Midwestern District of ITE

2009-12-31T09:11:00.005-06:00

Passing The Torch...

My three-year term as your Midwestern District Director on the ITE International Board of Direction is in its waning hours. What an experience it has been! I have enjoyed working with you and for you as District Director.

I look forward to the great leadership that my successor, Bob Seyfried, will provide. Please welcome him in this position as you have welcomed me. He will do an admirable job in serving our district at the international level!

Thanks again for your support. I look forward to serving the district, the North Central Section, and ITE as a whole in many other ways in the future!

Good luck, and Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T08:46:00.002-06:00

ITE News Items...

As I close out the books as your District Director, there are two breaking items of importance to our membership as we enter 2010...

First, the Institute has identified the following members to run for election to serve starting in 2011. Please note the addition of Ray Davis as a third candidate for International Vice President. Your 2011 ITE International Elected Leadership Ballot will appear as follows:

International President

Robert C. Wunderlich, P.E., FITE

International Vice President

Troy A. Peoples, P.E., FITE
Rock E. Miller, P.E., PTOE, FITE
Raymond E. Davis, III, P.E., PTOE, FITE

Be sure to follow their campaigns in the coming year.

Second, ITE President-Elect Paul Eng-Wong announced last week that ITE has just signed a lease for new space for its Headquarters Office. He stated, "It seems like only a few years ago that the Institute celebrated its move to the current office location…but that was in November 2000. As our lease expires on August 31, 2010, ITE Executive Director Thomas W. Brahms and Deputy Executive Director Peter W. Frentz have been hard at work for more than a year to find the right location to house the ITE Headquarters Office going forward. These efforts included seeking to extend the lease at our current location, and there were several considerations that helped to temper the selection: accessibility, being in the vicinity of the current office space, affordability, and being for as long a term as practical. Their efforts have produced an ideal location: 1627 I (Eye) Street, NW, Washington, DC, USA, in the Army and Navy Club Building, only four blocks from our current location. The new office location is just two blocks from the White House and within a block of both the Farragut North and Farragut West Metro Stations (on the Red, Orange and Blue Lines). We have negotiated a lease that has a base period of 15 years and 8 months and two 5-year lease extension options."

Paul added, "The leadership of the Institute asks that you to help us to recognize the 80^th anniversary of the Institute and its move to a new office by contributing to the 80^thAnniversary Headquarters Office Fund. We are seeking your contributions toward the reception area, conference room and seminar and briefing broadcast room to make this space most functional—a space that reflects favorably on the Institute and its past, present and future. We are seeking to raise $200,000. The Executive Committee of the Institute has begun this effort by contributing more than $10,000. Contributions will be recognized and opportunities for specific sponsorship are available. I look forward to you joining with Tom and me to help us to reach this goal."

Paul closed by saying, "Additional information concerning specific opportunities to endow conference room furnishings, reception area furnishings and the seminar and briefing broadcast room will be available on the ITE Web site. Contributions can be made by checks payable to the Institute of Transportation Engineers. ITE is a recognized nonprofit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. As such, contributions to ITE, including the 80^th Anniversary Headquarters Office Fund, are generally deductible for U.S. income tax purposes. Thank you for your generosity and support of ITE."

Please contribute generously to this great cause!

2009-09-28T11:44:00.002-05:00

Recognizing Our Traffic and Transportation Legacy

“It so happens that the work which is likely to be our most durable monument, and to convey some knowledge of us to the most remote posterity, is a work of bare utility; not a shrine, not a fortress, not a palace, but a bridge.”

-- Montgomery Schuyler, writing upon the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge, New York.

'The Bridge as a Monument', Harper's Weekly (26 May 1883), 27, 326. In David P. Billington, The Tower and the Bridge: The New Art of Structural Engineering (1983), 17.

It is true that, for the most part, our life’s work goes unrecognized. The roads we plan, design and build; the studies we conduct for large corridor projects; the intersections we signalize; the signs we design, install and maintain; the traffic models we calibrate and test; the reports we write and the meetings we attend – our efforts go largely unrecognized by the general public.

Nevertheless, our work is a critical element of our civilization’s success. That’s why transportation infrastructure improvements have been a key initiative in the President’s Recovery Act.

And that is why ITE is important to us as transportation professionals. We exist to be together with our compatriots, our mentors, our competitors and affiliates. We exist to share the state-of-the-practice, as well as the state-of-the-art. We share our lessons learned and our current standards. Through it all, we strive to have our work recognized.

It reminds me of the current television commercial for Intel, which features Ajay Bhatt, co-inventor of the USB (Universal Serial Bus for computers). Ajay, who from the outside appears to be a mild-mannered scientist, saunters through the break room, adored by his fans who are hounding him for autographs. The tag line reads, “Our rock stars aren’t like your rock stars.”

Who are our rock stars? What have they done to deserve “rock star” status? Over the nearly-three years I have served you as Midwestern District Director to the International Board of ITE, I have come to meet several people I would classify as “rock stars” in our district and profession.

Unbeknownst to many of you, and prior to every International Board meeting I attend, ITE Headquarters asks district directors to identify “Rising Stars” in his/her district. ITE HQ then uses those names for consideration for various committees and task forces. My travels throughout the district have allowed me to nominate several members as “Rising Stars”. I am happy to say that we are blessed with many talented and dedicated members who serve our district well as industry leaders.

So it is gratifying to see that our District Board is promoting the creation of a district-wide Transportation Achievement Award. It will be a way to publicly honor and recognize our “rock star” projects. As we recognize our district’s distinguished projects, it will be important to share that information with all sections and with local media. Doing so will build our legacy among members in our district, and to promote our professional image to those outside our organization.

We are a great organization, and despite what you may think, we are doing well! My past three years has taught me that ITE is a solid organization that has weathered the economic storm. In fact, we have seen an increase in recent membership. The Annual Meeting in San Antonio garnered a greater attendance than was anticipated (final count -- over 1000 attendees).

And we are branching out. We have undertaken the first steps toward publishing a “learned journal” focusing on technical papers and research. We are publishing a traffic engineering textbook. We are also including the mega-issue of sustainability into our strategic plan.

While every organization has been hit by the economic downturn, the International Board has taken steps to lessen the financial impact that the economy has had on our membership. We voted to freeze 2010 member and agency dues at 2009 rates. We voted to freeze 2010 Technical Conference and registration fees not to exceed 2009 rates. We also voted to freeze the 2010 Annual Meeting registration fees not to exceed the 2009 rates as a parameter for developing the annual meeting budget. Furthermore, ITE HQ has enacted a series of internal cost-saving measures to ensure that member services will not been adversely affected.

In addition, the International Board has brainstormed ways to make the Annual Meeting more attractive to members. Strategies to accomplish this include the creation of full tracks of professional training courses. These could include the offering of live versions of the training topics found in the ITE Web Seminars. Thus, the Annual Meeting would become a more thorough and cost-saving professional development opportunity for attendees than ever before.

One new service that ITE HQ is providing is the service of the professional meeting planning firm, Helms-Briscoe to assist chapters, sections and districts in the selection and contracting of their meeting venues. Their expertise in planning meetings, negotiating hotel rates, and evaluating contracts is unparalleled. Best yet, they will assist ITE at no charge.

As I have traveled around our district, I have been amazed with the level of enthusiasm that is growing in all levels of our district. Our meetings are attracting more attendees – even from those outside our organization. Despite this time of budgetary cutbacks and restricted travel, we are seeing members finding ways to attend our meetings.

We remain a vital and important source of professional development. ITE and its Transportation Professional Certification Board remain great sources for professional certification and learning. The Midwestern District currently has 1765 members, or 9.75% or the total membership of ITE. Nevertheless, our district has certified:

381 Professional Traffic Operations Engineers^® (or 16.9% of all PTOEs),
24 Professional Transportation Planners^® (or 10.8% of all PTPs),
4 Traffic Operations Practitioner Specialists^® (or 7.3% of all TOPS), and
5 Traffic Signal Operations Specialists^® (or 6.8% of all TSOSs).

As I complete my elected role as Midwestern District Director at the end of the year, I thank all of those who have assisted me during my term, especially my MWITE mentors on the International Board – ITE International Past President Earl Newman, and 2009 ITE International President Ken Voigt. Thanks, too, to the Midwestern Board of Directors, ably led these last three years by Kyle Anderson, Jeff Young and John Davis. I also thank each section of the Midwestern District – Illinois, MOVITE, NCITE and Wisconsin, who were each gracious and accommodating when I attended their meetings. I thank Tom Campbell, MWITE District Administrator, for providing the District with continuity and history. I thank Todd Szymkowski for his efforts in managing the MWITE website. I also thank our scribe, Mark Rinnan for doing a great job as MWITE Newsletter Editor. I especially thank you, the membership of MWITE, for allowing me the privilege to serve as the conduit of information between the International Board and the District.

I wish to thank my employer, Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc., and especially my supervisor, Dave Warzala, for allowing me to serve the profession as District Director during these three years. I appreciate their support.

As I close, I cannot forget to thank my wife, Teresa, and my daughter, Kristen. I greatly appreciate their love and understanding as I travelled (often too much) to various meetings.

The friendships I have made while serving this office will last a lifetime. The camaraderie that I have been able to develop with Board members from around the world has been quite rewarding. The ability to see and be a part of the inner workings of an international professional organization has been awe-inspiring. I will treasure these times always.

And so to bring this discussion of legacy full circle, as midnight December 31, 2009 becomes the morning of January 1, 2010, I will pass the torch of MWITE District Director to Robert K. Seyfried, P.E., PTOE. The page turns, and the chapter begins anew. Good luck, Bob, as you carry on. Our district will be in good hands!

-- Stephen J. Manhart, P.E., PTOE, PTP

Midwestern District Director (2007-2009)

2009-07-02T08:34:00.003-05:00

In Memoriam...

Chad Smith, City Traffic Engineer for the City of Bloomington, MN, passed away at age 41. Chad had been suffering from the effects of skin cancer over the past year, and suffered cardiac arrest last weekend.

Chad is survived by parents, Ruth and Jim Smith; sister, Becky (Loren) Schmidt; niece, Sarah Schmidt; nephew, Owen Schmidt; aunts, uncles, cousins and many friends. Funeral service was 10:00 AM Wednesday, July 1 at Community of the Cross Lutheran Church, 10701 Bloomington Ferry Rd., Bloomington, MN. Visitation was 9-10 AM Wednesday at church. Interment Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery, Cedar Rapids, IA was at 6:00 PM Wednesday.

Chad was a quiet, but talented traffic engineer for the Iowa DOT prior to working with the City of Bloomington. He was also an active member of the MOVITE and more recently NCITE, having served recently on the Board of Direction. He will be missed.

2009-06-22T08:51:00.003-05:00

Passing the torch...

At last Friday's Midwestern District Business Meeting, the next MWITE District Director to the International Board of Direction was announced. He is Robert K. Seyfried, P.E., PTOE.

Congratulations, Bob!

2009-06-10T08:52:00.004-05:00

An Open Letter to the District Membership...

June 10, 2009

Dear ITE Midwestern District Members:

I would like to extend an invitation for you to attend the Institute of Transportation Engineers 2009 Annual Meeting and Exhibit in San Antonio, TX, USA, August 9–12, 2009. This year’s meeting is chock full of opportunities to meet and network with peers, vendors and influential industry leaders

Now more than ever, you want to make the most of your learning experiences. ITE realizes the challenges facing transportation professionals in these trying economic times and has developed a meeting program to maximize your collaboration and networking experience.

Some highlights from the Annual Meeting and Exhibit include:

· If your company registers three or more people for the meeting you will receive a 20 percent discount.

· Positions available/wanted booklets to assist members in hiring the best and the brightest and to find employment.

· An exhibit catered to making the most of your limited time and resources.

· 52 technical sessions ranging from roundabouts and pedestrian bike issues to new trends in parking and emerging green technologies.

· Discussion on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and its impact on our community.

· Student poster sessions where you can meet the next generation of transportation professionals.

For information about these opportunities and a complete list of technical and special sessions, tours and exhibit information, visit www.ite.org/annualmeeting.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Sallie Dollins at +1 202-289-0222 ext. 149 or sdollins@ite.org. We hope to see you in San Antonio!

Sincerely,

Stephen J. Manhart, P.E., PTOE, PTP

ITE Midwestern District Director

2009-06-10T08:35:00.003-05:00

Roundabout voted down...

reprinted from the Tokepa Capital-Journal

By Rick Dean

Created June 9, 2009 at 10:48pm

Updated June 9, 2009 at 11:34pm

Susan Helbert, her voice breaking as she spoke, talked about how her life and home on the corner of S.W. 17th and MacVicar would be forever affected by a proposed roundabout that would bring traffic “right to my bedroom window.”

Helen Gaither, who has lived for nearly 60 years in the neighborhood, talked about escorting three generations of children through the heavily traveled intersection on trikes, bikes and foot. She wondered if she could ever cross the intersection again without the four-way traffic signal she has depended on for years.

Jorge Nobo, a Washburn University teacher and resident of the College Hill neighborhood, acknowledged that roundabouts are an effective way of slowing down traffic, something everyone says needs to happen on the busy northwest corner of the WU campus.

“It’s like rush hour every hour,” Nobo said of the traffic during class changes. “But a roundabout isn’t the most effective way to control that intersection. It’s like saying Hondas are good cars, but the one particular Honda I’m considering may have been underwater in New Orleans for six weeks. You have to look at each particular case.”

Consequently, when the Topeka City Council heard overwhelming opposition — 11 of 14 speakers Tuesday night spoke against it — to its proposed roundabout at the central city intersection, it voted 8-1 not to proceed with the proposed $1.2 million project, $800,000 of which would have come from the Kansas Department of Transportation.

Councilman Jeff Preisner was the lone dissenting vote. “Change is hard in Topeka,” he noted.

Not that the neighborhood doesn’t want changes in dealing with an intersection traffic engineers say has become dangerous. They recommended new traffic signals to replace the 1976 signal system, signs warning of heavy pedestrian traffic, stepped-up police patrols. They gave city officials high marks for a tree-trimming project that increased visibility at the intersection following public concerns voiced last week at a public hearing. They also credited the council for listening to their concerns.

“Now we hope that they’ll continue to implement some of the recommendations that came out of his whole thing,” said Helbert, no longer concerned about losing part of her front yard to accommodate the roundabout.

2009-04-10T07:36:00.003-05:00

Column: Roundabout overload coming dangerously close

reprinted from The Topeka Capital-Journal

By Gwyn Mellinger
April 8, 2009 - 8:50pm

American traffic engineers are ga-ga over roundabouts, which means circular intersections will become increasingly common on our streets and highways. As is the case anytime public dollars are thrown at a trendy idea, taxpayers need to keep an eyebrow raised.

This isn’t a distant phenomenon. Even Topeka has manifested early symptoms of roundabout fever. Since the beginning of the decade, several roundabouts have been built in the area, and more are planned. For example, Shawnee County commissioners approved a project late last year that would construct a roundabout at N.W. 46th and Oakley. That is no big deal — except this particular roundabout will be built one block east of a circular intersection at N.W. 46th and US-75 highway.

This is what has happened throughout the United Kingdom, where roundabouts are more common than pubs. Left unchecked, roundabouts multiply until a road literally becomes short stretches of pavement linking traffic circles.

When this occurs, the automobile becomes an inefficient mode of transportation. It’s not unusual for a highway trip in England to average less than 40 mph, largely because drivers are forced, again and again, to reduce their speed to about 20 mph — sometimes in the middle of a freeway — in order to negotiate a roundabout.

On divided British highways, roundabouts commonly replace ramped exits. This is traffic engineering at its worst.

The inefficiency of the roundabout as an intersection design really comes into focus when a driver wants to keep going straight but has to slow down to enter the circle, then take the exit where his road continues.

Deployed sparingly and far from other circular intersections, the roundabout has several things going for it, which explains traffic engineers’ enthusiasm for the concept. Depending on the project, a roundabout is often less expensive to build than a traditional intersection regulated by a traffic signal.

Problems arise, though, when traffic at a roundabout becomes so heavy that lights must be installed to allow vehicles into and out of the circle.

Another benefit of roundabouts is they often can handle more vehicles in an hour than a traditional intersection. Again, however, if traffic volume exceeds the design of the intersection, cars will be backed up trying to enter the circle.

The best and most compelling reason to build roundabouts is that they slow traffic to the point that casualties from intersection crashes drop dramatically. Now, that’s difficult to argue with.
The key, then, is for the governments that fund these projects to make sure the roundabouts can handle growth in traffic and to use common sense in deciding their location. The public also has an interest in efficient transportation.

Roundabouts should continue to be the exception rather than the rule.

Gwyn Mellinger is the chairwoman of the department of communications and mass media at Baker University. She is teaching this semester at Harlaxton College near Grantham, England, and can be reached at gwyn.mellinger@bakeru.edu.

2009-04-02T14:54:00.004-05:00

Congratulations, Earl --

ITE Past President and former MWITE District Director Earl Newman has been selected as a Top Ten Public Works Leader for 2009 by the American Public Works Association (APWA). Formal award ceremonies for Earl will be held in Springfield, MO on May 18.

Earl will be the fourth past president of ITE to receive this recognition (others are David Gwynn, Ed Mueller, and Marshall Elizer).

Congratulations, Earl, on the receipt of this prestigeous award. You are well-deserving and an inspiration to us all!

2009-03-30T09:10:00.002-05:00

Desert Skies and Margaritas --
Headlines from the Phoenix Board Meeting

MWITE International Director’s Update
By Stephen J. Manhart, P.E., PTOE, PTP

It is hard to believe that I have entered my third and last year serving the Midwestern District as International Director. Time truly does fly when you’re having fun. I look forward to encouraging both District Director candidates from the Illinois Section, Bob Seyfried and Ray Benekohal, to savor this opportunity that the District membership bestows.

Last weekend, March 19 and 20, 2009, I attended the International Board of Direction meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, held in conjunction with the ITE Technical Conference and Exhibit. The Board was joined by selected ITE Staff and the 2009 Candidates for ITE International Vice President, Hibbett Neel and Robert Wunderlich.

MWITE’s own Ken Voigt, 2009 ITE International President, presided over this meeting. Several issues were pervasive during the course of the meeting -- the country’s state of the economy, the recent stimulus monies to states, and the upcoming transportation reauthorization bill.

Membership

ITE’s Executive Director and CEO Tom Brahms reported to the International Board that the downturn in the economy is having an impact on our membership and the Institute’s principal revenue sources. The extent of impacts on public and private sector members is directly dependent on the condition of public agency budgets. Although collections of 2009 membership dues are ahead of 2008 collections (in part due to earlier and more frequent billings), Tom anticipates that collections in the next nine months will fall behind to reflect the increasing layoffs of our members and severely constrained budgets. Nevertheless, ITE publications, professional development and contract revenues are on budget. Organization advertising and meeting revenue are below budget, and if they continue at the current rate, will be 79% of budget. The Board is monitoring all revenue and expenses, and has been assured by Tom that he will take the necessary steps to meet the budget.

As of March 10, 2009 we have received 80% of the budgeted 2009 membership dues. Of the 196 agency members, 177 have paid in full, 2 have made partial payments, and 8 have decided that they would not be renewing. Fortunately, none of those agencies not renewing are within the Midwestern District.

Tom Brahms informed the Board that ITE will be doing what we can to keep our members active -- even in the event of layoff or unemployment. If members face the prospect of losing their jobs, Tom encourages them to contact ITE Headquarters for consideration of a “Hardship Waiver” rather than dropping membership.

Due to budget constraints this past January, ITE had suspended hosting ITE Student and Member Receptions during TRB. After further consideration, the International Board felt that it is important to interact with future and existing members of our profession at ITE Headquarters. It is one time every year when many from our profession travel from around the world to be in Washington, DC. Therefore, ITE will resume its tradition next January of hosting a Student Reception during TRB, and a decision will be made by August 1 whether to hold a Member Reception likewise during TRB.

Publications

This month, ITE will deliver three major publications -- Traffic Engineering Handbook 6th Edition, Transportation Planning Handbook 3rd Edition and the Traffic Signal Timing Manual. Sales from these three publications, as well as continuing sales from Trip Generation 8th Edition and Geometric Street Design Handbook should result in record publication revenue, and should allow ITE to recoup the costs associated with publishing these books.

Other key publications that are or soon will be produced include:

Parking Generation, 3rd Edition,
Manual of Transportation Studies,
Trip Generation Handbook,
Introduction to Transportation Engineering,
An initially biannual academic journal.

There was discussion about on-line delivery options for future ITE publications. For instance, an on-line version of Trip Generation is being considered. Options would be to pay a subscription for the data you need, and to be able to plot your data directly onto the overall trip generation plot, etc. In addition, ITE is considering 24-7 availability of webinar podcasts, and even a student webinar competition.

Initiatives

In 2009, ITE continues to expand its professional development Web seminar offerings. All of the seminars developed as part of the Investment in the Membership program have been completed, scheduled and in many cases conducted. So far this year 39 Web seminars/briefings were held. For those modules, there were 545 registered sites reaching more than 1265 participants. Thirty-three new web seminars and 14 new planned seminars will be offered.

ITE has sent to Congress a recommended proposal to fund a “Traffic Signal Timing” program as part of the stimulus package. The benefits that were touted are:

Reduction in gasoline consumption;
Improved safety;
Savings of electric power by completing the relamping to LED signal heads;
Revision of pedestrian walk time when appropriate using new walking speeds;
Time savings;
Reduction of emissions;
Facilitation of rubber-tired transit; andImproved freight movement.

ITE’s draft positions on reauthorization have been revised in response to the many comments that were received. These will be sent out to ITE’s Policy and Legislative Committee for their review, and then on to the International Board for review and approval.

ITE staff continues to reach out to existing and potential partners and clients to seek opportunities to collaborate and fund projects that are within the Institute’s strategic objectives. We have expanded efforts with AARP, FHWA, EPA and the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA).

To serve our audience outside of North America, ITE has an RFP on the street to co-fund the development of a web seminar with partners in Australia and/or New Zealand. We are continuing to search for and publish information in the e-newsletter and ITE Journal from outside the United States and Canada. ITE intends to expand these efforts in 2009.

The recession has created an interesting circumstance for ITE Headquarters in Washington, DC. The lease for ITE Headquarters office space expires on August 31, 2010. Tom Brahms is working with office space brokers to see what options exist in DC for securing a more favorable lease arrangement, either with the existing landlord or with landlords of other office space. Time is of the essence, since it is expected that the Federal Government will be seeking an additional 2 million additional square feet of office space in Washington very soon. To this end, the International Board authorized Tom to seek all options and report back his recommendations.

Make A Difference!

I was proud to inform the International Board that the Lincoln-Omaha Chapter (LOCATE) of the Missouri Valley Section (MOVITE) received a recognition from the State of Nebraska regarding their "Make A Difference" (MAD) campaign. They received a 2008 Governor's Safety Challenge Award under the category of Engineering.

I reported to the Board that if ITE needs a “poster child” activity to highlight our Core Value of Social Responsibility, this is it! I had attended the Fall 2008 MOVITE Section Meeting in Omaha, and was given an update of their Make a Difference Campaign. 2008 MOVITE Section President Matt Selinger had challenged his section and chapters with the following: Find a need in your community that is related to transportation and creates a way to make a difference for the public or for those in need. In response, the Lincoln and Omaha, NE local chapter, LOCATE, established a MAD Committee and they conducted several presentations at the local high schools on the use of seat belts, the impacts of drinking & driving, and the effects of driver distractions. Their goal was to make young drivers more aware, and thus, save lives. By the end of 2008, they presented this life saving message to hundreds (or maybe thousands) of teens in Nebraska and Iowa. They want this to be a model for other chapters, sections and districts to use to increase safety awareness. Kudos to 2008 MOVITE President Matt Seligner and to LOCATE Chair Mark Lutjerharms for their great work in raising driver awareness among high school aged drivers.

The ITE Board was genuinely impressed with this campaign, and felt that ITE does not do enough to encourage driver safety and responsibility. Many felt they would spread the word of this success, and work to encourage their districts, sections and chapters to adopt similar initiatives.

The Future

As ITE looks into the future, funding of transportation system capital, operations and maintenance will be an increasingly common discussion item for local, regional, state/provincial and national governments. ITE sees that the many-decade-long dialog of multimodal transportation system planning, operations, maintenance, objectives by modes and funding will expand to include the potential of the reorganization of the U. S. Department of Transportation and Congressional committee responsibilities.

The economic recession is impacting many of the employers of our members, resulting from the reduction of development and the reduction of tax revenues. The Federal stimulus “package,” along with the approval of FY2009 funding, should help to provide funding to keep more of our members working. ITE will be monitoring all revenue streams and making any necessary modifications to expenditures as required.

Desert Skies and Margaritas

While in Phoenix, the Board worked diligently during the day on the organizational matters. In the evenings, we were treated to drinks and fellowship at the conference hotel patio. On Saturday and Sunday nights, ITE Past President Jenny Grote and her local arrangements committee for the Phoenix conference, led attendees to the new light rail system, The Valley Metro, and to one of their favorite Mexican restaurants. It was great for this Northerner to wear shorts and sandals again, feel the warmth of the desert sun, enjoy the taste of margaritas and nachos, and to revel in the camaraderie that is our organization! Here’s to ITE!

2009-03-03T09:37:00.002-06:00

Congratulations LOCATE and MOVITE!

Last week, the Lincoln-Omaha Chapter received word from the State of Nebraska that the they received a recognition regarding their "Make A Difference" (MAD) campaign. They received a 2008 Governor's Safety Challenge Award under the category of Engineering.

Kudos to 2008 MOVITE President Matt Seligner and to LOCATE Chair Mark Lutjerharms for their great work in raising driver awareness among high school aged drivers. In 2008, several chapter members visited high schools throughout Nebraska to discuss traffic safety.

This is sterling a example of one of ITE's Core Values -- Social Responsibility. I encourage all levels of the District to consider their responsibility to society, and work toward bringing these types of programs to your areas.

Great job!

2009-02-20T07:51:00.003-06:00

Are You Stimulated Yet?

The visulaization website Many Eyes has developed a graphic depiction of the relative funding of proposed highway and bridge stimulus monies by state. These bubbles reflect the funding amounts states would receive as passed by the House of Representatives on January 28, 2009, and have not yet been updated for the actual bill signed by President Obama earlier this week. Nevertheless, this graphic provides a good comparison of state-to-state funding.

2009-02-13T14:46:00.009-06:00

Fun in the Phoenix Sun..

Please consider attending the ITE 2009 Technical Conference and Exhibit, Transportation Operations in Action. Join more than 1,000 transportation professionals as they exchange ideas on transportation operations. Highlights include two plenary sessions by well-renowned transportation experts. Attend the numerous technical sessions, discover what innovative research is being conducted and share your perspective in the open dialogue between the audience and panelist(s) in the conversation circle sessions. Visit the exhibits and see the latest products and services being showcased.

Join your colleagues in Phoenix, AZ, USA, March 22–25, 2009 to make a difference in transportation operations! Here is the link: http://www.ite.org/Conference/default.asp

NOTE: Five or more registrants from the same company or agency qualify for reduced registration. Please check with ITE Headquarters for more information.

2009-02-13T14:27:00.005-06:00

Danger with Portable Changeable Message Signs...

As you may have seen on the news or read on the internet, hacking sites have given people the instructions to hack into portable changeable message signs, like the one above. Although these hack sites give the stern warning, "***WARNING YOU SHOULD NEVER TAMPER WITH THESE SIGNS***", they then list the four-point instructions to do just that!

HELPFUL HINT: If you deploy PCMSs, make sure you reset the password to something other than the default "DOTS". This may not stop the hackers, but at least it will slow them down for a while.

2009-02-02T12:51:00.003-06:00

ITE CALL TO ACTION...CALL 202-224-3121– URGE YOUR SENATOR TO SUPPORT TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENT BY VOTING “YAY” on S. 336

On January 27, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved its portion of S. 336, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The bill, which will be considered on the Senate Floor the week of February 2, includes more than $27 billion for investments in highway infrastructure and $8.4 billion for transit. It also includes a $5.5 billion competitive grant program for long-range regional and national megaprojects.

During floor debate, Senate Democrats are expected to introduce amendments to increase infrastructure spending in the bill by an additional $3 billion for mass transit projects and other highway spending. ITE is advocating for investment in traffic signal timing programs as a part of the infrastructure investment to improve transportation system mobility, create jobs and reduce fuel and energy consumption.

ITE has written a letter to Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Inouys (D-HI) -- contact me if you would like to see a copy.

According to the Senate Appropriates committee report, “the bill requires that States spend at least 5 percent of their apportioned funding on activities eligible under the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality [CMAQ] Improvement program…Such activities include, but are not limited to, diesel retrofits, congestion mitigation, parking facilities, and traffic flow improvements.” (If you would like to see a copy of Senate Appropriations Committee Report on S. 336, please contact me.)

On January 27, the House of Representatives approved it’s version of the bill, which includes $30 billion for highways and $12 billion for mass transit. During floor consideration three amendments were passed to:
- increase mass transit funding by $3 billion;
- change the time frame in which states must obligate half of their recovery funds from 180 days to 90 days; and
- clarify that federal funds received by states shall not be use for planned expenditures.

FHWA and FTA have issued joint guidance regarding the economic recovery funds and how to expedite projects. The guidance refers to projects such as traffic signal upgrades as eligible to be included as part of larger projects or as standalone projects.

2008-12-31T07:52:00.003-06:00

Oh, Nine...

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ONE AND ALL!

MAY THE NEXT YEAR BRING A PROSPEROUS AND PROFITABLE RESURGENCE IN INFRASTRUCTURE INNITIATIVES!

2008-12-31T07:44:00.003-06:00

Roundabouts: Efficient or Annoying?
December 30, 2008, 7:40 am — Updated: 12:42 pm -->
By Kate Galbraith Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company

More drivers in more states are encountering signs like this one. (Photo: Laura Pedrick for The New York Times)

From Minnesota to Florida, drivers grumble that roundabouts are confusing and dangerous.

But the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety says that modern roundabouts — which have proliferated in this country in recent years — are not only far safer than regular intersections, they are also more fuel efficient. Drivers use about 30 percent less gas when using a roundabout compared with a traffic signal, according to the Institute, because they don’t necessarily have to stop and idle.

Modern roundabouts differ from older traffic circles — like Dupont Circle in Washington or Grand Army Plaza in New York — in a few ways. The new ones are smaller, and also have sharper angles, so that drivers are forced to enter more slowly and are supposed to yield rather than merge. This, at least in theory, makes them safer, though drivers do not always know the rules.

Still, states are rushing to build them — not least because roundabouts, with no traffic signals to maintain, are comparatively cheap.

Three years ago Arizona had two roundabouts. Now it has around 17, with 23 more under construction, according to Tim Tait, a spokesman for Arizona’s transportation department. In New York, just 16 modern roundabouts were added between 2001 and 2005; since early 2006, 37 more have been built, according to the New York Department of Transportation.
Some businesses near busy intersections are clamoring for roundabouts. In the town of Rutherford, in the Napa Valley, some wineries off a busy highway are lobbying for a roundabout to give visitors easier access.

“While a traffic signal is likely to operate satisfactorily, a roundabout would be more in keeping with the rural nature of the area,” a proposal for the project reads, “and would be expected to operate substantially more efficiently than a signal for extended periods of the day.”

2008-11-12T09:38:00.004-06:00

The link between private grief and public safety

Memorial to Robert Winkler outside Herrin, Illinois Photo: Stephen Chalmer , c/o HumanFlowerProject.com

The piles of notes and flowers left at the scenes of fatal car crashes can actually make drivers more cautious, a researcher finds
by IAN BAILEY, The Globe and Mail, November 8, 2008

VANCOUVER -- They are roadside references to accidental death that just might end up inspiring passing drivers to lifesaving caution behind the wheel. A road-safety expert at the University of Calgary has released a study on how roadside memorials - the clusters of flowers, crosses, and photos that mark sudden tragic death in accidents - affect traffic.

Richard Tay set up fake memorials at four intersections with red-light cameras in Calgary, then monitored how the memorials affected traffic. Prof. Tay, who holds the Alberta Motor Association Chair in Road Safety at the Schulich School of Engineering, found that about 17 per cent fewer drivers ran red lights at the target intersections over the six weeks of the test than in the previous six weeks.

"In terms of safety, these things have a positive benefit," he said in an interview yesterday. "They give us a safety message to drive more cautiously." More than 60 per cent of 810 respondents to an online survey supported municipal policies that allow the memorials, although about half said time limits should be imposed on how long they could remain in place.
"The important thing is we haven't found any negative side effects, but we did find some positive benefits in the short term, so I suggest municipalities allow them, but impose some sort of control on them."

Policies vary among provinces and in municipalities across Canada; some have specific rules, but others don't take any steps to regulate them. Calgary's traffic department, which helped Prof. Tay with his research, is developing a formal proposal for city council to consider next February. It would cover points such as where memorials are allowed. Troy McLeod, Calgary's traffic-safety manager, said his department is sensitive to memorials. It usually removes them from dangerous, inaccessible high-traffic areas such as highways because of fears for the safety of families maintaining them, but the department contacts families before taking them down.
"There may not be one way to do them, but we're trying to be respectful and sensitive. If you put yourself in anyone's shoes, it's a difficult time." He said that it seems the number of memorials has been growing in the 15 years he has been in the job, but added he has no statistics to back up that perception.

An official with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the issue of roadside-memorial policy has never come up as something the organization would seriously research or take a position on. Prof. Tay, who said he wanted to come up with data to help municipalities form policies on memorials, said communities should let them proceed, but not let them get out of control.

He went to unusual lengths for his research, which had its genesis at a 2006 meeting of traffic experts in Ottawa when questions were raised about municipal policies on roadside memorials and participants realized that policies were inconsistent.

There wasn't much research on the memorials' impact on traffic, he said, only studies that focused on sociology and grieving. In designing the study, it was necessary to build fake memorials. Researchers studied memorials around Calgary and elsewhere in Alberta, trying to understand the basic elements. "We designed our memorial to look like what we normally see on the road. Real memorials normally have a name. For our research, we put, 'This is a research experiment by the University of Calgary,' and the contact information for them to find out more information," he said.

Holly Everett, an assistant folklore professor at Memorial University in St. John's, has written on the subject of memorials, and said yesterday that she had heard about Prof. Tay's study.
"It's interesting because [the study] parallels what many people have told me about roadside memorials during my own research. A number of people that I interviewed told me that they automatically slow down or are more cautious whenever they see a roadside memorial, whether or not they have any connection to the memorial or knowledge about what caused the accident," Prof. Everett said in an e-mailed response to questions from The Globe and Mail.

"Similarly, every individual I interviewed who was directly involved in creating or maintaining a memorial told me that, if the memorial was responsible for even one person being more cautious when driving through that particular area, then it was worth all the effort and care that went into it."

***
ORIGINS
In North America, the memorials originated in the U.S. Southwest with roots in Hispanic culture, Catholicism and funerary rites dating back more than 200 years. "The purpose of these small, white crosses at the roadside was to mark the rest areas for funeral procession pallbearers travelling by foot from the church to the graveyard. These sanctified, holy rest areas which are called Descansos (Spanish for "resting place") have since evolved into markers of the location of traffic fatalities by the side of the road," Richard Tay's study says. "The vast majority of memorials consist of a cross, often white, with flowers, photos, notes, cards, dolls or various other memorabilia."

The authors of one study quoted by Prof. Tay did a survey of bereaved families, who said most memorials were placed for teenagers, whose deaths were considered "unexpected, traumatic and unprecedented." Most of the people who put up the memorials wanted them in place as a focus for their grief with the idea of warning other motorists of the risks in the area of an accident as "an after-thought, or in some cases, a secondary rationale for justifying the placement of the memorial."
-- Ian Bailey

2008-09-10T08:39:00.003-05:00

I-35W Bridge Could Open Next Week...
by Paul Walsh and Jim Foti, Minneapolis Star Tribune staff writers
September 10, 2008

(photo taken from Minneapolis Star Tribune website StribCam http://www.startribune.com/local/18346174.html?elr=KArks:DCiUHc3E7_V_nDaycUiacyKUU)

The new Interstate 35W bridge is expected to open to traffic as early as next Tuesday, less than 14 months after its predecessor collapsed into the Mississippi River, state transportation officials said Tuesday.

A news conference with Gov. Tim Pawlenty and other officials will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at the 10-lane bridge to announce the exact opening time, the Minnesota Department of Transportation announced. The agency said motorists will be able to use the bridge sometime next week.

It won't be known until next week whether the construction team, led by Flatiron Constructors, will be eligible for its full $27 million in bonuses for finishing early, said MnDOT spokesman Kevin Gutknecht. Monday is the deadline for the firms to receive the full bonus.

Gutknecht said there will be no public open house on the bridge. "It would be great to be able to do it," he said, but such an event would delay the opening, and there were concerns because the bridge's low, freeway-style railings are not designed to keep pedestrians safe.

Construction on the $234 million project began on Nov. 1, three months to the day after the old bridge collapse collapsed into the Mississippi River on the edge of downtown Minneapolis. The contractually committed date of completion is Dec. 24, 2008.

The replacement span "will be high-quality, safe and last for at least 100 years," MnDOT said.
During the final week of construction, work crews will continue to:

Install and test anti-icing and smart-bridge systems, which monitor the bridge's movements.
Apply finishing and striping on the bridge deck.
Install road signs.
Landscape areas along the corridor.
Install traffic signals and lights.

Late last month, the National Transportation Safety Board said it is close to identifying the cause of last summer's collapse and plans to discuss its findings at a public hearing in Washington on Nov. 13.

Thirteen people died and 145 were injured in the collapse.

In January, NTSB Chairman Mark Rosenker said a design error was "the critical factor" in the collapse, pointing to too-thin gusset plates -- which helped connect the bridge's steel beams. The NTSB also has focused on the weight of construction materials placed on the bridge for a resurfacing project.

The new bridge has one more lane in each direction than the one that collapsed and could be restriped to accommodate seven lanes in each direction if shoulders were omitted. The bridge also is light-rail ready, "which may help accommodate future transportation needs," MnDOT has said.

2008-09-10T07:46:00.002-05:00

Happy Death Jingle, Mr. Speed, Valley Girls, and Work Zone Pixie?!?!?

This summer, Minnesotans may have heard a few Mn/DOT public service announcements on the radio directing drivers to pay attention while driving and to slow down in work zones.

Four new radio messages were written and produced by students in a radio writing class instructed by David Schutton at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (my daughter's alma mater). Professional voice actors were used to create the final production. The messages will be distributed to some radio stations statewide.

Listen to the work zone safety messages:

Happy Death Jingle (WAV, 5.4mb)

Mr. Speed (WAV, 5.7mb)

Valley Girls (WAV, 5.1mb)

Work Zone Pixie (WAV, 5.5mb)

(If these links don't work, go here http://www.dot.state.mn.us/workzone/)

2008-08-21T12:55:00.002-05:00

Headlines from Anaheim...

I wanted to update you on the general headlines that came out of the International Board of Direction Meeting in Anaheim this past weekend, as well as some other items that occurred during the Annual Meeting itself:

Strategic Plan -- The International Board of Direction (IBOD) continued its review of ITE's Strategic Plan. Final review and possible acceptance of the plan will occur at the fall IBOD meeting.

Annual Meeting -- A "perfect storm" occurred this year -- bad economy, continued agency travel restrictions, and a neighboring hotel that decided to drastically reduce their hotel rates during remodeling. Therefore ITE was not able to meet its commitment of sleeping rooms at the Anaheim Marriott. The price competition resulted in ITE meeting less than 50% of its sleeping rooms, while it was contracted for 85%. The attrition resulted in ITE facing a sizable penalty. To offset this penalty, Tom Brahms negotiated a settlement that allows ITE to pay nothing now, but requires ITE to host another conference at the Anaheim Marriott and Convention Center within 8 years (and at a reduced commitment of sleeping rooms). This settlement will require the shuffling of host cities (probably Toronto) for 2016. Ironically, the final attendance at the Anaheim will be one of the highest -- over 2100 delegates.

Annual ITE Dues -- Annual Membership Dues will increase in 2009 by $5 for the grades of Member, Fellow, and Institute Affiliate. The dues for Retired Members will increase by $2.50. Dues will not increase for students.

New Mega Issue -- The IBOD has adopted a new Mega Issue -- Energy, Environment and Land Use Issues (i.e., Sustainability) -- to go along with our existing Mega Issues -- Safety; Management and Operations; Designing for all Users; Workforce Development; Public Information/Public Relations; and, International Aspects of ITE.

Membership -- ITE Headquarters has a new Membership Director - Bill Baldwin. He is an eager young man who is excited about the idea of working with all of us, across every district, section and chapter, to retain current members and to add new ones. He is eager to work with local sections and chapters to capture students as they enter the job market and shortly thereafter -- when young engineers have finished "test driving" ITE and face their first real dues notices.

Young Engineers -- ITE will be hosting a Student/Young Engineers Conference. Each District will nominate a student and/or young member to represent them at the meeting. ITE will bring them all together in conjunction with Strategic Advance (an annual meeting each April for the Executive Committee of ITE), then spend a day discussing issues vital to youth. More information will be forthcoming on this.

Traffic Bowl Competition -- Starting next year, the ITE Annual Meeting will host a Traffic Bowl Competition (see attached), pitting teams from every district against one another in various "heats" culminating in a championship round. There will be awards for the competition. (MWITE will need to decide very soon whether we wish to host a qualifying traffic bowl competition at our Annual Meeting in Wisconsin Dells. If so, we will need to work with ITE HQ and other districts to acquire or develop the equipment needed to hold the competition.)

Elected Leadership Forum -- This annual forum is an opportunity for elected leaders from districts, sections and chapters to interact face-to-face with Tom Brahms, the International President, V.P., and Past President. I was proud that MWITE was the best represented district at this year's forum. In attendance were John Davis, Wayne Sandberg, Armapal Matharu, Matt Selinger, Tom Campbell and myself. In the past, dozens of people from across the country wound sit in on this forum, and share ideas. This year, unfortunately, only a handful of people outside of MWITE members bothered (or remembered) to attend. I realize that this meeting gets buried with all the other sessions and meetings people attend, but it can be one of the most informative and memorable opportunities our elected leadership can have. I will work with ITE staff to see that this forum is more heavily promoted in the future.

MWITE Welcome Reception -- Our district hosted another successful reception this past Monday night. While the number of attendees was down from the Pittsburgh meeting (+ 60 vs. + 75), the event was well received by those who attended. I even heard from two new vendors (Siemens and Trafficware) who say they would be willing to help sponsor the event next year. Regarding next year's Welcome Reception in San Antonio, we may need to move our welcome reception to a different night because the Texas District may be hosting a Texas BBQ or Roadhouse Dinner that Monday night. Stay tuned.

2008-08-15T09:34:00.003-05:00

Something to Think About...

Hello from Anaheim, site of the 2008 ITE Annual Meeting. As the International Board of Direction begins its meetings, I wanted to share something that is quite powerful and enlightening.

Mark Norman, ITE Coordinating Council Chair, shared a YouTube link as a means to generate discussion regarding potential outreach to younger people. The link, called "Did You Know 2.0" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMcfrLYDm2U) , was developed by educators in Colorado to stimulate discussion about what we should be teaching our young children to better prepare them for tomorrow. It is fascinating!

For instance, the video states, "We live in exponential times... THe first commercial text message was sent in December 1992... The number of text messages sent and received today exceeds the population of the planet". Also, it states, "...If MySpace were a country, it would be the 8th largest in the world."

Please watch the video and share it with others. It will certainly make you think about our role in the future!

2008-08-08T15:05:00.003-05:00

A New Book For Your Library...

A Washington Post Book Review by Jonathan Yardley

Sunday, August 10, 2008; Page BW15
(Reprinted from the Washington Post website , 08/08/08)

"TRAFFIC", By Tom Vanderbilt
Knopf. 402 pp. $24.95

Tom Vanderbilt's Traffic -- engagingly written, meticulously researched, endlessly interesting and informative -- is one of those rare books that comes out of the depths of nowhere. Its subjects are the road and the people who drive it, which is to say Traffic gets about as close to the heart of modern existence as any book could get, yet what's truly astonishing is that no one else has done it, at least not on the scale that Vanderbilt has achieved. We've had road novels (On the Road) and road movies ("Two for the Road") and road songs ("On the Road Again"), but nonfiction studies of "why we drive the way we do and what it says about us" -- to borrow Vanderbilt's subtitle -- have been almost entirely limited to dry, impenetrable engineering and psychological treatises. Yet think about it, which Vanderbilt obviously has done at great length and to immensely rewarding effect. "Many of us," he writes at the outset, "myself included, seem to take driving a car fairly lightly, perhaps holding on to some simple myths of independence and power, but it is actually an incredibly complex and demanding task."

Then, a bit farther down the road, at the beginning of a chapter entitled "Why You're Not as Good a Driver as You Think You Are," he continues: "For those of us who are not brain surgeons, driving is probably the most complex everyday thing we do. It is a skill that consists of at least fifteen hundred 'subskills.' At any moment, we are navigating through terrain, scanning our environment for hazards and information, maintaining our position on the road, judging speed, making decisions (about twenty per mile, one study found), evaluating risk, adjusting instruments, anticipating the future actions of others -- even as we may be sipping a latte, thinking about last night's episode of American Idol, quieting a toddler, or checking voice mail. A survey of one stretch of road in Maryland found that a piece of information was presented every two feet, which at 30 miles per hour, the study reasoned, meant the driver was exposed to 1,320 'items of information,' or roughly 440 words, per minute. This is akin to reading three paragraphs like this one while also looking at lots of pretty pictures, not to mention doing all the other things mentioned above -- and then repeating the cycle, every minute you drive."

Get only a few pages into Traffic and you'll begin to understand something that probably has never crossed your mind, unless you're a traffic engineer, a behavioral psychologist or a law-enforcement officer: The road is an incredibly complicated place, and driving -- which, after the initial rush of passing the driver's test, most of us take for granted for the rest of our lives -- is fraught with danger and uncertainty at every turn of the wheels. Vanderbilt, a freelance writer who specializes in complex and sometimes arcane subjects, posits "a simple mantra you can carry about with you in traffic": "When a situation feels dangerous to you, it's probably more safe than you know; when a situation feels safe, that is precisely when you should feel on guard. Most crashes, after all, happen on dry roads, on clear, sunny days, to sober drivers."

By way of illustrating the point, Vanderbilt describes "a driving trip in rural Spain" during which a promising shortcut turned out to be "a climbing, twisting, broken-asphalt nightmare of blind hairpin turns" with "few guardrails, just vertigo-inducing drops into distant gulleys." Because "there was little to keep me from tumbling off the edge of the road," Vanderbilt "drove as if my life depended on it," which of course it did. Another time in Spain, he drove "a smooth, flat road with gentle curves and plenty of visibility," and "I just about fell asleep and ran off the road."
By any standard measurement, the first road was "incredibly dangerous" and the second "of course the more objectively safe," yet Vanderbilt argues -- and many traffic specialists agree -- that the first road made him a better driver because it put him on high alert while the second nearly lulled him to sleep. He writes: "The things that work best in the traffic world of the highway -- consistency, uniformity, wide lanes, knowing what to expect ahead of time, the reduction of conflicts, the restriction of access, and the removal of obstacles -- have little or no place in the social world."

That's just one of the many useful tidbits that await you in Traffic. For instance: "Anonymity in traffic acts as a powerful drug, with several curious side effects. On the one hand, because we feel that no one is watching, or that no one we know will see us, the inside of the car itself becomes a useful place for self-expression. . . . The flip side of anonymity . . . is that it encourages aggression." The risks of anonymity are among the almost literally uncountable distractions of the road: "As the inner life of the driver begins to come into focus, it is becoming clear not only that distraction is the single biggest problem on the road but that we have little concept of just how distracted we are." People "drive as if the world is a television show viewed on TiVo that can be paused in real time -- one can duck out for a moment, grab a beer from the fridge, and come back to right where they left off without missing a beat."

Keeping traffic moving safely and freely is the responsibility of traffic engineers, yet most of us are clueless about their daily impact on our lives. They are involved in everything from synchronizing (or not synchronizing) stoplights to building gentle curves into straight interstates in order to reduce boredom and sleepiness. But they aren't perfect: "As a profession, traffic engineering has historically tended to treat pedestrians like little bits of irritating sand gumming up the works of their smoothly humming traffic machines. With a touch of condescending pity, pedestrians are referred to as 'vulnerable road users.' . . . As a testament to the inherent bias of the profession, no engineer has ever written a paper about how 'vehicular interference' disrupts the saturation flow rates of people trying to cross the street."

One of Vanderbilt's best chapters is "How Traffic Explains the World: On Driving with a Local Accent," in which he shows how everything from road signs to motorists' behavior varies from city to city, country to country. It's not all that hard for the traveler to adapt to the basics, as I discovered a couple of years ago while driving on the "wrong" side of the road in Scotland, but the subtleties are something else: "Traffic is a sort of secret window onto the inner heart of a place, a form of cultural expression as vital as language, dress, or music. It's the reason a horn in Rome does not mean the same thing as a horn in Stockholm, why flashing your headlights at another driver is understood one way on the German autobahn and quite another way on the 405 in Los Angeles, why people jaywalk constantly in New York and hardly at all in Copenhagen. These are the impressions that stick with us. 'Greek drivers are crazy,' the visitor to Athens will observe, safely back in Kabul."

As for accidents, Vanderbilt declines to call them that as they are almost always the result of behavior that is not accidental. He calls them crashes, and reports that "more people were killed in the United States on Saturday and Sunday from midnight to three a.m. than all those who were killed from midnight to three a.m. the rest of the week." Stay home on the Fourth of July, "statistically, the most dangerous day to be on the road," and Super Bowl Sunday: "Nearly twenty times more beer is drunk in total on Super Bowl Sunday than on an average day." The drivers most likely to be involved in crashes on those days are males, frequently young ones, especially those driving pickup trucks, "the most dangerous vehicle on the road." Indeed, pickups are more dangerous than big trucks, because "car drivers have less to fear from [big] trucks than from what they themselves do around [big] trucks," which tends to be to drive dangerously. Pickups "are high, heavy, and have very stiff front ends -- meaning other vehicles have to absorb more energy in a crash."

All the above is just a sample of what's to be learned from Traffic, which touches just about every imaginable base, always authoritatively. As a Washingtonian who is both a motorist and (more often) a pedestrian, I wish he'd looked into the tendency of suburbanites to bring bad suburban driving habits into more demanding urban streets -- yes, Maryland and Virginia license plates, I'm talking about you-- but that can be inferred from other discussions in the book. Read it and you're likely to come away a better driver, more cautious and more alert. Certainly I like to think it's made me a better driver, but then as Vanderbilt says, we all think we're better drivers than we really are.

Washington Post excerpt of Chapter 1 of "Traffic": http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/books/chap1/traffic.htm?sid=ST2008080801427&pos=list

(I'm sure I can speak for several fellow traffic engineers who say, "Why didn't I think to write this! -- SJM)

2008-08-07T16:12:00.011-05:00

Miserable Traffic Costs Chicagoans Billions...

BY MARY WISNIEWSKI Transportation Reporter, Chicago Sun-Times

August 6, 2008

(Photo by Keith Hale/Sun-Times file)

STUDY SAYS $7.3 BILLION A YEAR

Area's clogged roads eat up time, fuel, productivity and pollute air

The toll --
The Metropolitan Planning Council study Tuesday found that congestion costs the Chicago area $7.3 billion a year and 87,000 jobs. The total includes the following:

$6.98 billion in lost time.
$354 million in wasted fuel, based on 2005 prices. With today's prices, the cost would be about $681 million.
$33 million in environmental damages.

The report also found that the cost of wasted time per car due to congestion averages $1,579 per year. Congestion adds 22 percent to travel times during the rush hour, or about 66 minutes each week for the average driver.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

For Aaron Miller, who owns Base Limousine Service in Skokie, traffic congestion isn't just aggravation -- it's money. He says it could cost his company about $1,350 a day. "We probably lose the ability of doing two trips a day, per car," Miller said.

