ITS Georgia Members Receive Update on GRTA Initiatives

ATLANTA--Jan. 27, 2005--Members of the Intelligent Transportation Society of Georgia (ITS Georgia) were updated on four major transportation initiatives carried out by the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA). The four initiatives are GRTA's Xpress Bus System, the I-75 HOV/BRT project in Fulton and Cobb Counties, the U.S. Highway 41 Smart Corridor project and Regional Performance Measures.

"These projects are designed to reduce congestion and improve the efficiency of surface transportation in metro Atlanta," said Marvin Woodward, Director of Engineering and Projects for GRTA. "We are also rigorously monitoring the performance of these and other transportation improvement projects to continually improve efficiency and safety of our streets, highways and Interstate systems."

The update included the following information:

Xpress Bus System - The 11-county regional express bus system has been in operation since June of 2004 and ridership is steadily growing.

The I-75 HOV/BRT project in Fulton and Cobb Counties is a joint project with GDOT. It is unique in the fact that HOV lanes are being developed in conjunction with Bus Rapid Transit Stations. The public scoping process has just been concluded and the development of an Environmental Impact Statement for the project has begun.

The U.S. Highway 41 Smart Corridor project is joint project with GDOT, the City of Marietta, the City of Atlanta and Cobb County. This project will include adaptive signal control at 18 intersections and transit vehicle signal pre-emption at 24 intersections.

The Regional Performance Measures program is a snapshot of key transportation performance measures involving mobility, transit accessibility, air quality and safety.

ITS Georgia holds monthly luncheon meetings nine times a year at which the latest in ITS technology and future trends are presented. Dates for meetings in 2005 are: February 24, March 31, April 28, May 26, 2005, June 30, July 28, September 29, and October 27. The ITS Georgia Annual Meeting will be held August 28 -30 2005 in Savannah at the Riverfront Marriott.

About ITS Georgia -

ITS Georgia is a group of organizations that support ITS technology as a way to significantly reduce congestion and improve the performance, safety and efficiency of our transportation system. ITS Georgia provides a forum for advocacy, facilitation, integration, and for learning more about Intelligent Transportation Systems.

ITS Georgia members include federal, state and local transportation agencies, ITS technology and service providers, large private and commercial transportation system users, universities, and other interested parties with missions that involve, or are affected by, the transportation system. ITS Georgia is the state Chapter of ITS America. ITS America is the organization that provides technical advice and assistance to the U.S. Department of Transportation. For more information, visit www.itsga.org.