Tradition dictates that the ITS World Congress is the setting for a variety of award presentations, and 2014 is no exception.
During the glittering 2014 ITS World Congress opening ceremony the first of a series of awards was presented with São Paulo’s Municipal Department of Transport receiving the MobiPrize Enterprising City/State Award (see below).
Earlier today ITS America presented its 2014 Best of ITS Awards at a special breakfast and the Daily News readers will be among the first to learn one of World Congress’s most closely guarded secrets - the names of the winners.
And the winners are:
Category: Best New Innovative Product, Service or Application
Winner: California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) for the Cordelia Truck Scale Modernisation
The purpose of the project was to construct new truck scales with the most modern and effective technology in order to accommodate the anticipated 115% growth in truck traffic in the corridor by 2040. In doing so it will minimise traffic congestion on this section of I-80 by reducing truck/auto weaving and truck queuing while at the same time improving public safety through decreased downtime and increased capacity. The updated equipment will also increase efficiency for the California Highway Patrol which conducts the safety inspections.
Other shortlisted entries:
- Streetline: Parking: The Killer App for Smart Cities and the Connected Car
- District Department of Transportation: District Commercial Loading Zone Program
- Metropolitan Transportation Commission: 511 SF Bay Parking Information System
- Iteris: Iteris SmartCycle
Category: Best New Innovative Practice - Outreach
Winner: Florida Department of Transportation for the State-wide Marketing for Florida’s 511 Traveller Information
This project educated the public about Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT’s) 511 Traveller Information System. The 511 system is a toll-free safety tool that provides traffic updates on Florida’s interstates and major roadways. Users can call 511, visit FL511.com, follow 511 on Twitter or download the app on Apple or Android devices.
While the system was launched back in 2002, FDOT studies found 76% of drivers knew ‘nothing at all’ about the service. Therefore FDOT set out to find new innovative ways to execute a grassroots awareness campaign based on strategic public relations and donated public service space in highly visible areas to increase awareness and increase usage.
Other shortlisted entries:
- Metropolitan Transportation Commission: 511 SF Bay BART Strike Response & Outreach
- California Department of Transportation (Caltrans): Enhancement of Traveller and Worker Safety within the SFOBB Detour Structure (S-Curve)
Category: Best New Innovative Practice - Partnership Deployment
Winner: Mississippi DOT for the Mississippi River Bridges’ Incident Management, Freight Movement and Security ITS Project.
The Mississippi River Bridges Project is a three-state partnership created to design and deliver an innovative, collaborative ITS project with on-going partnership operations that significantly improves the long-term future for the Delta Region.
It has created a highly efficient multi-modal transportation monitoring and management system that detects and supports highway and river incidents, improves mobility of both highway and marine freight, and enhances security for these critical corridors of the Nation’s infrastructure.
The project has built on and extended existing ITS systems in each of the three states to complement previous state and private investments in highway and marine transportation facilities.
Other shortlisted entries
- Michigan Department of Transportation: I-94 Truck Parking Information and Management System
- Dallas Area Rapid Transit: Dallas US-75 Integrated Corridor Management
- Washington State Department of Transportation and North/West Passage Program: Major Event Coordination for I-90/I-94
Category: Best New Innovative Practice
- Research, Design and Innovation
Winner: California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) for its One-Stop Shop for Rural Traveller Information
The One-Stop Shop for Rural Traveller Information system provides travellers in California, Oregon, Washington and Nevada with access to a variety of route-oriented, real-time and near real-time traveller information on a single website. On the site travellers call up current road information customised for a specific origin and destination that does not stop at jurisdictional boundaries. Combined with real-time weather information, the One-Stop Shop provides motorists with a seamless decision-making tool for maintaining and enhancing traveller safety and mobility. A critical aspect of the application is that it integrates information from multiple states, sources and jurisdictions so users no longer have to visit multiple websites to find the full range of information. The One-Stop Shop supports each of the contributing state’s own traveller information system and is a complementary addition to each state’s traveller information website
Other shortlisted entries:
- Xerox: Merge Solution for Parking
- Texas Department of Transportation: TxDOT Wrong-Way Driver Initiative
Category: Best New Innovative Practice
- Sustainability in Transportation
Winner: Michigan Department of Transportation
for the State-wide AVL and MDSS Implementation
In September of 2013, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), together with Delcan Technologies and Iteris, deployed a web-based snowplough Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) and Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS) used by more than 200 MDOT employees.
The AVL system displays live roadway maintenance operations, produces fleet activity reports and exports data to MDSS. By using this (and other) data, MDSS provides winter roadway treatment recommendations and targeted, precise weather forecasts to MDOT maintenance crews. By implementing an integrated AVL and MDSS solution, MDOT has been able to take the effectiveness of its winter road maintenance operations ‘to the next level’.
Other shortlisted entries:
- City of Norwalk: ITS Strategic Plan Implementation for ‘Smart Travel’ in City of Norwalk CT
- Michigan Department of Transportation: State-wide AVL and MDSS Implementation
Category: Best New Innovative Practice
- Rural ITS Project
Winner: Utah Department of Transportation for its Citizen Reporter Program
The Utah Department of Transportation’s (UDOT) new Citizen Reporter Program enlists trained volunteers to report on road weather conditions along specific roadway segments across the state.
These citizen reports supplement eyewitness reports generated by UDOT snowplough crews and forecasts by UDOT meteorologists. Current volunteers are private citizens, UDOT employees (including snowplough operators), law enforcement officers and truck drivers. Citizen Reporters are trained yearly on what to report and how to provide accurately and submit their data through a mobile application.
Other shortlisted entries:
- Idaho Transportation Department: Automated Road Condition Reporting
- California Department of Transportation (Caltrans):Automated Safety Warning System Controller
São Paulo a winner with Mobilab
The first of the award presentations at this year’s World Congress was made to São Paulo’s Municipal Department of Transport (SMT) during the opening ceremony. SMT won the MobiPrize Enterprising City/State Award for its MobiLab. The judges said through the implementation of MobiLab, SMT has created a framework to catalyse future and on-going growth in new mobility enterprise, industry and economic development.
Following this morning’s plenary session in Cobo Grand Ballroom A, the Michigan MobiPrize Award will be presented to A2B Bikeshare. The Michigan-based new mobility entrepreneur A2B Bikeshare won the award for its Smart bike – Dumb Rack system – described as an affordable bike sharing systems that can be sustainable without government funding.
During Thursday afternoon’s closing ceremony, Indian company G-Auto will be presented with the Grand MobiPrize Award. G-Auto has organised auto rickshaw drivers to make auto rickshaws more environmentally sustainable, more beneficial to the overall transport system, and more socially and economically equitable for both the riders and the drivers.