Miller said he's been losing money since the Dan Ryan Expy. went under construction three years ago, and the drain has continued with construction on the Edens and I-294. Miller's experience supports a Metropolitan Planning Council study Tuesday that found traffic congestion in the Chicago area costs $7.3 billion a year in lost time, fuel, productivity and environmental damage. The cost is nearly twice the largest previous estimate. That figure is expected to grow by 55 percent by 2030, to $11.3 billion, if nothing is done to solve it.

Up to a point, the more people and goods move through an area, the healthier its economy is, said planning council President MarySue Barrett. "But many of our roads have reached the tipping point, where the costs of congestion outweigh the benefits," Barrett said. "As a region, we must start to identify and invest in smart solutions."

Conducted for the planning council by HDR Decision Economics, the report figures that each vehicle-hour lost to congestion costs $24.03. Congestion on arterial routes like La Grange and Roosevelt roads is actually a bigger problem outside of Cook County than expressway jams, and lead to more air pollution, the report found.

The report notes that congestion solutions must not just take traffic off expressways and dump it onto arterials. Congestion solutions must be regional in scope, and must address wasted time as well as fuel, the report found.

Robert Adelman, president of Roadco Transportation Services, said that congestion has definitely gotten worse in recent years and impacts his Cicero truck company's ability to be on time. He has seen businesses move away from Chicago to Wisconsin or Indiana, to get away from both congestion and Cook County taxes. Adelman thinks the solution is to get more people off the roads and onto mass transit. "But the state doesn't want to fund it, and the U.S. doesn't want to fund it," Adelman said. "Only in America -- other countries fund mass transit."

2008-08-05T16:30:00.003-05:00

Roundabouts Take Off But Leave Drivers a Little Loopy...

Since the roundabout on 66th Street near Hwy. 77 in Richfield opened in October, the revamped intersection has had six accidents, transportation engineer Tom Foley estimated. The problem? Foley thinks some drivers don’t understand cars in the inside lane have the right of way. (Photo by Kyndell Harkness, Star Tribune)

By MARY JANE SMETANKA, Minneapolis Star Tribune
(Reprinted from www.startribune.com, August 4, 2008)

Judy King of Stillwater is no neophyte driver. But she didn't like the intersection she encountered when she drove to a soccer field in Woodbury. It was a roundabout, one of the circular intersections that are popping up in Minnesota as an alternative to traditional intersections with stop signs or traffic lights. "I've been driving for 30 years, and I don't really know how I'm supposed to go through it," King said. "I think a lot of people are confused."

The chance to be confused is growing, because Minnesota road officials have fallen in love with roundabouts. As of March, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation, 86 roundabouts had been built, were under construction or were planned in the state. That was up 39 percent from a tally made just eight months before. Blaine, Burnsville, Rochester, Brooklyn Park, Rosemount and Cottage Grove all have roundabouts. Last year, Edina opened three roundabouts within half a mile on a retail strip of W. 70th Street between York and France Avenues.

One of the most ambitious recent projects is in Richfield, where a two-lane roundabout is replacing the city's most dangerous intersection, at Portland Avenue and 66th Street. The old intersection had traffic lights but no left-turn lanes. It was made riskier by a hill that prevented some drivers from seeing approaching traffic. There have been about 30 crashes there each year, some of them severe.

A roundabout should be "a tremendous improvement," said Richfield transportation engineer Tom Foley. "We have no worry about people zipping through a yellow light like they do at an intersection."

Seeing fewer crashes

National data indicate crash rates drop 35 percent and severe injuries decrease by 76 percent when four-way intersections are converted to roundabouts. MnDOT's analysis of a roundabout built at the intersection of Hwy. 13 and County Road 2 in Scott County shows a similar reduction in crashes. In the five years before the roundabout was built, the intersection had two fatal accidents, 26 crashes with injuries to 50 people, and nine accidents that resulted in property damage. Since the roundabout opened in 2005, four crashes have been reported, with three resulting in injury and none in fatalities.

Near Edina's three single-lane roundabouts, Police Chief Mike Siitari said, there have been eight minor accidents in nine months. "There does not appear to be a significant problem with accidents there," he said. "It slows the traffic significantly."

Therein lies the attraction for traffic engineers: Ideally, traffic never stops moving in roundabouts, but they're quite safe because drivers must slow to 15 to 20 miles per hour to enter the circles. Accidents usually are fender benders.

In Maple Grove, where three roundabouts opened on busy roads in 2005, there haven't been any serious accidents, said city traffic engineer Marc Culver. "Every once in a while we would see a piece of a turn signal [lying in the road]," he said. "We did have an initial negative reaction, but there haven't been any big complaints in 18 months. They've been working very well."
But drivers are still getting used to them, Culver said. "Sometimes at peak hours we'll see a car stop and two or three cars stop behind them," he said. "Generally, it clears out very quickly. But for some people, the comfort level's not there yet."

Education on the round

In Richfield, a two-lane roundabout on 66th Street opened in October outside the new Cedar Point Commons retail development. Foley estimated six accidents have happened there. The biggest problem for drivers, he said, is understanding that cars on the inside lane have the right of way when exiting.

Many drivers seem go out of their way to be considerate, he said. He's seen some drivers who have the right of way encourage timid drivers by stopping and tooting their horn to get them to enter the circle. "It's kind of a community education program," Foley said.
King wants more than courtesy from other drivers. She thinks a public service campaign is needed to explain how roundabouts work. She was impressed when she saw drivers in Australia smoothly navigating two-way roundabouts. "Everyone knew what that inside lane was used for," King said. "Here, it's very, very new. Everyone is just a little puzzled."

Traffic moved toward the roundabout on 66th Street near Hwy 77 in Richfield.
(Photo by Kyndell Harkness, Star Tribune)

Cities have started to use "fishhook signs" that illustrate how traffic is supposed to flow in two-lane roundabouts. In Washington County, where a two-lane roundabout opened last year at Radio Drive and Bailey Road in Woodbury, the county has changed pavement striping and signs to help people understand how to approach the roundabout. They've run "Roundabout U" sessions and are doing newsletters on the subject, too.

While there have been 22 crashes in the roundabout, they've been "minor fender benders," said Cory Slagle, county engineering and construction manager. At the old intersection, drivers going at least 50 miles per hour on both roads ran the risk of T-bone crashes if someone ran a stop sign. Slagle said the rules in a two-lane roundabout are simple: Yield to drivers already in the circle. If you're going straight or making a right turn, stay in the right lane. If you're making a left turn, you should be in the center lane. You can also go straight. "There is a learning curve here," he said. "But crashes should go down."

2008-08-01T16:34:00.007-05:00

(Photos from Minneapolis Star Tribune website, 08/01/08)

One Year Later...

Disaster struck I-35W bridge a year ago today
By Elizabeth Mohr and Debra O'Connor Pioneer Press
Article reprinted from Saint Paul Pioneer Press, 08/01/08)

It was 6:05 p.m. a year ago today when the Interstate 35W bridge in downtown Minneapolis collapsed into the Mississippi River. Thirteen people died; 145 were injured. The scene of twisted metal and bloody agony shocked the nation. Victims were caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

A new bridge is quickly taking shape. But lives aren't fixed so easily. The collapse left the victims to cope with financial, physical and psychological problems. The effects were as varied as the people who experienced the disaster. Some seem to have moved on with few scars. But the lives of many were forever changed.

(Note -- This bridge disaster has become an emotional and political lightning rod for this area -- one that will not end any time soon. People are still grieving and politicians are still arguing over monies to fix all the other infrastrucutre needs in the state. Nevertheless, on this date, in a little over an hour from now, we Minnesotans will pause... pray... and remember... -- SJM)

2008-08-01T13:46:00.002-05:00

Institute of Transportation Engineers
International Director Report
(This is the report that the International Director writes prior to ITE International Board of Direction Meetings to brief the ITE staff and others on the Board as to what is happening in their District.)

International Director: Stephen J. Manhart, P.E., PTOE, PTP
Date Submitted: July 22, 2008
District: Midwestern District (MWITE)

I. Issues or topics discussed at chapter, section and district board meetings that may need to have ITE Board and/or staff discussion/action (please list for each issue/topic—the chapter, section or district person to contact for further information):

a. MWITE Strategic Plan -- This effort was begun by the MWITE Board in December 2006, when Ken Voigt led the District Board through the planning efforts. Board members are at the point of adoption of the District Strategic Plan, but will wait to incorporate elements of the Institute’s recent Strategic Plan Update into their own.

b. FOLLOW-UP -- Personal Employment Advertising in District and Section Newsletters – Last spring, I discussed this item with the Board, and had promised to keep everyone informed of this new service, and subsequent reaction from the membership. To review, this past February, Illinois Section President Amarpal Matharu informed the District Board that he had received two requests from Illinois Section members to post personal ads for employment in the Illinois Section Newsletter, Items. He asked the District Board for direction on whether he should post these ads. After much deliberation among the District Board, I asked the IBOD to share any experience their districts or sections had with posting personal ads for employment. Many of you replied, and asked others from your districts to reply. In the end, the spring issue of Items was published with the two personal ads included. I was told one of the two individuals was hired, but it is unknown whether his hire was the result of his ad. The Midwestern Newsletter Editor has kept this option open for others to use, but no one else has requested an ad.

c. FOLLOW-UP -- Transportation Lobbying – This past May, ITE HQ hosted a webinar for the elected leadership regarding Lobbying and Advocacy. The webinar was well attended by many chapter, section, district and IBOD elected members. It was an informative session that basically allowed ITE units to support and/or promote legislative issues pertinent to the organization, but warned of monetary restrictions, as well as against promoting particular candidates. This information provides ITE units with legal guidance as they consider future lobbying or legislative advocacy in their areas. Thanks to the ITE Staff for hosting this important webinar for all to hear.

II. “New” topics and papers that you feel the other Board members and ITE Staff should be aware of that were presented at one of the chapter, section or district:

§ Illinois Section presentation – The Illinois Section hosted the recent Midwestern District Annual Meeting at the Hard Rock Hotel in downtown Chicago, IL. The two keynote speakers during the opening session spoke on two large-scale issues. Mr. John Murray, Chief of Bid Operations for the 2016 Olympic Bid Committee spoke of Chicago’s activities involved in bidding to be the host city for those Olympic Games. Ms. Rosemarie Andolino, Executive Director of the O’Hare Modernization Program, spoke of that airport’s efforts to leap into the 21st Century, and to increase capacity for the future. Both presentations provided the attendees with information on how traffic and transportation improvements assist with each interrelated activity.

§ North Central Section presentation – “How ‘Forgiving Highways’ Can Help Prevent Needless Deaths”, by Mike Dreznes from the International Road Federation. At the April 2008 Section Meeting, Mr. Dreznes’ presentation focused on highway safety by design. His presentation focused on lane departure problems and solutions since one-third of all single vehicle fatal collisions were the result of a vehicle leaving the roadway. His informative presentation laid out the six AASHTO options for increasing safety effects of roadside obstacles. He also detailed the recent improvements in impact attenuators, His presentation was well received, and has been recommended to other groups.

III. Student Chapter or student-related innovative activities and/or products that the ITE Board and/or staff should be aware of:

§ Nothing at this time.

IV. Unique programs or projects of the chapter, section or district:

§ MOVITE Section – Make a Difference -- MOVITE is going MAD this year with some group volunteer activities taking place at the chapter level. MOVITE Section President Matt Selinger has challenged his section and chapters with the following: Find a need in your community that is related to transportation and creates a way to make a difference for the public or for those in need. Each chapter has been contacted and will be proceeding as they desire. The Lincoln and Omaha, NE local chapter, LOCATE, has a MAD Committee put together and they have decided to conduct presentations at the local high schools on seat belts, drinking & driving and driver distractions with the goal of saving lives. By the time the fall section meeting is here, they will have presented this life saving message to hundreds (or maybe thousands) of teens in Nebraska and Iowa. What about your chapter? How can you make a difference in 2008?

§ NCITE New Member Welcome Packets – At the recent Midwestern District Board Meeting held in Chicago, North Central Section President Wayne Sandberg discussed a new effort to welcome new members to NCITE and ITE. He showed off a smart-looking backpack emblazoned with the NCITE logo. He stated that each new member will receive one of these new bags, as well as a Section Membership Certificate and welcome letter from the section president, and several pieces of information to orient the new member with ITE and the North Central Section. Wayne stated that so often in the past, new members never knew whether they were officially members of the section – they would start receiving the ITE Journal and meeting notices, but there was no official notice. It is intended that these new Welcome Packets will increase Section affiliation and loyalty – important early factors toward member retention!

V. General Comments / Other Significant Issues to bring to the attention of the Board and HQ Staff:

§ Talking Traffic Blog – I was searching around the internet for some traffic information, and stumbled upon a very interesting blog that a fellow traffic engineer has posted. The website is http://www.talkingtraffic.org/ and is posted by Bill Rusham, P.E., PTOE, from Marietta, GA. He is currently employed by Greenhorne & O'Mara, inc., and previously worked in the Traffic Office of the Texas Department of Transportation in the Lubbock District. Bill says his professional focus areas are traffic operations, traffic impact studies and highway design.

