UPDATE: Wednesday, December 9th, 2015
Save the date! The 11th annual Western States Rural Transportation Technology Implementers Forum will be held June 21-23, 2016, in Yreka California. The Call for Abstracts has just been released and we need your help! We are seeking both presentations and live demonstrations on rural ITS projects and applications. If you have implemented or improved a project because of participation in a past Forum, we would particularly encourage you to submit an abstract about the project for this year’s Forum. Check out the Call for Abstracts for more information about the Forum's technical program.
Photo by Doug Galarus
Presentations and demonstrations at the Forum are very technical, detailed reviews of how ITS projects work or don't work. A wide variety of topics related to ITS design and engineering in rural areas can be discussed, such as:
- Design, engineering and installation of rural ITS field applications, such as warning and safety systems
- Design, installation, calibration and evaluation of roadside traffic detection equipment (loop or non-intrusive)
- Applications of microwave, radio, cellular, 802.11 WiFi and/or WiMax communications
- Custom IT application development
- Innovative applications of commercial IT applications
- Lessons learned with application and development of standards and specifications (e.g., NTCIP, DOT specifications)
Photos by Doug Galarus.
The topics presented at previous Forums have been very diverse, with speakers hailing from multiple state DOTs, universities, and other transportation related offices. Here is a brief list of previous presentations:
- A Tale of Two RWISs (RWIS Trials and Tribulations) (2008)
- California Highway Patrol (CHP) Rapid Response Vehicle (2012)
- Commercial Wholesale Web Portal 2: Providing Caltrans’ Traveler Information Data to Third Party Developers (2014)
- Field Element Network Design for a Rural Transportation Management Center; (Part 1), (Part 2) (2012)
- Idaho’s Winter Performance Measures (2013)
- Photovoltaic Power Systems for Rural ITS (2011)
- Technical Development of the Western States One Stop Shop for Rural Traveler Information (2012)
- Washington State DOT LED Adaptive Roadway Lighting and Illumination Reform (2014)
- Weather Warning Systems in Oregon and Region 5 Interstate Access Gates (2007)
- WYDOT Roadside WiFi and Tablet App (2015)
One of the more unique aspects of the Forum is that questions and discussion are encouraged throughout the presentation, not just at the end. The agenda also includes extended breaks and multiple opportunities for participants to network with other ITS practitioners to discuss Rural ITS technologies and how these technologies are being utilized to improve operations and safety in their own district or state.
Photo by Doug Galarus. |
Photo by Leann Koon. |
To get a feel for the depth and breadth of the technical content expected for the Western States Forum, visit the Forum website at www.westernstatesforum.org/PastForums.
If you are involved with a rural ITS project you think would be of interest to other technology practitioners, we would encourage you to consider submitting an abstract for presentation and/or demonstration at the 2016 Forum. For more information about the Forum and instructions on how to submit an abstract, please visit the Call for Abstracts page on the Forum website. The deadline for submitting an abstract is Friday, January 22, 2016.