DENVER METRO—Starting tomorrow, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will expand its travel time information by displaying travel time data on 6th Avenue in an effort to provide improved traveler information to motorists. The system uses existing electronic message boards to post estimated travel times to specific destinations.

CDOT has been displaying travel time data on the electronic signs located on the I-70 west mountain corridor for several years with much success and on C-470.

CDOT will display travel times on three electronic message signs located on 6th Avenue. The westbound 6th Avenue sign at Sheridan Blvd. will provide information on travel time to Kipling, Simms and I-70. The eastbound 6th Avenue sign at Wadsworth Blvd. will provide travel times to Federal Blvd., I-25/Alameda and I25/Colfax. The eastbound 6th Avenue sign at Union will provide the travel time to Wadsworth, Sheridan and I-25.

The system collects data from speed input devices including ramp meters, side-fire speed sensors and toll transponders. CDOT does not have access to any personal or identifying information on a vehicle and information is deleted from the system within two hours. Speed, volume, and road segment travel data is calculated and the estimated travel time between two points is then posted on an electronic message sign. A travel time message will display a destination or highway exit, along with the current estimated time it is taking for vehicles traveling at actual speed up to the speed limit to get to that destination.

Travel times are not predictive but provide a snapshot of current highway traffic and conditions. Travel time messages and information will not be available during times traffic is stopped or a major incident results in a highway closure.

Go to Milepost 61 to see the entire blog entry.

The road cameras, available through www.cotrip.org and www.goi70.com as well as a local television station, offer viewers glimpses of traffic and road conditions.

The new cameras are to be installed between Frisco and Vail, as fiber optics over the pass have been extended, said Rodrick Mead, operations manager with Colorado Transportation Management Center.

Go to the Summit Daily News to see the entire article.

The Fort Collins traffic map as of 4:15 pm Wednesday showed a high level of congestion on eastbound Mulberry and northbound College.

By Kevin Flynn
Inside-Lane.com

Fort Collins is in the forefront of using Intelligent Transportation Systems and the internet to get real-time local street conditions into the hands of drivers and others.

FCTrip promises to help you “travel smarter” and by deploying a network of sensors and cameras that calculate congestion levels and speeds, the city has brought to the local street level a part of what the Colorado Department of Transportation, through its COTrip site, delivers for Denver metro area freeways.

The system integrates data from those sources to translate traffic data onto the city map. Take a look at it live here. It’s been online for nearly three years.

Britney Sorensen, Fort Collins’ traffic systems engineer, said the project was the brainchild of the city’s former traffic engineer, Eric Bracke, who has moved on to a job for the city of Greeley.

“Eric was instrumental in getting funding for our entire system,” she said. He worked to obtain a grant from CDOT through federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality funds. This program, pronounced verbally as “See-Mack” for C-M-A-Q, has been a valuable resource for innovation in ITS programs. Use of ITS can help traffic engineers squeeze more use out of existing capacity on the roadway network.

You can read about CDOT’s own efforts using ITS and the travel time savings it has brought starting on page 37 of CDOT’s 2009 Transportation Deficit Report.

As to Fort Collins’ FCTrip, it’s a glimpse into what engineers can do to help drivers make decisions that help relieve congestion. Extending real-time systems like this to regional arterial streets instead of just freeways would be a big help to commuters, delivery drivers and other motorists whose daily travels don’t just consist of freeway driving.

FCTrip reports on traffic along the major north-south and east-west arterials in the city. Although there are still some gaps that can be filled in as money allows, the streets in the program are Mulberry, Prospect, Drake, Horsetooth and Harmony Road, on the east-west axis, and Taft Hill, College, Lemay and Timberline on the north-south.

But the usefulness of FCTrip doesn’t stop at reporting traffic levels on city streets.

The view looking west on Wednesday afternoon at Harmony and Timberline in Fort Collins.

The site requires a good working relationship between the city’s Traffic Operations and Management Information Services departments. The operations people install and maintain the equipment that collects and transports the data, while the information services people program and maintain the web site.

“The congestion data comes from two different sources,” Sorensen said. “Video detection and in-pavement sensors. Both types of detection measure traffic volumes, occupancy (length of time the vehicle is present), and speed.