The interesting thing about Bill's blog is that he has posted several "episodes" involving traffic engineering topics. Not only are these episodes in print, but he has posted audio MP3 files that are playable and downloadable from his website. He narrates each topic himself. His episodes cover a range of topics from "Functional Classification" and "Project Development Process" to "How to Get a Signal Installed" and "Institute of Transportation Engineers".

I e-mailed Bill and complemented him on his blog. I asked him if he would mind if I promoted his blog on my blog (http://www.midwestern-ite.blogspot.com/). He replied, "... I've no problem with you discussing Talking Traffic on the MWITE blog. I'm always happy to find another transportation engineer's webspace as it makes me feel I'm not alone out in the cold, cruel web 2.0." You are not alone, Bill, you are not alone... I invite you to go to Bill's blog, read it over, listen to some of his episodes, and then e-mail him. Let Bill know that "web 2.0" is not so cold and cruel after all!

2008-07-31T16:50:00.001-05:00

You Are Cordially Invited...

2008-07-31T09:04:00.005-05:00

Roads Can Be Safer, Top Federal Highway Official Says...
By eTrucker Staff ( www.etrucker.com )

Acting Federal Highway Administrator Jim Ray has issued a “call to arms” on highway safety, urging state Departments of Transportation to adopt more coordinated, systemwide approaches to reduce crashes. "Safety is our top priority, and while the fatality rate on our nation’s roads is the lowest in history, we are always seeking new ways to prevent tragedies where lives are lost," says Ray, the nation’s top highway official. "We owe it to the traveling public to work even more creatively."

Each year, nearly 43,000 people – motorists, passengers and pedestrians – die on America’s roads. Though the fatality rate – 1.41 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled – is the lowest in the nation’s history, the number of fatalities has hovered at about the same point for nearly five years.

FHWA safety officials met with transportation officials and safety experts Friday, July 25, in an online conference – a "webinar" – as part of a new effort to improve roadway safety nationally. In it, the agency strongly recommended better use of nine tools that are key to reducing roadway fatalities each year:

Roadway safety audits: State DOTs should formalize the use of these audits, which are comprehensive evaluations of existing or planned roads or intersections to identify potential safety improvements.
Rumble strips and rumble stripes: Used in centerline and shoulders, these cost-effective devices have shown demonstrable improvement in warning drivers of lane departure, reducing by 14 percent head-on collisions and opposite-direction sideswipe crashes. Shoulder rumble strips and stripes have shown a 38 percent reduction in run-off-road crashes on freeways, and between 13-18 percent on rural roads.
Median barriers: Used to separate opposing traffic on divided highways, these barriers have a long track record of reducing cross-median collisions. States are encouraged to consider using cable median barriers where appropriate to further heighten roadway safety.
Safety Edge: This paving technique, giving a 30- to 35-degree slope to the road’s edge, reduces the risk to drivers if their tire inadvertently falls over an otherwise near-vertical road edge, leading to loss of vehicle control and rollover crashes. Safety Edge makes such notoriously severe crashes far less likely.
Roundabouts: Roundabouts have demonstrated a 60- to 87-percent reduction in crashes.
Turning lanes at stop-controlled intersections: At intersections with significant turning volume, turning lanes for right- and left-turns on major road approaches can reduce crashes dramatically – in some cases, by as much as 55 percent.
Yellow change intervals: Red-light running crashes at intersections, which too frequently result in fatalities, can be reduced by setting yellow-light signals properly. Studies show a one-second increase in the yellow signal interval can reduce red-light violations by as much as 50 percent.
Medians and pedestrian refuge areas in urban and suburban areas: Raised medians or pedestrian refuge areas at pedestrian crossings at marked crosswalks have shown a 46 percent reduction in pedestrian crashes. FHWA recommends that medians be between 4 and 8 feet wide to improve pedestrian safety.
Walkways: Ensuring a sidewalk or pathway exists near a roadway can reduce pedestrian crashes by as much 88 percent. FHWA recommends a pathway of at least 4 feet wide of stabilized or paved surface in areas routinely used by pedestrians.

To review the FHWA’s new policy, go to their website.

2008-07-30T13:00:00.006-05:00

Olympic Countdown...

Wang Li gives the speech at the press conference.

Transport Services and Traffic Control Running Smoothly for the Olympics

(reprinted from the Official website of the Bejing Olympics, 07/29/08 -- http://en.beijing2008.cn/news/official/preparation/n214488571.shtml)

(BEIJING, July 29) -- Transport services in Beijing are able to meet the requirements of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Wang Li, vice director of the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau, and Yu Chunquan, director of BOCOG's Games, Wang Li, vice director of the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau, and Yu Chunquan, director of BOCOG's Transport Department, assured reporters at a press conference held at 11:00 a.m. on July 29.

Wang outlined the services and measures taken by the municipal government to ensure satisfactory public transportation during the Olympic Games. Beginning July 20, for example, vehicles began operating on alternate days based on even or odd plate numbers, and Olympic-designated traffic lanes became effective on some roads.. In the past week, traffic conditions across Beijing have seen significant improvement, with far fewer reports of traffic jams and accidents than just a week prior.

"The Olympic Games are approaching, and we have established a very good network and highly efficient system to guarantee a high-quality public transportation system. We are confident that we will satisfy the international community, athletes and tourists from various countries. We are confident about implementing all the control measures. We are ready," said Wang.

BOCOG's Transport Department, Yu added, is responsible for providing transportation services for accredited client groups, including members of the Olympic family, athletes, team officials, technical officials, accredited media and journalists. The client group population is expected to reach 50,000."

Between July 20 and September 20, Olympic transportation services will cover all the competition venues and standard training venues in Beijing as well as non-competition venues such as Olympic Family hotels, the Olympic Village, the Media Village, the MPC (Main Press Center) and the IBC (International Broadcast Center). The hotels of International Sports Federations (IFs) VIPs, restaurants and other officially designated places will also be covered by the system.

The vehicles are ready and there are in all 7,000 vehicles -- not counting the vehicles for use at venues in the co-host cities. Of these, 3,200 vehicles are for members of the Olympic Family and NOCs, 1,660 vehicles are for athletes, technical officials and accredited media, and 80 vehicles are for the transportation of luggage and operations as outlined by BOCOG's Transport Department. Another 1,000 large coaches and more than 1,000 rate card small buses will be provided to sponsors.

BOCOG's Transport Department has recruited 13,000 professional drivers from passenger transport companies as well as volunteers in Beijing. They will be allocated to more than 50 service vehicle fleets of eight transport service operating teams. All the drivers have service qualifications and have undergone special Olympic training programs.

In addition to the special transport services for the delegations, it will provide shuttle buses for athletes, and technical officials and accredited media journalists. During peak hours, more than 170 shuttle bus routes will be in operation.

2008-07-28T13:25:00.005-05:00

Check out SAFEROADMAPS.ORG...

Road less traveled is the more deadly one
By JEFF SHELMAN, Minneapolis Star Tribune
(Originally published on Star Tribune website, July 28, 2008)

Getting behind the wheel of an automobile has significant consequences, a list that includes death. But how often do people really think about that when they turn the key of their car or truck? The Center for Excellence in Rural Safety at the University of Minnesota would like people to ponder just what might happen if they are distracted, tired, had a couple too many beers or decide that that seat belt is a pain.

That's why the U's center dedicated to rural highway safety plotted more than 42,000 traffic fatalities in the United States in 2006 -- the equivalent of 115 each day -- and placed them on an interactive map on the Internet.

Today, its "Safe Road Maps" website will be officially launched at http://www.saferoadmaps.org/ during an annual conference on rural safety. There, visitors can enter their address or ZIP code and see where automotive fatalities occurred that year. They can see whether anyone died in their area or on oft-traveled routes. The listing for each fatality also indicates whether speeding or alcohol was a factor in the crash or the victim was wearing a seat belt. Federal data for 2007 data will be available this fall and added to the site.

"It gives people another opportunity to see the news and personalize it a little more," said Lee Munnich, the director of the center. Munnich added: "Hopefully it will help people improve their driving behavior." Especially in rural areas. Because while the vast majority of people reside in urban areas, a disproportionate number of U.S. fatal traffic accidents happen on rural roads.
"It's not something that the general public knows about," Munnich said. "There's some sense that maybe it's safer to drive in a rural area. The reality is that because people think that, they tend to drive at higher speeds. The statistics show that there is a higher percentage of people drinking alcohol before driving [in rural areas]. They may feel more comfortable doing that in rural areas because there aren't as many people around. "And people are less likely to wear seat belts in rural areas."

CERS researcher Tom Horan summed it up simply. "More congestion occurs on urban roads, but more fatalities occur on rural roads," he said. But Horan said that this isn't a problem that affects only places such as Waseca, Warroad and Willmar. "One out of every two drivers that dies in a rural area is an urban dweller," Horan said. "It was startling to see just how much rural safety significantly effects residents of the Twin Cities."

Research done by CERS also found that in Minnesota, the most dangerous time isn't necessarily in the winter. "The summer months is when there should be extra caution," Horan said. "You have more travel. You have travel to unfamiliar places. You have holiday weekends. "People are driving too fast, they are driving in unfamiliar areas. There are sharp curves, only two lanes. Then there is the use of alcohol and people not using seat belts. Put it all together and people need to be careful."

That's why Munnich and Horan hope people look at where traffic fatalities have taken place and realize that the open road isn't necessarily a safe road.

© 2008 Star Tribune. All rights reserved.

2008-07-22T15:00:00.003-05:00

Closing the Gap...

(Photos and story originally posted on Mn/DOT's website, 07/21/08)

Crews to close final gap on main river span of I-35W St. Anthony Falls Bridge this week
Construction crews this week will close the final gap in the main river span of the Interstate 35W St. Anthony Falls Bridge, according to Minnesota Department of Transportation officials.

Workers poured concrete to close the gap in the northbound span last Wednesday night, leaving only the southbound side of the main span to be completed. Once the concrete in the closure pours cures, construction vehicles will begin driving across the river and crews will focus on the project's remaining work. This work includes completing Span 4, paving approach roadways, painting, installing railings, lights and signage, striping the roadway, landscaping and other work that must be complete before the bridge opens to public traffic.

(The bridge is still scheduled to open well ahead of the original Christmas Eve opening date -- possibly as early as mid- to late-September. The earlier opening will result in a windfall in incentive bonuses for the contractors. - sjm)

2008-07-18T15:28:00.003-05:00

Blogger to Blogger...

I was searching around the internet for some traffic information, and stumbled upon a very interesting blog that a fellow traffic engineer has posted. The website is http://www.talkingtraffic.org/ and posted by Bill Rusham, P.E., PTOE, from Marietta, GA. He is currently employed by Greenhorne & O'Mara, inc., and previously worked in the Traffic Office of the Texas Department of Transportation in the Lubbock District. Bill says his professional focus areas are traffic operations, traffic impact studies and highway design.

The interesting thing about Bill's blog is that he has posted several "episodes" involving traffic engineering topics. Not only are these episodes in print, but he has posted audio MP3 files that are playable and downloadable from his website. His episodes cover a range of topics from "Functional Classification" and "Project Development Process" to "How to Get a Signal Installed" and "Institute of Transportation Engineers".

I e-mailed Bill and complemented him on his blog. I asked him if he would mind if I promoted his blog on this one. He replied, "... I've no problem with you discussing Talking Traffic on the MWITE blog. I'm always happy to find another transportation engineer's webspace as it makes me feel I'm not alone out in the cold, cruel web 2.0."

You are not alone, Bill, you are not alone... I invite you to go to Bill's blog, read it over, listen to some of his episodes, and then e-mail him. Let Bill know that "web 2.0" is not so cold and cruel afterall!

2008-07-16T09:05:00.003-05:00

What’s coming ’round the bend

By AMY RINARD, Milwaukee Jounral Sentinel, 07/13/08

Drivers can expect more roundabouts

Wisconsin motorists will be driving in circles more often over the next 10 years as there is likely to be six times the number of traffic roundabouts on state highways.

And that’s not counting the growing number of the circular intersections being built on local roads. “They’re going to be like dandelions; they’re going to be everywhere,” said state Department of Transportation spokesman Dennis Shook.

But even as DOT officials increasingly promote roundabouts as a safer, time-saving and more fuel-efficient alternative to traditional four-cornered intersections, roundabouts continue to be controversial in almost every community where they are proposed.

In Oconomowoc, where a roundabout on state Highway 16 downtown is under construction and set to open later this year, residents continue to debate its merits. Ald. David Nold, who was not on the Common Council when the plan was approved, said he hasn’t heard one person who wasn’t associated with the project say it was a good idea. He questions the roundabout’s price tag, including the city’s cost to buy and remove several downtown buildings to make way for it, and said DOT officials leaned on the city to approve the roundabout. “All over the place they’re putting in these roundabouts, somebody has this idea that it’s a good thing and they’re pushing it,” Nold said.

In 2004, the DOT implemented a policy requiring roundabouts to be considered for construction every time a four-way stop or a major improvement in an intersection on a state highway was planned. “A roundabout has equal weight to a traffic signal and the safety benefits are substantial,” said Patrick Fleming, a DOT standards development engineer who specializes in roundabouts. “You can’t go through a roundabout at high speed and your T-bone crashes are virtually eliminated.”

In a modern traffic roundabout, motorists enter an intersection by yielding the right-of-way on their left to vehicles already moving around a central, often-grassy circle. Drivers continue around the circle until they reach their destination street then turn right to exit the roundabout. If they miss their turn, motorists simply go around the circle again. The speed limit in a roundabout is usually 20 mph or 25 mph and it’s deliberately designed to make it very difficult to go faster than that. “The chances of killing someone at 20 mph are substantially less than the chances of killing someone at 55 mph,” Fleming said.

Improved safety cited

National studies have shown roundabouts reduce fatal crashes by 90%, injury crashes by 76% and crashes involving pedestrians by 30% to 40%. In addition, DOT officials say roundabouts save time because traffic moves through them in a continuous flow and there is no more sitting at red lights when there’s no cross traffic. Roundabouts also are said to conserve gas because there’s no stopping and starting of vehicles as traffic lights change because there aren’t any traffic lights.

Currently, there are 30 roundabouts on state highways plus about another 27 on local roads in Wisconsin, Fleming said. But as many as another 150 roundabouts are in various stages of planning on state highways and an undetermined, but increasing, number on local roads, he said.
Plans for a large new interchange at I-94 and Sawyer Road at Pabst Farms in Oconomowoc, for example, includes four roundabouts. A new three-lane roundabout is planned at I-43 and Moorland Road in New Berlin. It will join a two-lane roundabout already at that intersection. A roundabout is in the works for Highways 18 and 83 in Wales in Waukesha County.

Fleming acknowledges the controversy about roundabouts and said many people are just unfamiliar with them. “There’s probably a low sense of comfort when you’re going through them, maybe you’re a bit nervous,” he said. “But that may be a good thing; now you’re going slow, you’re watching everything, you’re more aware of the cars around you.”

2008-07-14T13:37:00.008-05:00

An Open Letter to All MWITE Members:

July 11, 2008

To Midwestern ITE District Members:

Thanks to all who attended the ITE Midwestern District Meeting in Chicago earlier this week. What a great venue and insightful technical program! Thanks to the Local Arrangements Committee for being great hosts!

I am writing to remind everyone of the ITE Annual Meeting coming up August 17-20, 2008, in Anaheim, California. ITE is promising another great meeting. Here are some things to consider:

Who Should Attend This Meeting --
Nearly 2,000 transportation professionals are expected to attend the ITE 2008 Annual Meeting and Exhibit. The meeting, which is divided into six tracks, offers 53 technical sessions. The tracks are Traffic Engineering and Design, Safety, Planning, Management and Operations, Discussion Sessions and Professional Development Seminars.

Registration --
All participants are urged to register at special, reduced rates using the Advance Registreation Form here:
http://www.ite.org/AnnualMeeting/default.asp
Please note that these ADVANCE REGISTRATON RATES expire next Friday, July 18, 2008!.

Accommodations --
Anaheim Marriott Hotel
700 West Convention Way
Anaheim CA 92802-3483 USA
Phone: 714-750-8000
Fax: 714-750-9100
http://www.marriott.com/default.mi

SPECIAL ITE GROUP RATE expires at 5:00 p.m. PDT, on Tuesday, July 22, 2008!

Air Transportation --
The Local Arrangements Committee recommends flying into John Wayne Orange County Airport as opposed to LAX for quicker access to the meeting site and less hassles.

MWITE Welcome Reception --
The Midwestern District (MWITE) will hold it's Second Annual Welcome Reception on Monday evening, August 18, 2008, from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m., in Room 202A of the Anaheim Convention Center. Like last year's reception, this event will be open to past and present members and vendors from the eleven-state MWITE area. It will provide a great opportunity to network, meet old friends, make new ones, and to arrange dinner plans for the night. Make sure to attend and invite any present and past District members and vendors to join us!

If you have questions or comments about any of these items, feel free to contact me (see above) or ITE HQ.

Thanks! See you there!

Steve Manhart
ITE Midwestern District Director

2008-07-10T15:09:00.005-05:00

Can bikes and cars co-exist on Twin Cities roads?
KSTP Channel 5 Eyewittness News Report

As gas prices soar, more Twin Citians are biking to get around. But, bikes and cars have not always had the best relationship on local roads.

A new federally-funded initiative aims to keep more people on bikes and less people on the roads in the Twin Cities. Transit for Livable Communities has received $1.8 million from the federal government to make certain areas in the Twin Cities more bike-friendly. The group announced five new projects Thursday morning including, creating a marking system to designated bike lanes on streets in Richfield, Minneapolis, St. Paul, and three northeast suburbs.

The projects will connect to hundreds of miles of bike-marked trails already in Minneapolis. "What we need to do is build our version of the interstate highway system for those who bike," said Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak.

Education is also a part of this project. Some of the money will be used to educate residents on the fact that roads aren’t only for cars.

Watch the report here: http://kstp.com/article/stories/S506792.shtml?cat=210

2008-07-10T08:12:00.007-05:00

Group says Roundabouts Pose Perils for the Blind

Janet Barlow of Accessible Design for the Blind offers guidance to Shelley Bruns of Littleton as she crosses a Golden roundabout. (Joe Amon, The Denver Post )

Boosting safety is studied in Golden, CO
By Jeffrey Leib The Denver Post

GOLDEN — With cameras filming discreetly from a distance, Shelley Bruns stops with her white cane at the roundabout crosswalk at Johnson and South Golden roads and listens to the traffic exiting the circle.

Many vehicles drive past her at the double-lane roundabout, but finally a car in the right lane stops, followed by one in the inside lane.

Recognizing the yield, Bruns walks in front of the cars to the island that separates traffic flowing in and out of the circle. There, she listens for vehicles to similarly yield, or for a gap in traffic, before she completes the crossing.

In recent weeks, Bruns and 15 other blind volunteers helped a national team of researchers study ways of improving the safety of blind pedestrians at traffic circles. The team has examined roundabout safety in other cities as well, including Nashville, Tenn.; Tampa, Fla.; and Raleigh, N.C. "I have taught orientation and mobility myself," said Bruns, who works for the Colorado Center for the Blind in Littleton. "But I never have dealt with a roundabout."

Many U.S. communities are installing roundabouts as a way to slow traffic and reduce auto accidents, yet they present special challenges for the blind, said Richard Long, a Western Michigan University professor of blindness and low-vision studies who is leading the $11.8 million research effort. The study is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health/National Eye Institute and National Academy of Engineering, a unit of the National Academies of Science.

At traditional intersections regulated by traffic signals or stop signs, blind pedestrians rely on audible cues offered by the predictable starting and stopping of traffic, Long said. Because modern roundabouts, by design, have a free flow of vehicles, blind pedestrians trying to cross them at designated crosswalks must listen carefully and judge when there is a safe gap in traffic or when vehicles have stopped and are yielding, Long said, as he watched Bruns at the Johnson Road roundabout, a research-team associate at her elbow.

The new generation of ultra-quiet hybrid vehicles adds even more challenges because they reduce the audible cues available to blind pedestrians. For the study, the associate, Janet Barlow of Accessible Design for the Blind, offers minimal guidance to the blind participants. "This is an exit-lane crossing; traffic is approaching from your left; cross when you are ready," she told Bruns during one film sequence. Barlow will stop Bruns if she makes a mistake. Researchers count the number of these "interventions" to assess an intersection's risk.
Posted signs at roundabout crosswalks tell drivers to yield to pedestrians.
"Some cars yield; some blow right by," Long said, noting that "double-lane roundabouts present a multiple threat" because the blind pedestrian must ensure that vehicles in both lanes have stopped and are yielding.

Film studies of those crossing at two roundabouts here are linked to testing new methods for improving safety. http://videocenter.denverpost.com/services/link/bcpid934052406/bctid1655754279

One test calls for Golden to install a crossing signal that pedestrians can activate to briefly stop traffic entering or exiting a roundabout. The signal clicks each second to alert blind pedestrians of its presence. By pushing a button, the pedestrian actuates a red stoplight to halt traffic and an audible message tells pedestrians the walk signal is on.

In the other, engineers will install a raised crosswalk to test the tendency of motorists to slow down and yield to blind pedestrians. "A driver's propensity to yield is directly related to speed," Long said.

The study team, which includes engineers from North Carolina State University's Institute for Transportation Research and Education, plans to reassemble in Golden in September to film the same volunteers crossing the roundabouts with the new technologies in place. "If these things work, they may be applied nationwide with the support of the U.S. Access Board," Long said, referring to the agency that develops regulations for the Americans With Disabilities Act.
After several hours of filming, Bruns assessed some of the challenges of crossing at roundabouts.
"I'd rather have a yield," she said. "But if I hear a gap, I'll go for it."

2008-07-09T12:32:00.008-05:00

He Really Was There To Attend the MWITE Conference...

Ringo Starr celebrates 68th in Chicago
(Photos and story from Associated Press, 07/08/08)

CHICAGO (AP) — Ringo Starr celebrated his 68th birthday in Chicago giving out messages of peace and love, along with dessert.

Fans surrounded the former Beatles drummer Monday as he waited for the clock to strike noon the Hard Rock Hotel. Then he flashed peace signs with both hands in the air and yelled, "Twelve o'clock — peace and love!"

The crowd of about 300 sang "Happy Birthday" to Starr, who passed out white-iced cupcakes with his wife Barbara Bach. He says his dream for the day was to spread peace and love.
Starr and his band play a concert in Chicago on Sunday.

2008-07-09T12:09:00.005-05:00

Sweet Home Chicago...

Thanks to the Illinois Section Local Arrangements Committee, and especially to Mark Rinnan and Peter Lemmon for hosting a wonderful conference at an exciting venue. The Hard Rock Hotel provided us with convenience to great food, shopping and nightlife -- as well as unexpected opportunities to say we were in the building at the same time as Ringo Starr, Snoop Dogg and the group Good Charlotte!

The technical sessions were excellent, and provided a lot of useful information to all who attended. Each of the keynote speakers provided us with glimpses of all that is happening in Chicago -- the bid for the 2016 Olympics; the improvements to O'Hare; and the continuing struggles for increased transportation funding that is common not only in Illinois but throughout the nation.

Those of us who attended the MWITE Board Meeting got a lot accomplished. We also benefited from being able to share the accomplishments from other sections, which will encourage further opportunities for involvement at all levels within our district.

Those of us who stayed for the Cubs game enjoyed the camaraderie that ensues from beer, brats and baseball! Wriglley Field is all about fun!

Thank you, Chicago, for being gracious hosts, and allowing us to invade for four days! We look forward to our return!

2008-06-19T10:17:00.002-05:00

North Central Section Newsletter Wins Again...

For the second year in a row, the INCITER newsletter of the North Central Section snagged the 2008 ITE Newsletter of the Year Award for publications with circulations between 250 and 500. Congratulations go to Peter Langworthy, INCITER Editor, for another job well done!

The presentation will be made at the Honorees Reception and Dinner at the Anaheim meeting in August.

2008-06-19T10:05:00.003-05:00

Branson's Taneycomo Bridge Options Outlined...
Option A would have two-way traffic bridges. The new bridge will be constructed downstream from the existing bridge and connect at Branson Landing. A roundabout would be constructed on the Hollister side. (Photo illustration courtesy of MoDOT and Branson Daily News.) By Mindy HoneyBDN Staff Writermhoney@bransondailynews.com

Missouri Department of Transportation officials presented options to relieve traffic congestion on and around the Taneycomo Bridge on Tuesday at Hollister Town Hall. Taneycomo Bridge’s deck is worn and will be closed by MoDOT for safety reasons if it is not repaired in the next few years.

The first option, Option A, includes building a bridge just downstream from the Taneycomo Bridge. The option will make it so there are two two-way bridges with the new bridge’s connection coming out at Branson Landing. The Hollister side would include a roundabout. “We would build the first bridge,” said MoDOT engineer Kirk Juranas, who estimated the construction of the new bridge would take one year to complete. Taneycomo Bridge would remain open during the construction and when the new bridge was open, the existing bridge would be shut down for a yearlong rehab. Juranas said the advantage of Option A is the new bridge would connect with Branson Landing and provide an alternative to Missouri 76. Option A’s estimated cost is $17 million, Juranas said.

Option B would also include a second bridge downstream to the current one. Taneycomo Bridge would remain open while the second bridge was constructed. The second bridge would also take about a year to complete and when opened to motorists, the existing bridge would undergo a rehab. The difference from Option A is, Option B will make it so traffic flows on two, two-lane, one-way bridges with the new bridge tapering and connecting at the top to the existing bridge on the Branson side. On the Hollister side there would be a traffic signal. Option B would cost about $16 million.Andy Mueller, assistant district engineer, explained the funding for the options.

MoDOT has committed to paying for the rehab of the existing bridge, which will cost about $4.5 million. The rest of the funds, Mueller said they are hoping to split 50-50 with Taney County, Hollister and Branson. MoDOT project manager Chad Zickefoose said MoDOT officials have visited with each of the entities. “All four of us would be satisfied,” Zickefoose said after Tuesday’s meeting to spend some time visiting with city and county officials to discuss the public’s comments. He said Tuesday’s meeting should offer some insight to which option is most favorable. “We anticipate getting good public comment and being able to move forward,” Juranas said.

