Traffic.com Launches New Traffic Technology in Pittsburgh; U.S. Secretary of Transportation Rodney Slater unveils state-of-the-art traffic management system
25 September 2000
Traffic.com Launches New Traffic Technology in Pittsburgh; U.S. Secretary of Transportation Rodney Slater unveils state-of-the-art traffic management system
PITTSBURGH--Sept. 25, 2000--Traffic.com, the premier provider of traffic and logistics information, today debuted its TrafficPulse (SM) digital sensor network, an Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) developed in partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation and PennDOT, in a ceremony presided over by U.S. Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater and other dignitaries."Today marks the beginning of a new era in traffic management," said Richard P. Ramirez, President and CEO of traffic.com. "The technology now available in Pittsburgh is world-class. It will enable commuters and commercial fleet operators to manage their time and resources more effectively. With traffic.com, time truly is on your side," added Ramirez.
Joined by Congressman and Chairman of the Committee of Transportation and Infrastructure Bud Shuster and Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy, Secretary Slater applauded the public-private partnership. The Secretary said: "This ITS project embodies the Administration's initiative to apply advanced technology solutions to one of the most critical issues facing our national urban highway systems - namely, congestion. By providing private and commercial travelers with readily accessible tools to help manage their schedules and routing, the traffic.com system contributes to enhancing the daily lives of Americans through decreased congestion and improved safety and efficiency."
The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, or TEA-21, calls for the Secretary of Transportation to research, develop, and operationally test ITS programs and to advance the nationwide deployment of such systems. Under this legislation, traffic.com was awarded a competitively bid contract to begin deployment of the system. Pittsburgh is the first of four markets to be deployed under the contract's initial Task Order. Philadelphia will be the next market to launch with other major metropolitan areas to follow.
The deployment represents a "public-private partnership" that delivers value to the public sector by sharing project and infrastructure costs while relieving federal, state and local governments from the ongoing burden of operations and maintenance costs. The Federal government contributes $2 million per market and the state $500,000, granting them each perpetual access to the data stream for traffic management, planning, research and analysis needs.
There is also a significant private investment by traffic.com, in terms of infrastructure build-out and creation of a best-of-breed IT systems architecture with scalability to meet the needs of multiple customer bases. Traffic.com shares revenues annually with the state transportation agency using a tiered formula, which is based on revenues generated in each metropolitan area. The revenue sharing formula makes commercial revenues available for ongoing system upgrades. The ongoing operational and maintenance costs of the system will be paid for by traffic.com.
Traffic.com employs its TrafficPulse digital sensor network using a system of roadside sensors that collect data to provide up-to-the minute traffic speeds, point-to-point travel times, traffic volumes and predictive forecasts to private and commercial motorists. Data is delivered via a wireless network to the National Transportation Data Center, where it is repackaged for delivery to the Web, radio and wireless devices for consumer use. End-users are then able to better plan their time on the road and make more informed choices about their routes.
Richard P. Ramirez, President and Chief Executive Officer of traffic.com, took the occasion to thank Secretary Slater for his support, and that of his department. "Without the funding commitment provided by TEA-21, the advocacy of Secretary Slater and the wholehearted support of key Department of Transportation officials at both the federal and state levels, this project could not have happened." Ramirez also singled out PennDOT's "outstanding cooperation during the deployment phase in Pittsburgh."
About traffic.com:
Based in Wayne, Pennsylvania, traffic.com employs proprietary digital technology that enables commuters to access real-time traffic reports 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A network of off-road sensors, impervious to weather conditions, are deployed along key roads and arteries and will provide travelers with important information about traffic volume and travel times between destination points. Data is provided to users via the Internet and traditional broadcast media, with wireless access coming shortly. Eventually, traffic.com's digital traffic data will be delivered to in-vehicle devices. Presently, traffic.com reports can be heard on the following Pittsburgh radio stations: WDVE-FM, WJJJ-FM, WPHH-FM, WXDX-FM, WLTJ-FM, WRRK-FM.