“Currently there are 20 video detection count stations and 20 in-pavement count stations with a total of 120 in-pavement sensors. There are also 18 intersections that use the video detection system to provide vehicle detection to change the traffic signal. These cameras, which are located at the intersection, also provide some count, occupancy and speed data.”

“The video detection system used in the City of Fort Collins is the Econolite Autoscope system, which detects pixilation change caused by vehicles in the image,” Sorensen added. “The cameras for the count stations are mounted approximately 500 feet away from the intersection.

Looking south on College at Harmony Road.

The camera images accompanying the map come from the city’s 28 closed-circuit camera system on major arterials.

“The CCTV cameras are controlled by software that takes snapshots every 5 to 10 minutes,” Sorensen said. “These images show multiple directions at each of the locations and are posted on the website.”

Fort Collins’ project cost $447,000. It included installation of 16 closed circuit cameras – the city has 28 total on the arterials – 20 video detection count stations, 20 in-pavement count stations, four servers for video and data processing, and networking equipment to communicate with the detection equipment.

More coverage is on the way.

City permits for roadway construction are used to compile work zone information on the map. The Traffic Operations Department issues these permits, giving it all the information it needs. In addition, information regarding upcoming projects is obtained from the city engineering department and plotted on the map.

“Prior to Mr. Bracke leaving the city, he applied for and was awarded another CMAQ grant to enhance the FCTrip webpage,” Sorensen said. “That project is currently in the design stages and should include 10 additional CCTV cameras and more vehicle detection equipment.”

Not that I’m suggesting any distracted driving, but have you ever driven around and spotted what I call high-tech “highway hardware” and wondered exactly what it all does?

I was driving up Santa Fe the other day in Englewood and saw these two gnarly looking antennae pointing down at me from the traffic signal mast arm at Dartmouth Avenue. I knew antennae such as these were used to transmit data and control to signals where hard-wiring by fiber optic cable isn’t available.

But those are usually mounted high on a vertical pole off to the side. This was a double-array pointed right down at me as I waited for the light to turn green.

So I went out on a picture-taking expedition and then asked the Colorado Department of Transportation to give me the Dewars profile on these devices. Intelligent Transportation Systems experts Ken DePinto and Matthew Rickard provided the answers.

So it’s time to get all geeky with a picture primer on the roadside devices that are part of the effort to keep traffic moving both smoothly and safely.

Omni-Directional Antenna
Used for wireless communication link between devices or equipment. CDOT and other agencies use these antennas to transfer data between various traffic control devices such as traffic signals, ramp metering, school flashers etc. They are also used for some cell phone antennas to improve reception signal strength in remote locations (highway call boxes)

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Red Light Activation Terminal
Its more common name is Tattle Tale Light. Indicates when a particular direction of a traffic signal is red. These units are installed and maintained by the local police agencies; they are attached to the signal wiring and will turn on a blue light when the traffic signal turns red for the direction that this unit is installed for. This allows the police department to sit beyond the signal while monitoring for red light runners. This keeps the police from needing to run the red light in order to pull over violators.

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Emergency Vehicle Preemption Receiver
Also known as Opticom. It allows local emergency vehicles (Fire/ Paramedics) to preempt a traffic signal and turn opposing directions red and the direction of travel for the emergency vehicle green. Local fire departments install these units on traffic signals on major roadways to improve response time to emergencies. The fire department installs a special coded emitter device in their vehicles that trigger the Emergency Vehicle Preemption receiver on the traffic signal, changing the current operation of the signal and allowing the emergency vehicle to have a green light and proceed through the signal. ONLY Fire departments have use/ operation of this device, not even the police departments can use them.

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Yagi Antenna
Used for wireless communication link between devices or equipment. CDOT and other agencies use these antennas to transfer data between various traffic control devices such as traffic signals, ramp metering, school flashers, etc. They are also used for some cell phone antennas to improve reception signal strength in remote locations such as roadside call boxes.

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Red Light Activation Terminal
Another example of the “Tattle Tale Light.” Indicates when a particular direction of a traffic signal is red. These units are installed and maintained by the local police agencies; they are attached to the signal wiring and will turn on a blue light when the traffic signal turns red for the direction that this unit is installed for. This allows the police department to sit past the signal and monitor red light runners. This keeps the police from needing to run the red light to pull over a red light violator.

