摘要: |
USDOT Secretary Federico Pena announced the Intelligent Transportation Infrastructure Initiative (ITI) during the 75th meeting of the Transportation Research Board. A key part of the ITI is Operation Timesaver which includes a USDOT petition to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for a special telephone number whereby motorists can quickly access travel information by telephone. Personnel working on the ARTIMIS Regional Traffic Management System (RTMS) for Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky were neither surprised by Secretary Pena's announcement nor wondering what they should do. They are currently installing an RTMS that will be operated seamlessly in two States and already have a Telephone Traveler Information System in place that provides free, up-to-the-minute, traveler information to anyone with a touch-tone or cellular telephone. Information is available on weekdays from 6:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m., during most special events and snowy/icy weather. Cellular phone users need only to dial 311 to access the system. One cellular company does not charge for air time its customers use. Touch-tone users in the Ohio portion of the urbanized area dial 333-3333 for travel information but, hopefully, that will change in the near future. Anyone outside the service area of the local telephone company must dial 513-333-3333. Northern Kentucky touch-tone phone users are the most fortunate ones, however. They only have to dial 311. ARTIMIS stands for Advanced Regional Traffic Interactive Management & Information System. Infrastructure being installed includes a modest, yet functional 13,000 sq.ft. Control Center Building, 40 overhead and 3 Portable Changeable Message Signs, two Highway Advisory Radio stations, 60 CCTV cameras, 54 miles of fiber optic cable, five Freeway Service Patrol vehicles, 1,100 detectors (inductive loop, wide beam radar and video) and experimental blue reference markers. |