ATSSA Signal July/August 2019

The Signal | July/August 2019 19 Innovation & New Programs Submit a Proposal & Register Submit an abstract for a paper/poster or a proposal for a lecture/workshop. Proposals due Oct. 31, 2019. To attend, register online and skip the line. May 12-14, 2020 Richmond, Virginia - USA in conjunction with COMMITTEE ON SAFETY SaferRoads2020.atssa.com Connecting stakeholders. Transforming practices. Saving lives. Sponsorships and advertising opportunities available! Simodynes said the Iowa DOT uses cam- eras to monitor what is happening on state roadways and work zones, sen- sors to detect speeds and traffic con- gestion, and portable Dynamic Message Signs (DMS) to relay messages back to drivers. All of the cameras and devices work together seamlessly to provide real-time information via DMS or through the public radio channel 511, so the pub- lic is informed of current road conditions and potential hazards or delays. The sensors work in conjunction with the statewide software and can auto- matically post queue warning messages to the DMS. “The queue warning systems are bene- ficial all year round but we have found them to be extremely useful during con- struction season in the warmer months,” Simodynes said. “Over the course of the summer, we have relayed information to motorists about ongoing work zones for a number of projects.” Simodynes said the other benefit of Iowa DOT’s statewide approach is that it is flexible and they can add any devic- es to any project and as technology ad- vances, and devices and infrastructure become more connected, the safer our roadways will be. One of the advances Simodynes ref- erenced dealt with rural roads and connectivity. “Our existing systems provide us with fairly good coverage in our urban ar- eas and with our ITS work contract, we’re able to add some of those tech- nologies to more rural areas because of the wider range of communication,” Simodynes said. While much work is being done on the DOT side, additional efforts are being applied to the manufacturing and in- stallation side, according to ATSSA mem- ber and President of Road-Tech Safety Services, Inc. Joe Jeffrey. Much of the innovations related to work zone ITS have been related to Connect- ed and Automated Vehicles (CAVs), Jef- frey said, and the new technology will strengthen the communication between CAVs and these systems. “These devices are especially helpful when we have a crew moving down the road because they provide an accurate, updated location versus a general area to motorists and CAVs,” Jeffrey said. Additionally, it allows people to make better, more informed decisions about which route to take. “We’re communicating and tracking with arrow boards, cones, drums, flagger paddles, and so on,” Jeffrey said. “The beauty of it is that for the most part, it is inexpensive and there is a great deal of interest. People are now more than ever using their phones to find the saf- est routes and we previously weren’t involved in that decision-making pro- cess, but now we are.”