Skip to main content

MDOT recognised for ITS technology leadership

Two high-tech projects championed by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) have been recognised by the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) with ITS America's Best of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Awards. MDOT earned an award in the Best New Innovative Practice-Partnership Deployment category for its automatic vehicle location (AVL) and maintenance decision support system (MDSS) project and was a finalist in another category, Best New Innovative Practice-Susta
September 18, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
Two high-tech projects championed by the 1688 Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) have been recognised by the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (560 ITS America) with ITS America's Best of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Awards.

MDOT earned an award in the Best New Innovative Practice-Partnership Deployment category for its automatic vehicle location (AVL) and maintenance decision support system (MDSS) project and was a finalist in another category, Best New Innovative Practice-Sustainability in Transportation, for its I-94 truck parking information and management system (TPIMS) project. In addition, the department won a Best Technical Paper award for a white paper it submitted on the TPIMS project. The recognition was bestowed upon MDOT at the 6456 ITS World Congress held in Detroit Sept. 7-11.

"I'm thrilled that MDOT employees, long national leaders in innovation, are being recognized for finding efficiencies through leveraging technology," said State Transportation director Kirk T. Steudle. "I'm confident MDOT employees' passion for doing things safer, smarter, faster and cheaper will lead to even more breakthroughs in intelligent transportation."

AVL uses GPS (Global Positioning System) to enable MDOT to remotely track the location of its vehicle fleet through a web interface and allows MDOT to efficiently and effectively deploy snowploughs and track winter maintenance activities. MDSS is an automated decision-support tool for road maintenance supervisors. It is a multi-layered, information system that provides forecasts, predictions, reports on observed weather and road conditions, serves as a training tool, and serves as a management support system that MDOT uses year-round.

MDOT's TPIMS project was unveiled earlier this month to assess truck parking availability along the I-94 corridor in southwest Michigan and deliver real-time parking availability information to truck drivers. MDOT is using a number of high-tech methods to share parking availability information, including dynamic roadside truck parking signs, website and smartphone applications, and a fleet of pilot trucks equipped with on-board connected vehicle equipment.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Network of associations
    December 18, 2015
    Snowmageddon response sweeps award, New push for seamless European travel, Young professionals group launched at ITS UK and Green transport initatives
  • Associations gear up for 2014 European Congress in Helsinki
    December 19, 2013
    During the ITS World Congress in Tokyo, ITS Finland, the Finnish Ministry of Transport, Ertico - ITS Europe, HERE and others joined forces to launch a best "ITS in your pocket" app contest for the ITS European Congress in Helsinki 16 to 19 June 2014. The App Contest 2014 is open to European companies, teams and individual developers and over the next few months, workshops and webinars will be organised in various European cities to support participants in their proposals. There are three categories ‘Mu
  • ITS America statement on FCC proposed spectrum sharing
    January 21, 2013
    In response to recent comments by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, and the ongoing study of spectrum sharing being undertaken by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) urged spectrum policymakers not to fast track a decision on opening the 5.9 GHz band to unlicensed users. A complete record and fair opportunity for all affected parties to participate in the process needs to be addressed, particularly since life-saving v
  • Atlanta launches Smart Corridor demonstration project
    September 15, 2017
    The City of Atlanta, Georgia, in partnership with the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) and Georgia Tech, has launched a smart city project on a major east-west artery in the city. The North Avenue Smart Corridor demonstration project, funded by the Renew Atlanta Infrastructure Bond, will deploy the latest technology in adaptive signal systems for a safer, more efficient flow of transit, personal vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians