 Webinars are brought to you by the ITS Professional Capacity Building Program (ITS PCB) at the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (U.S. DOT) ITS Joint Program Office, Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA).

Traffic Analysis Tools Volume IX: Work Zone Modeling and Simulation: A Guide for Analysts
http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/traffic_analysis/tatv9_wz/tatvol_9.pdf
Category > Now Available: July 1, 2009 (FHWA)

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has released a report that explores practices that can be used by an analyst, researcher, or manager in charge of conducting a specific work zone analysis project or who has been charged with developing an overall work zone modeling program or approach.  This document is the second volume in the FHWA Traffic Analysis Toolbox: Work Zone Analysis series.

Announcement of Upcoming Michigan IntelliDrive Test Bed Operation and Maintenance Procurement
https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=805f843cd625e8dae8383a82383dedac&tab=core&_cview=0
Category > Opportunity: July 1, 2009 (FHWA)

FHWA estimates issuance of RFP DTFH61-09-R-00029 for the Michigan IntelliDrive Test Bed Operation and Maintenance within 60 days or later of this notice. A Pre-Proposal Conference will be held in Detroit, Michigan. Time and exact location will be specified in the RFP. Any questions pertaining to this notice shall be emailed to charles.kotch@dot.gov. Answers to all questions received, will be discussed and documented at the Pre-Proposal Conference. No questions will be answered prior to the conference.

FHWA Traffic Incident Management Self Assessment Web Conference: July 30
https://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/webconference/web_conf_learner_reg.aspx?webConfID=17432
Category > Now Available: July 30, 2009 (FHWA)

Please join a panel discussion on the Traffic Incident Management (TIM) Self Assessment at a Web conference on Thursday, July 30, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern. Panelists will present a discussion of the TIM Self Assessment process, success stories and best practices, cumulative results of the survey, the role in strategic performance metric measurements and potentially new criteria to capture incident performance collection activities.  In addition, FHWA will present a demonstration of the new TIM Self-Assessment automated tool.

For more information and to register, click on the following link:
https://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/webconference/web_conf_learner_reg.aspx?webConfID=17432

ITS America Announces Webinar Series on Climate Change and Transportation
http://www.itsa.org/itsa/files/ITSAWebinarSeriesOrderForm.doc
Category > Opportunity: July 30, 2009 (ITSA)

The Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) is pleased to announce a series of Webinars focusing on how climate change can affect surface transportation.

“What Does Climate Change Legislation Mean for Surface Transportation?” will be held from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 8.

“How is California Addressing Surface Transportation Issues?” will be held from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 15.

“What is Detroit Doing to Alleviate Environmental Concerns in Surface Transportation?” will be held from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 22.

The registration fee for members of ITS America is $45 per Webinar (or $105 for the series) and $90 per Webinar for nonmembers or ($240 for the series).

To register, download the registration form through the link above.

“Transportation Management Center of the Future” Now Available on DVD
http://www.itsa.org/press_release_content/c215_d2968/News.html
Category > Now Available: July 30, 2009 (ITSA)

Brought to you by ITS America and seen at the 15th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems, the “Transportation Management Center of the Future” was a 3,200 square foot exhibition that showcased the integration of active probe data into the most advanced applications of Transportation Management Center (TMC) systems. This one-of-a-kind exhibition is now available as a 45-minute DVD.

A Speed Nudge?
http://www.howwedrive.com/2009/06/22/a-speed-nudge/
Category > Breaking News: July 30, 2009 (NTOC)

Speed limit signs tell the driver how fast they can legally drive. What if they actually told them something more useful — namely how fast to drive so that one is assured of not having to stop at the next light? Read the complete blog entry by Tom Vanderbilt through the link above.

TRB Webinar: Climate Change 101
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/543458008?utm_medium=etmail&utm_source=Transportation%20Research%20Board&utm_campaign=TRB+E-Newsletter+-+06-23-2009&utm_content=Customer&utm_term=
Category > Opportunity: July 1, 2009 (TRB)

The Transportation Research Board (TRB) will conduct a Webinar on Tuesday, June 30, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. EDT that will explore the fundamentals of climate change with Dr. Steven Davis-Mendelow.  Dr. Davis-Mendelow is a spokesperson for The Climate Project, an international non-profit founded by former Vice President Al Gore.  Participants must register at least 24 hours in advance of the start of the Webinar, space is limited, and there is a fee for non-TRB Sponsor employees.

Dr. Davis-Mendelow will provide an engaging presentation about the fundamentals of climate change to help the transportation community better plan policy and projects.  Mr. William Malley, partner at the law firm of Perkins Coie LLP, will provide comments after Dr. Davis-Mendelow’s presentation. This Webinar is based on a 2009 Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting session.

Critical Issues in Transportation: 2009 Update
http://www.trb.org/news/blurb_detail.asp?id=10526&utm_medium=etmail&utm_source=Transportation%20Research%20Board&utm_campaign=TRB+E-Newsletter+-+06-23-2009&utm_content=Customer&utm_term=
Category > Now Available: July 1, 2009 (TRB)

TRB’s Executive Committee periodically identifies a set of critical issues in transportation to focus attention on their likely impact on the nation’s economy and quality of life. The 2009 Critical Issues update elevates the importance of energy and environmental issues to reflect the prominence that these topics have gained in national debates about energy security and climate change. Greater emphasis also is given to the issues of the condition and financing of infrastructure, to help policy makers prepare for the reauthorization of federal surface transportation programs that expire in 2009.

The urgency of addressing the critical issues has never been greater. The Executive Committee hopes that readers of this list will become aware of and concerned about these issues, and will join in addressing the problems in transportation so that society and the economy can reap the many benefits.

To order free copies of Critical Issues in Transportation, please contact Russell Houston, TRB’s Senior Communications Officer, at rhouston@nas.edu or 202-334-3252.  In your correspondence, please include the number of copies of the publication you need, the audience you are going to be sharing them with and your full mailing address.

ITE 2009 Annual Meeting and Exhibit: Early Bird Rates Expire July 9!
http://www.ite.org/AnnualMeeting/default.asp
Category > Now Available: July 1, 2009 (TRB)

Make plans now to join the Institute of Transportation Engineers at the 2009 Annual Meeting and Exhibit, August 9–12, 2009, at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center
San Antonio, TX, USA. Click here to see the video about the meeting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rSh1j6GED8.

House T&I Committee Release “The Surface Transportation Authorization Act of 2009”
http://www.ampo.org/assets/818_surfacetransportatonact20.pdf
Category > Breaking News: July 1, 2009 (AMPO)

The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure released the Committee Print of the next surface transportation authorization bill, “The Surface Transportation Authorization Act of 2009.” The Subcommittee on Highways and Transit was scheduled to mark up the Committee Print on June 24. The completed bill will be introduced at a later date.

“The Committee lays out a plan to transform our surface transportation system so that it can meet today’s needs and tomorrow’s challenges,” said Chairman James L. Oberstar (Minn.). “It restructures surface transportation programs to a performance-based framework to cut fatalities and injuries on our highways, bring highway, bridge, and public transit systems to a state of good repair, reduce congestion and greenhouse gas emissions, and support robust investment in our nation’s infrastructure.”

“The Surface Transportation Authorization Act of 2009 provides our nation a vision and a path towards a 21st Century transportation system. It will make our highways safer, improve our roads and transit systems, make our businesses more competitive by reducing their costs due to time spent in traffic, and reduce the amount of time the average person spends in gridlock,” said Rep. Peter DeFazio (Ore.), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit. “This is an opportunity to move past broken policies of the past and move toward a more accountable and efficient future.”

A white paper outlining the organizational and policy reforms that will be contained in the new bill was also released. The white paper, entitled “A Blueprint for Investment and Reform,” and the Committee Print released are posted on the Committee’s Web site, http://transportation.house.gov.

Talking Operations Web Cast: Integrating Weather Information in TMC Operations
https://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/webconference/web_conf_learner_reg.aspx?webConfID=17167
Category > Opportunity: July 1, 2009 (NTOC)

This free Talking Operations Web cast, taking place August 6, 2009 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time, will describe the work that Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has done in Traffic Management Center (TMC) weather integration, including the development of the Self-Evaluation and Planning Guide. For complete details and to register, visit the link above.

Roundabout Design and Construction: Key Issues and Solutions Web Seminar
http://www.ite.org/education/webinars_TCWEB.asp
Category > Opportunity: July 1, 2009 (ITE)

This Web briefing is a showcase of selected presentations from the 2009 ITE Technical Conference and Exhibit, Transportation Operations in Action, held in Phoenix, AZ in March 2009. The Web briefing is being offered with support from the Federal Highway Administration’s Office of Operations.

Dates: Tuesday, June 30, 2009, Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Credit: 1.5 PDH/.2 IACET CEU
Time: 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Eastern
Site Fee: $15.00 (Member/Non-Member/Full-time Student)

Intended Audience: Transportation Planners, Traffic/Transportation Engineers and Consultants

Traffic Operations Practitioner Specialist® (TOPS) Refresher Courses
http://www.ite.org/education/webinars_tops.asp
Category > Opportunity: July 1, 2009 (ITE)

This suite of courses includes six learning modules on traffic operations studies, traffic devices, elements of design, traffic safety, incident management and transportation management. See course details and learning objectives by accessing the link above.

Dates: Wednesday, August 19-September 23, 2009 (Modules 1-6 )
Credit: 9 PDH/.9 IACET CEU
Time: 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Eastern
Intended Audience: Transportation Planners, Traffic/Transportation Engineers, Consultants and prospective TOPS exam takers

Where is the “IT” in ITS?

Description

IT and ITS have a common technical framework and similar technical challenges. As such, practitioners in both fields have much to gain by partnering together. The Oregon and New Hampshire State Departments of Transportation will present their experiences in bringing these different organizational groups together to promote efficient and successful ITS project deployment based on systems engineering principles. Each agency will share their successes, challenges, and lessons learned with the organizational and technical issues these new partnerships engender. Representatives from both agencies will discuss the ways that IT and ITS staff in program offices collaborate to support ITS deployments, making this an informative and interesting session and providing the audience with practical steps for initiating and maintaining collaborative, cross-departmental work partnerships.

This webinar is part of a webinar series on Systems Engineering for ITS projects. Many agencies use their Information Technology group as a source for systems engineering and information technology skills and as a way to build competency across different agency departments.

Audience

• Individuals involved in planning, deploying, and operating ITS
• ITS and IT staff and managers
• Human Resource and workforce development professionals

Learning Outcomes

• Understanding of the positive impact on ITS project outcomes derived from collaboration between the agency’s IT department and the ITS program office
• Steps that can be implemented to initiate cross-departmental (IT and ITS) collaboration
• Benefits of using systems engineering in the development and management of ITS projects
• Best practices for maintaining cross-departmental collaboration through the project lifecycle

Federal Host:

Mac Lister

Mac is the Manager of the ITS Professional Capacity Building Program at the U.S. Department of Transportation’s ITS Joint Program Office (ITS JPO). He has over 35 years of experience in the field of information systems. Before joining the ITS JPO, Mac was an ITS Specialist at the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Resource Center. Before that, Mac worked as an IT manager for 25 years, the last 12 of which were for a public transit agency. His ITS areas of expertise are 511 technology/overall operations, the National ITS Architecture, ITS professional capacity building and workforce development, and systems engineering.

Mac has provided training, outreach and technical support for the National ITS Architecture and Systems Engineering programs. He has also the team leader for the FHWA‘s National Field Support team; the field co-chair for the FHWA Operations Council’s architecture and systems engineering working groups; and a member of the 511 Deployment Coalition Working Group.

Mac is a certified instructor and a master trainer for NHI. He has taught courses in ITS Software Acquisition, Systems Engineering and National ITS Architecture. He has also been an independent consultant to ITS America.

(Source: Streetsblog)

The federal DOT has just released its guidance for states seeking a share of its $8 billion in high-speed rail funding — and tucked in the rules are standards that could prove crucial to the project’s success.

The definition of high-speed rail can vary depending on the source. The original White House outline cited a top speed of 150 mph, while European and Asian networks can go as high as 200 mph.  Today’s DOT guidance uses the same standard that was outlined in last year’s Amtrak reauthorization bill: high-speed trains are those “reasonably expected to reach speeds of at least 110 mph.”

That standard appears flexible enough to include most regional rail plans. California’s high-speed authority believes the state’s service can reach a top speed of 220pm. The states working on a midwestern rail network with Chicago at the center, however, envision their trains achieving an average of 67 mph for local service and 78 mph for express rides.

Secretary LaHood observed the following on his blog:

“And now, the time has finally come for the United States to get serious about building a national network of high-speed rail corridors we can all be proud of.  A robust 21st Century economy requires efficient transportation of people from urban center to urban center. And, the guidance we publish today will evaluate proposals for their ability to:

• Make trips quicker and more convenient;
• Reduce congestion on highways and at airports; and
• Meet other environmental, energy and safety goals.

So, today the guidance; in mid-September we’ll be back with the first round of grant awards. I am proud to say the DOT is meeting its ARRA commitments and meeting them responsibly.

High-speed rail can reduce traffic congestion on the roads and in the skies, and it links conveniently with light rail, subways and buses for competitive door-to-door travel times. It will encourage economic growth and create new domestic jobs even as it makes our communities more livable.

The guidelines require rigorous financial and environmental planning to make sure projects are worthy of investment and likely to be successful. Both planning and construction are eligible, so states can apply for funds no matter what stage of development their project is in. ”

Click here to read the entire Streetsblog post.

(Source: New York Times & Planetizen)

It was hailed as the solution to America’s infrastructure spending deficit, but the influx of private funds has come to halt along with the failure of banks and the huge investment from the Recovery Act. Plus, many schemes aroused taxpayers wrath.

Late last month plans to privatize “Alligator Alley,” a 78-mile stretch of Florida highway that connects Fort Lauderdale with Naples, collapsed when no bidders showed up. The failure has had a ripple effect — in Mississippi, state officials have pushed back the bidding schedule for a new 12-mile toll road.

Then there is the $1.2 billion privatization of 36,000 parking meters in Chicago. In the five months since the deal took effect, widespread complaints about poor service and rising parking rates have created a political firestorm for the Chicago City Council. Public opposition was so strong that on Wednesday the council approved a delay in voting on any future asset sales.

Chicago public officials have called the work of the private operator, Chicago Parking Meters L.L.C., “simply unacceptable.” For its part, the operator has apologized and announced it would delay price increases at the meters.

Proponents of public-to-private asset sales point to the $1.8 billion lease of the 7.8-mile Chicago Skyway in 2004 and the $3.8 billion raised by Indiana through a 75-year lease of its toll road in 2006 as successful pioneering efforts.

In Indiana, the money went to pay for a 10-year highway infrastructure program, and Gov. Mitch Daniels was re-elected last year promoting the lease, despite bumper stickers that read “Keep the Toll Road, Lease Mitch.”

The stimulus money, as well as other infrastructure money promised by Congress, has provided temporary relief for cash-poor municipalities. But this situation will not last forever.

(Source:  The Detroit News & SFGate.com)

Supporters have dropped an attempt to add “cash for clunkers” legislation to a tobacco regulation bill now before the Senate, a setback in efforts to boost car sales with federal subsidies.

“There are technical details to work out and the senator continues to look for a vehicle to pass this very important piece of legislation,” said Brad Carroll, a spokesman for Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a co-sponsor of the bill.

Two congressional aides said the measure was derailed by objections from the Senate Appropriations Committee to using money from the $787 billion economic stimulus package for the measure, which would offer up to $4,500 credits for consumers trading in older, low-gas-mileage vehicles.

In January, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., introduced a bill, S247, that would give vouchers to people who turn in a car or truck that gets 15 or fewer miles per gallon to a dealer that scraps it.

Rep. Betty Sutton, D-Ohio, introduced one in the House, HR1550. A compromise version was attached to the 900-page energy bill that was passed last month by the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., introduced an almost identical one in the Senate. Her bill, S1135, would provide vouchers of $3,500 or $4,500, depending on the difference in gas mileage between the clunker and the new vehicle. The vouchers could only be used to buy or lease new vehicles, not for used vehicles or mass transit.

Environmentalists oppose the two industry-supported bills because they would provide vouchers to people who scrap more fuel-efficient vehicles (18 mpg or less) than under the Feinstein proposal (15 mpg or less).

Last month, Sen. Feinstein proposed an alternative that is less stringent than her original bill but stricter than Stabenow’s. For details, see links.sfgate.com/ZHHC.

It’s not clear whether the Senate will back the Stabenow bill, the new Feinstein approach or a compromise.

“Fiscal conservatives and environmentalists oppose the more permissive Stabenow bill as an expensive subsidy for the ailing auto industry, while union and manufacturing interests oppose the stricter Feinstein approach, which would likely favor fuel-efficient imported vehicles,” said Benjamin Salisbury, an analyst with FBR Capital Markets, in a report.

“The Senate could vote on both amendments and add the most popular one to unrelated legislation giving the Food and Drug Administration regulatory authority over tobacco products,” Salisbury wrote.

Idea likely to stick around

That didn’t happen Wednesday, as many expected. But with President Obama in favor of cash for clunkers, the idea is not likely to die.

Becker hopes Congress will not rush into passing a bill without enough research and debate to determine how much the program will cost and who will benefit most. “Somebody might come along and do clunker dating,” matching up people who want to buy new cars with people who have clunkers, he says.

He adds that Germany started a 1.5 billion euro cash-for-clunkers program this year and it has already swelled into a 5 billion euro program.

Consumers waiting to buy a new car until a bill passes should first figure out if their existing car would qualify under the scrapping plan. If so, the next question is whether the voucher would be worth more than the price they would get if they sold or traded in their car. If so, they should figure out whether the new car they want to buy would qualify. With so many unknowns remaining, it’s hard to reach a conclusion.

(Source: Autoblog & GAO)

Big government’s inefficiency comes in a variety of flavors, and this one could hit your dashboards as early as next year. According to a report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the U.S.’ Global Positioning System (GPS) could begin to experience black-outs and general failures next year due to the delays, mismanagement and underinvestment by the U.S. Air force. 

The report’s summary offers the following: The Global Positioning System (GPS), which provides position, navigation, and timing data to users worldwide, has become essential to U.S. national security and a key tool in an expanding array of public service and commercial applications at home and abroad. The United States provides GPS data free of charge. The Air Force, which is responsible for GPS acquisition, is in the process of modernizing GPS. In light of the importance of GPS, the modernization effort, and international efforts to develop new systems, GAO was asked to undertake a broad review of GPS. Specifically, GAO assessed progress in (1) acquiring GPS satellites, (2) acquiring the ground control and user equipment necessary to leverage GPS satellite capabilities, and evaluated (3) coordination among federal agencies and other organizations to ensure GPS missions can be accomplished. To carry out this assessment, GAO’s efforts included reviewing and analyzing program documentation, conducting its own analysis of Air Force satellite data, and interviewing key officials.

It is uncertain whether the Air Force will be able to acquire new satellites in time to maintain current GPS service without interruption. If not, some military operations and some civilian users could be adversely affected. (1) In recent years, the Air Force has struggled to successfully build GPS satellites within cost and schedule goals; it encountered significant technical problems that still threaten its delivery schedule; and it struggled with a different contractor. As a result, the current IIF satellite program has overrun its original cost estimate by about $870 million and the launch of its first satellite has been delayed to November 2009–almost 3 years late. (2) Further, while the Air Force is structuring the new GPS IIIA program to prevent mistakes made on the IIF program, the Air Force is aiming to deploy the next generation of GPS satellites 3 years faster than the IIF satellites. GAO’s analysis found that this schedule is optimistic, given the program’s late start, past trends in space acquisitions, and challenges facing the new contractor. Of particular concern is leadership for GPS acquisition, as GAO and other studies have found the lack of a single point of authority for space programs and frequent turnover in program managers have hampered requirements setting, funding stability, and resource allocation. (3) If the Air Force does not meet its schedule goals for development of GPS IIIA satellites, there will be an increased likelihood that in 2010, as old satellites begin to fail, the overall GPS constellation will fall below the number of satellites required to provide the level of GPS service that the U.S. government commits to. Such a gap in capability could have wide-ranging impacts on all GPS users, though there are measures the Air Force and others can take to plan for and minimize these impacts. In addition to risks facing the acquisition of new GPS satellites, the Air Force has not been fully successful in synchronizing the acquisition and development of the next generation of GPS satellites with the ground control and user equipment, thereby delaying the ability of military users to fully utilize new GPS satellite capabilities. Diffuse leadership has been a contributing factor, given that there is no single authority responsible for synchronizing all procurements and fielding related to GPS, and funding has been diverted from ground programs to pay for problems in the space segment. DOD and others involved in ensuring GPS can serve communities beyond the military have taken prudent steps to manage requirements and coordinate among the many organizations involved with GPS. However, GAO identified challenges in the areas of ensuring civilian requirements can be met and ensuring GPS compatibility with other new, potentially competing global space-based positioning, navigation, and timing systems.

Click here to download the report.  For those who like to read without leaving the page, here is the read-only version of the PDF.

Please join us for the upcoming Talking Technology and Transportation (T3) Webinar:  

Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG 9-1-1) Summit for Large Cities

Description

Advances in telecommunications mobility and convergence have put the nation’s 9-1-1 emergency call system at a crossroads. The growing market penetration of both cellular and Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) telephony, and the increasingly mobile world they reflect, has underscored the limitations of the current 9-1-1 infrastructure. Today’s 9-1-1 system, based on decades-old technology, cannot handle the text, data, images, and video that are increasingly common in personal communications and critical to future transportation safety and mobility advances.

There is consensus within the 9-1-1 community on the need for a new, more capable system surrounding emergency call delivery and response (ultimately a system of systems). There is general agreement on the need to capitalize on advances in information and communications technologies, and develop systems that will enable:

• Quicker and more accurate information delivery to responders;
• Better and more useful forms of information (real-time text, images, video, and other data);
• More flexible, secure and robust Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) operations; and
• Lower public capital and operating costs for emergency communication services.

The US DOT’s Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG 9-1-1) Initiative has helped define and document a vision for the future of 9-1-1. The NG 9-1-1 Initiative is a research and development project to define the system architecture and develop a transition plan that considers responsibilities, costs, schedule and benefits for deploying IP-based emergency services across the nation.

USDOT views the NG 9-1-1 project as a transition enabler, to assist the public in making a 9-1-1 call from any wired, wireless, or IP-based device, and allow the emergency responders to take advantage of enhanced call delivery, multimedia data and advanced call transfer capabilities. To accomplish these goals, the ideas and needs of both public and private 9-1-1 stakeholders have been incorporated.

This webinar will provide a briefing on the status of the NG 9-1-1 Initiative and other development efforts and describe the transition to the National E-911 Implementation Coordination Office that is currently underway.

Audience

This summit targets 9-1-1 stakeholders, public safety communications professionals and other interested parties in the future planning of the nation’s emergency call centers.

Learning Outcomes

• What is NG 9-1-1?
• What is the current status of NG 9-1-1 implementation?
• What steps is USDOT taking toward developing the future of 9-1-1?
• What information about NG 9-1-1 is available?

Federal Hosts:

Linda Dodge and Laurie Flaherty, NG 9-1-1 Co-Program Managers, US DOT

Linda Dodge

Linda Dodge has overall 30 years in public safety (firefighter, paramedic, heavy rescue) in the field and administration. Linda’s experience includes instructing at the Maryland Fire Rescue Institute (MFRI), University of MD; a director of a police and correctional officer academy, for the Maryland Dept. of Public Safety – Police and Corrections; 12 years as executive director Colorado Trauma Institute, Denver, CO and the last 10 years at the DOT ~6 of the10 years as regional program manager NHTSA Region 8, in Lakewood and 4 years ITS JPO, FHWA, in DC public safety program manager (NG 9-1-1, WE 9-1-1, Emergency Transportation Operations, etc.)

Laurie Flaherty

Laurie Flaherty is an emergency nurse, who has more than 20 years of clinical experience. She received her bachelor’s degree in nursing at Marquette University, and has a master’s degree in emergency and trauma nursing from the University of California, San Francisco.

Laurie is a Program Analyst in the Office of EMS at NHTSA and focuses on issues related to the application of technology in Emergency Medical Services and 9-1-1 services. She currently co-manages the Next Generation 9-1-1 Initiative for the Office of EMS, and is also directly involved in establishing and staffing the National 9-1-1 Office.

Presenters:

John Chiaramonte, Booz Allen Hamilton

John Chiaramonte, an Associate at Booz Allen Hamilton, is the deputy program manager leading the NG 9-1-1 Initiative for the US DOT. In 2008, he successfully managed a team of software developers and technical and functional experts that implemented a proof of concept demonstration.

