UPDATE: Friday, September 26th, 2014
The 9th annual Western States Rural Transportation Technology Implementers Forum was another successful event! Thirty-six rural ITS engineers and practitioners represented six states (CA, ID, MT, NV, OR, WA), five state DOTs, 8 Caltrans districts, 3 groups from Caltrans Headquarters, one City Public Works Department (Salem, OR), two universities, and the FHWA. The diverse technical program included six presentations on as many different topics.
Photo by Doug Galarus
Caltrans District 2 once again set the tone and kicked off the Forum as ITS engineer Jeremiah Pearce presented The Field Element Communications End Game: From POTS to Licensed Microwave. At past Forums, Caltrans District 2 has presented different aspects of their system. This year, they brought everything together by presenting the development and evolution of the overall microwave system.
Here's Jeremiah:
Photo by Doug Galarus
Two of this year’s presentations were given by engineers for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). WSDOT had a strong contingent here this year and we appreciate their continued support of the Forum.
Keith Calais, a Signal and Illumination Engineer, discussed WSDOT’s efforts to review and reform their illumination guidelines. He talked about the need for illumination reform and the agency’s efforts to reduce associated electricity consumption and maintenance costs. Keith detailed one of their pilot projects that uses an adaptive LED lighting system with dimming and on/off operation by time of day.
Here’s Keith demonstrating the Remote Operating Asset Management (ROAM) system used in the adaptive lighting project:
Photo by Doug Galarus
WSDOT South Central Region Assistant Traffic Engineer James Todd Daley presented Organized Chain-Up: Save the Space – Bringing Order to Chaos. He described the new organized chain-up system deployed before Snoqualmie Pass on Interstate 90. After some history about the conditions necessitating a more organized approach to chain-up events (see photo below), he detailed the design, construction, and operation of the current system and shared results from the first season of use.
Photo by Doug Galarus
Presenters came from three different states this year. In addition to California and Washington, the Idaho Transportation Department also sent a speaker. IT Systems Analyst Phil Braun discussed ITD’s (Idaho Transportation Department) statewide integration project for DMS, CCTV, HAR, and 511.
Phil is pictured here describing the various field elements and systems that make up ITD’s ITS network:
Photo by Doug Galarus
Steering Committee member Sean Campbell (Caltrans Division of Research, Innovation, and System Information) has been a speaker at several different Forums. This year he presented Caltrans’ Commercial Wholesale Web Portal 2 (CWWP2) and how it is used to provide Caltrans’ traveler information data to third party developers. Sean went into detail on how the CWWP2 was designed, what it took to build and the various tools used, and how the system works.
In this picture, Sean answers questions from Oregon DOT’s Doug Spencer about CMS data flow:
Photo by Doug Galarus
Mike Jenkinson from Caltrans Traffic Operations opened the CWWP2 presentation with a history of traveler information in California.
Here’s Mike:
Photo by Doug Galarus
Herasmo Iniguez, Branch Chief for the Traffic Control Systems Branch at Caltrans, reviewed Caltrans’ current deployment of the Model 2070 Controller, along with its history in California and lessons learned over the course of its deployment. The presentation discussed the Advanced Transportation Controller (ATC) and Caltrans’ involvement with the national ITE standards development.
Here’s Herasmo as he defines and describes the Model 2070 Controller:
Photo by Doug Galarus
One of the more unique aspects of the Forum is that questions and discussion are encouraged throughout the presentation, not just at the end. Here, Ian Turnbull, Steering Committee member and Chief of ITS Operations and Support in Caltrans District 2, provides more information and answers a question during Jeremiah’s presentation.
Photo by Doug Galarus
And then participants respond to Ian’s comments as discussion continues:
Photo by Doug Galarus
Several speakers and participants displayed and demonstrated equipment during breaks, networking sessions, and presentations. These pictures show some of the various items on display this year including an LED light fixture (WSDOT), a Model 2070 controller (Caltrans HQ), and an RWIS system, ITS node and BBS cabinet from Caltrans District 2. Caltrans District 2 also displayed and demonstrated their new point-to-point microwave field radios and the CCTV information relay. (See Keith Koeppens’ The Power of Information presentation from the 2011 Forum for more information on the CCTV information relay.)
Photo by Doug Galarus
Opportunities to network are incorporated into the agenda during meals and with extended time for breaks. To maintain the rural perspective and continue to foster transparency and trust with an informal atmosphere, the Wednesday evening dinner and networking session were held at the Tree of Heaven campground.
Photo by Doug Galarus
Thanks again to all involved with the 2014 Forum. We hope to see you at the 10th annual Western States Forum in June 2015!
Take a look at our website to read more about the Forum’s activities. Technical content from the 2014 Forum as well as previous Forums is posted here too: www.westernstatesforum.org