Busy day.

The big news is that the T-LINK calculator made the crazy-cool Freakonomics blog on the New York Times website. If you haven't yet built your own state transportation budget with the T-LINK calculator, surf on over there and tell us what your Kansas transportation program looks like. (And then complete the K-TOC survey about the calculator, which should be popping up on the right side of the community's pages.)

This afternoon we issued the press release announcing K-TOC's launch.

Dennis Slimmer has launched a conversation about the federal stimulus package in the Funding group. Ron Kauffman is bird-dogging a new group about passenger rail in Kansas--if you've ever taken a ride on the Southwest Chief, surf over there and share your experiences. Tom Hein blogged about ITS in Wichita, and told me I need to get out more.

315 members as I write, and we're starting to see some activity on the discussion boards. This kind of site, and the interaction it supports, is a very new thing for government, and we expected that it would take a little time for people to get comfortable. I also expect that the activity level will rise steadily from this point forward, since we have more than 300 of the top transportation people in the state among our membership.

But we're always looking for more! Please let your friends and colleagues know about K-TOC. The bigger we are, the better we are--and we want to be the best.

More soon.

After years of ITS in major metro areas, Wichita will soon see the benefits of more efficient travel by using the ever-expanding opportunities of new technology. Usually transportation planners speak of adding capacity via more lanes or a completely new highway. Instead of that approach, we are adding features that will allow drivers to make more intelligent travel decisions on our current system of state highways.

So, what the heck is ITS anyway? In the words of the ITS pros who had to come up with an explanation for the rest of us:

Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) is the use of electronics, computers, sensors, communications and management strategies to improve roadway safety and transportation system efficiency.

In 1998, that’s right 1998, a multi-jurisdictional governmental committee (a bunch of Kreskins from KDOT, City of Wichita, Sedgwick County and other places) released a seldom-read report that outlined ITS for ICT.

In early 2009, their work blooms and a test project will begin. Six closed-circuit cameras will be installed on 45’ wooden poles at three interchanges: I-135/I-235/K-96/K-254 (the North Junction), I-135/U.S. 54 (E. Kellogg) and I-235/U.S. 54 (W. Kellogg). Six portable variable message boards will be used near these interchanges to advise drivers of traffic problems.

Possibly the best part of the test project is the creation of the Traffic Management Center (TMC). It will house all of the technology that will process the data from the field. It will be managed by KDOT with staffing assistance from Sedgwick County Emergency Communications 911 operators (a very efficient partnership).

What will we see starting in 2010 when this test project plays out and we get to Phase 1 of the real deal?

·        28 closed-circuit cameras on 60’ metal poles

·        14 permanent dynamic message signs

·        36 vehicle detectors providing traffic density & speed info

·        M-F 6am-7pm Traffic Management Center

·        A website sharing lots of this traffic info

·        Coverage of about 20 miles of Wichita’s freeway system