Prior to joining Booz Allen, John was a Senior Project Manager delivering public safety applications to 9-1-1 centers. He has been involved with public safety IT projects both as the end-user and a vendor and throughout the entire implementation process. He is a subject matter expert on Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) and 9-1-1 systems and operations and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

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(Source: Institute for Transportation & Development Policy)

Activist Says Jakarta Current Vehicle Growth Leads to Transportation Failure

If the vehicle growth rate in Jakarta continues to hover around tens of percent annually without any breakthrough in transportation and traffic management, the city will be paralyzed by total gridlock by 2014, a nongovernmental organization said Wednesday.

“Total traffic failure is an unbearable risk caused by the city’s failure in transportation and traffic management,” the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy said in a statement sent to The Jakarta Post.

“Traffic jams have degraded the environment and people’s health due to excessive vehicle emissions. They also halt residents’ mobility that, in turn, cause economic losses,” it said.

Jabodetabek, a large-scale metropolitan area with a population of 21 million, consists of Daerah Khusus Ibukota/DKI (Capital Special Region) Jakarta, as the capital city of Indonesia, which is the center of politics, economy and social activities, and 7 local governments (Bodetabek) in the surrounding areas covering Kota (municipality) Bogor, Kabupaten (regency/district) Bogor, Kota Depok, Kota Bekasi, Kabupaten Bekasi, Kota Tangerang, and Kabupaten Tangerang.

Traffic congestion is a chronic problem faced in the Jabodetabek region and the situation is expected to worsen should there be no improvement of any kind made on the existing transportation system. According to a 2005 study,  the economic loss caused by traffic congestion in the region could be as much as $ 68 million per year due to traffic congestion – and this estimate excludes the impacts of traffic congestion and pollution on human health.

Jakarta’s Paratransit Network Still Stuck In Slow Lane 

 (Source: Time)

A Lot Full of Old Clunkers For Sale

It’s no secret that one of the biggest reasons the U.S. auto industry is teetering on collapse is that, quite simply, Americans have stopped buying cars. U.S. auto sales were down 37% in March from 2008, the latest in a nearly unbroken year-and-a-half streak of falling sales. And if the cratered economy is the main culprit behind backed-up inventory at U.S. car dealers, another is that American automakers have failed to produce the more fuel-efficient vehicles that gas-price-conscious car buyers are beginning to demand. As a result, the U.S. still sends hundreds of billions of dollars overseas for oil — and adds ever more greenhouse-gas pollution into the atmosphere. 

Now what if there were a way to tackle both these problems with one policy: to stimulate demand for American cars while making the U.S. auto fleet cleaner, greener and more efficient? It sounds like the kind of slick two-for-one pitch you might hear from a used-car salesman, but that’s exactly what proponents of a “cash for clunkers” program are promising.

But is cash-for-clunkers really two-for-one? That depends. There are currently two main bills in the House and Senate, which, according to greens, are not created equal. One, sponsored by Democratic Ohio Representative Betty Sutton, allows any car from model year 2000 or earlier to be traded in, without any restriction on fuel economy. In return, car buyers will get $4,000 if they buy a new U.S. car that gets a minimum mileage of 27 m.p.g. and $5,000 if they buy a U.S. car with at least 30 m.p.g. Crucially, the new cars have to be made in the U.S. — foreign brands can qualify, but only if they’re manufactured on U.S. soil, which would disqualify super-efficient vehicles like Toyota’s Prius hybrid, made only in Japan.

Whichever bill is chosen — and others are being circulated as well — a successful cash-for-clunkers program wouldn’t be cheap. Germany’s program may end up costing the government some $6 billion, three times the initial price tag. Since Obama has said that money for the cash-for-clunkers program needs to come out of existing stimulus spending, that might take some creative accounting. But a cash-for-clunkers program, whatever its environmental benefits, would provide the government with a way to aid the domestic auto industry without giving Detroit any more direct handouts. “There’s a lot of justifiable taxpayer reluctance to keep helping the auto industry,” says Goldstein of the Center for American Progress. “Politically this is a viable alternative to sending them additional loan money.”