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Panasonic Pan Tilt Zoom Camera (PTZ)
Full-function camera that can be controlled from a remote location. Used by various agencies to monitor road surface conditions, traffic volume, traffic incidents and any other situations in the range of the camera. Main use is to monitor traffic flow and alert drivers of possible slow down and or accidents. Capable of 360 degree pan, tilt and zoom functionality and low light image display. CDOT uses these devices to post images of road conditions on Cotrip.org.

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2.4 GHz Planar Array Antenna
Used for wireless communication link between devices or equipment in areas where CDOT does not have fiber or hardwire communication available and can use the microwave system to send the data to a location that is connected to fiber or hardwire communication. Used by CDOT to transmit various types of data from one device to another in short spans from each other. It transmits data from traffic data collection equipment such as Side Fire Radar (SFR) units, Toll Tag Identifiers (TTI) and traffic counting loops. Also used to transmit video and control from a remote camera to a base unit.

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Toll Tag Identifier (TTI) 916 MHz Yagi Antennas
Collects ExpressToll tag identification numbers. CDOT uses these devices to read the numbers, which are encrypted and can be matched from detection of the same tag at a different TTI location. Average vehicle speed and travel time can then be calculated from the matched tags. This data is combined with other traffic counting devices to produce Trip Travel Time messages and speed map alerts for traffic slowdowns.

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Fixed Directional Tube Camera
This style of camera can do one of two things. Some models can perform vehicle detection and other models are just a fixed image camera with no control. Agencies use the camera for both applications. Traffic Detection Camera are used for traffic signal vehicle detection. They use the image from the camera to detect vehicle presence at an intersection, telling the signal controller that a vehicle is waiting for a green light or green left turn arrow. The fixed image camera is used for traffic management similar to the Panasonic pan tilt zoom camera, but the fixed tube has no control. It shows only the image it was aimed for at installation.

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EIS RTMS Radar Device
RTMS units send out radar wavelengths and detect vehicles speed, size and how long it occupies an area. CDOT uses this device for various applications, most commonly traffic management. It works with the Toll Tag Identifiers/Wavetronix in calculating the flow of traffic in a specific stretch of roadway. This data is used to calculate trip travel times and alerts the Colorado Traffic Management Center of a slow section of roadway so it can advise of traffic problems. These devices are also used for traffic signal detection to indicate a vehicle is waiting for a green light. This device is also used for counting vehicle on a stretch of roadway for transportation planning. It records number of vehicles, types of vehicles (Semi-trucks, cars, box trucks, etc.), and if vehicles are slow in a stretch of roadway on a regular basis.

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Wavetronix Radar Device
Uses digital wave radar for traffic detection, detect vehicles speed, size and how long it occupies an area. CDOT uses this device for various applications, most commonly traffic management. It works with the Toll Tag Identifiers/Wavetronix in calculating the flow of traffic in a specific stretch of roadway. This data is used to calculate trip travel times and alerts the Colorado Traffic Management Center of a slow section of roadway so it can advise of traffic problems. These devices are also used for traffic signal detection to indicate a vehicle is waiting for a green light. This device is also used for counting vehicles on a stretch of roadway for transportation planning. It records number of vehicles, types of vehicles (Semi-trucks, cars, box trucks, etc.), and if vehicles are slow in a stretch of roadway on a regular basis.

Concerns over the environment — and the utter annoyance of having to brake and accelerate frequently — have prompted one Mexican state government to embrace a “smart” speed bump that could make driving smoother, without sacrificing safety.

The device, being developed by Mexico-based Decano Industries, automatically lowers into the ground when drivers go the speed limit or slower. Drive too fast, and the bump stays up.

The technology is relatively basic: The speed bump is formed by two steel plates that form a triangle sticking out of the pavement. When a car tire touches the plate, a patented device under the triangle measures the force of the impact.

If the tire’s impact is gentle enough — that is, if the vehicle is traveling slowly — both plates immediately collapse into the ground under the weight of the car.

Read the entire article at USA Today.