This won’t be the first time a cost-share application has been submitted. In early 2008, a cost-share application was submitted to MoDOT’s Cost Share Committee for a project dubbed B-10. B-10, Zickefoose said, was similar to Option A, and referred to Option A as a modified version of the original plan. In February a reviewing committee declined to recommend the application, explaining it contained costs too high to recommend. Juranas reported the project was not rejected out of hand, but because of the financial forecast limiting future funds, the project would have to be revamped.

Several months later, MoDOT officials are now confident one of the two options will get the Cost Share Committee’s approval this time. “In our process we’ll have answered a lot of the questions that came up,” Juranas said. Zickefoose said, “We’ve met with (members of the Cost Share Committee) several times. Either option would be acceptable. The Cost Share Committee was comfortable with either.”

2008-05-28T11:20:00.001-05:00

Transportation Professional Certification Board Update

The Transportation Professional Certification Board Inc. (TPCB) announces that starting with the October 2008 exam the TPCB will be offering computer based test administration for its four certification programs (PTOE, PTP, TOPS and TSOS). This will provide applicants with the opportunity to take the test closer to home at any of the 275 locations throughout the United States, Canada and more than 40 international sites. Exams are scheduled during a thirty day “window” for each of the three annual time frames—October, March and August—the exam is offered. Upon approval applicants will be able to go online to determine the exam location and date. If the day is not available, applicants will be able to choose another date. More detailed information is located at www.tpcb.org/examschedule.asp.

2008-05-16T09:56:00.003-05:00

Updated ITE Website...

Be sure to check out the new look of the ITE website. It is cleaner, and now easier to find the information you need. Check it out at http://www.ite.org/

2008-05-07T14:48:00.003-05:00

Machine Vision's Eye on Driving's Future

By Ralph Vartabedian

Los Angeles Times Staff Writer May 7, 2008

Wouldn't it be great if traffic signals were half as smart as traffic cops? Some new technology is promising to improve the intelligence of traffic signals at major intersections. It is just one of several major advances in which cameras and computers are transforming law enforcement, highway safety and eventually driving itself.

Aldis Corp., an Oak Ridge, Tenn., technology company, is developing a camera and software system that promises by next year a significant improvement in automated traffic signals. For decades, traffic engineers have gone out every few years and attempted to time signals to maximize the flow of vehicles on the majority of major streets. It is only somewhat effective.

Unless a street grid is perfectly symmetrical, engineers can time signals for only one direction of traffic. And if traffic signals are spaced more than half a mile apart, the platoon of vehicles from one signal to another breaks up, said Tom Hicks, vice chairman of the traffic engineering subcommittee of the American Assn. of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

To supplement timing, engineers have put detectors in the road to determine when vehicles arrive at an intersection. These detectors -- loops of wire embedded in the road -- are expensive and prone to constant failure. And more recently, engineers have used up to eight cameras to detect vehicles, an even more expensive solution.

Aldis plans to start testing next month a single camera that would be hung below a traffic signal, looking out about 600 feet in every direction with a fisheye lens. A computer with some fairly advanced software would calculate the speed of cars, trucks and buses, timing the signals to maximize the flow of vehicles, said Bill Malkes, who helped develop the system.

"If it sees you coming and there is nothing in the other direction, it changes the signal so you don't have to stop," Malkes said. The custom camera and associated software and hardware will cost an estimated $15,000 per intersection, somewhat more expensive than buried loops but requiring less costly maintenance over time, Malkes said.

The setup not only would increase the capacity of the road, but it would also improve the fuel economy of vehicles and reduce emissions, which are greatest when vehicles accelerate from a stop. The safety potential also seems significant, Malkes said, allowing the system to hold cross traffic if it senses that a car is not going to stop for a red light. More than 800 Americans are killed each year when somebody runs a red light.

Another type of camera, mounted on a police car, promises more changes for American roadways. The camera can scan up to 30 license plates per second, convert the images into data and match license plate numbers against a list of wanted vehicles. The patrol officer is alerted on his car terminal to a hot car.

The system, developed by ELSAG North America Law Enforcement Systems, a unit of Finmeccanica, is in use by police departments around the country, including in Rialto, Upland and Baldwin Park. Recently, it was adapted for use on school buses. The idea in that implementation is to capture license plate images of vehicles that don't obey school bus laws and might endanger students during loading or unloading, a spokeswoman said. The data are transferred to a laptop in the bus and then reviewed for violators at the end of the day.

Sebastian Thrun, director of artificial intelligence for Stanford University, said machine vision will eventually transform our transportation system in myriad ways. "We can make driving more efficient, safer and more fun," Thrun said.

The potential may be greatest with automated vehicles. In November, a Stanford team came in second in a Defense Department "urban challenge" contest, in which fully automated vehicles navigated through mock intersections, traffic circles and streets at a 60-mile course in Victorville. Machine vision still faces many challenges, Thrun said. Cameras and their image processing have trouble understanding something new and are not nearly as good as humans at judging distance.

The automated cars in Victorville had to use laser range-finders, which send out light and measure the amount of time it takes for the light to bounce back. Nonetheless, Thrun predicts that within eight years cars will have a number of automation features, allowing drivers to set vehicles on automatic pilot and take a nap or direct an auto to park itself inside a garage. "In the grand scheme of things, we are making a lot of progress," he said.

2008-05-05T10:42:00.002-05:00

Good Question: How Do You Drive In A Roundabout?
Jason DeRusha, Reporter
WCCO-TV- Minneapolis - St. Paul, MN
Broadcast 4/30/08

http://www.wcco.com/video/?id=41040@wcco.dayport.com

They are appearing more and more often in Minnesota: roundabouts. Instead of a traffic signal or a four-way stop, there's a traffic circle, where drivers yield and then turn right.

But because it's a fairly new innovation to this state, some drivers are getting confused. "It feels unorganized doesn't it?" asked one woman, outside an Edina roundabout. "I've seen a couple people going the wrong direction," added another woman, outside the new Richfield roundabout.

According to the Minnesota Department of Transportation, there are at least 30 roundabouts on Minnesota roads today with 40 more expected to be completed by the end of 2008. "It's going to be a learning curve for Minnesotans to get used to traveling through a roundabouts," said Wayne Houle, City Engineer and Director of Public Works for the city of Edina. Edina just installed three roundabouts near the Galleria shopping mall, near West 70th Street and France Avenue. "It's going quite well," said Houle. "We haven't had an accident since they were installed. No fender-benders."

Houle said the most important rule to remember about roundabouts involves yielding. "The vehicle that's inside the roundabout has the right-of-way," he said. Basically, whenever there's a gap in traffic in the circle, that's the time to pull into the circle. When you're inside, you shouldn't stop until you exit.

The Edina roundabouts have a colored, raised section of asphalt on the interior of the one-lane traffic circle. That is not for drivers. "The colored pavement is a truck apron," said Houle. It's intended for trucks who have a hard time making the tight turn of the circle.

A study of roundabouts funded by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found crashes down 38 percent, after nearly two dozen intersections were converted to roundabouts. Crashes with injuries dropped 76 percent. Other benefits: roundabouts are cheaper to install than putting in a signal, and traffic tends to flow more smoothly and at lower speeds.

"The other thing about roundabouts is that they're better for air quality," said Houle. That's because there's no sitting at a red light, idling. In Virginia, a study found the installation of 10 roundabouts saved more than 200,000 gallons of fuel each year, based on the hours of idling that were eliminated.

2008-05-05T08:07:00.009-05:00

2008 MWITE Awards Announced

Last Friday, District Vice President John Davis announced the winners of the Section Activities, Student Chapter and Student Paper Awards for 2008. Congratulations to all the winners!

2008-05-02T13:20:00.003-05:00

Illinois DOT fails to see humor in Oak Lawn's quirky stop-sign campaign
State agency cites federal regulations in ordering halt to anti-speeding messages

Oak Lawn officials were hoping extra messages on stop signs would get more drivers to heed the signs. (Tribune photo by Scott Strazzante / September 28, 2007)

Story repringted from Chicago Tribune
by Lolly Bowean, Tribune reporter
12:22 AM EDT, May 1, 2008

The snide and comical remarks in octagonal shapes under stop signs in Oak Lawn were supposed to be a funny way to get motorists to halt and pay attention instead of flying through intersections, Mayor Dave Heilmann said.But some seven months after the signs went up, the laughter has stopped.

Heilmann had to remove the signs after the Illinois Department of Transportation determined they violate the federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, he said. If he didn't, the village risked losing federally funded projects, IDOT officials said in a letter." I thought that was a very harsh response to an effort to promote safety," Heilmann said. "I truly believe the signs were making an impact. They were around schools and heavily trafficked areas. The community loved them, and we heard from all over the country about how thinking outside the box was a good way to reinforce the message that people need to stop."

Heilmann launched his public safety campaign to cut down on speeding through stop signs in September. He added slogans such as "and smell the roses" and "means that you aren't moving" to 50 stop signs. At the time, Heilmann said he thought the remarks would get motorists to pause, if for nothing else, to read the phrases. He was sure the quirky signs would help, but residents who had complained for years about drivers not obeying signs had mixed opinions.

There are no statistics on how many drivers fail to stop in Oak Lawn. And though police officers sometimes monitor troublesome intersections, they can't watch them at all times to enforce safety laws, Heilmann said.

When he got the letter from IDOT on April 17, he ordered the signs removed." I don't want to fight with anybody," he said. "I wanted to send a good message and have a good public safety campaign." Still, Heilmann said he was disappointed that he had to junk $1,700 worth of signs." I think government needs to take itself less seriously," he said. "We have to take the work seriously, but it's OK to smile and to be creative in enforcing a serious message."

Copyright © 2008, Chicago Tribune

2008-04-30T13:07:00.003-05:00

What is the Gas Temperature Where You Live?

GasBuddy Organization Inc., has developed a novel way of showing relative average gasoline prices by county throughout the nation. They call it their Gas Price Temperature Map. Click on the link below and see the nationwide map.

http://www.twincitiesgasprices.com/Price_By_County.aspx?state=MN&c=usa

One thing that is immediately obvious by looking at this is the high price of fuel in California. Of all the states in the union, California is the "hottest" in terms of high gas prices.

This brings up an important issue that ITE is working to address. Earlier this year, I was asking about ITE's potential involvement with transportation lobbying organizations working to raise gas taxes for transportation improvements. I asked whether ITE prohibited lobbying efforts. Out of that discussion came the call for a webinar for ITE elected leadership at all levels on lobbying and advocacy.

Conducting the webinar will be Alan P. Dye, a partner with the Washington, D.C. law firm of Webster, Chamberlain & Bean. Mr. Dye specializes in the representation of nonprofit organizations. He is a frequent lecturer at programs organized by ASAE and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, among others; co-author of the Association gal Checklist, published by the Chamber and the Tax Management Portfolio entitled Trade Associations, published by the Bureau of National Affairs; and Chairman of the Washington Nonprofit Legal and Tax Conference.

Non-profit Lobbying and Advocacy Web Briefing
Date: May 14, 2008
Time: 12:00 noon – 1:30 p.m. EASTERN
Site Fee: ITE Leadership FREE.
To register, click on the following link:
http://www.ite.org/emodules/scriptcontent/events/eventinfo.cfm?product_major=LOBAD
Registration closes May 11. Login instructions and supporting materials will be distributed by close of business May 12

2008-04-23T09:29:00.014-05:00

"Make No Little Plans" Now
-- MWITE Annual Meeting in Chicago
Hard Rock Hotel -- July 6-9, 2008
http://www.midwesternite2008.org/index.htm

Make No Little Plans:

Transportation in the Heartland

The Annual Meeting of the Institute of Transportation Engineers Midwest Chapter will be held on July 6-8, 2008, at the Hard Rock Hotel in downtown Chicago. Our conference theme, "Make No Little Plans: Transportation in the Heartland," is inspired by renowned architect Daniel Burnham. His Plan of Chicago, commissioned by the Commercial Club of Chicago and released in 1909, is considered the nation's first comprehensive urban planning document.

This 100th-year period is an exciting time for engineers and planners in the history of this city. Chicago's current bid for the 2016 Olympics gives us an opportunity to examine key transportation engineering construction, design, and planning issues related to mega-projects and special events planning.

Important Dates:

May 31, 2008: Early Registration closes. Last chance for $250 Full conference registration. $275 registration fee starts June 1, 2008.
June 27 to July 6: Taste of Chicago food and music family festival.
July 3, 2008: City of Chicago Fireworks at Monroe Street Harbor.
July 6, 2008: ITE Midwestern District Board Meeting and conference ice-breaker.
July 9, 2008: PTOE/TOPS Refresher Course at Cook County Highway Department.

Location:

HARD ROCK HOTEL - CHICAGO
203 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60601
866-966-5166
http://www.hardrockhotelchicago.com/

Make Your Windy City Plans Today!

2008-04-21T16:14:00.003-05:00

New Transportation Commissioner for Minnesota

Congrats to Tom Sorel, Former FHWA Administrator, MN Division

By MIKE KASZUBA, Star Tribune (photo by Jeff Wheeler, Star Tribune)
April 21, 2008

Gov. Tim Pawlenty has named Tom Sorel, administrator of the Minnesota Division of the Federal Highway Administation, to be commissioner of the state Transportation Department. Sorel replaces Bob McFarlin, who had been acting commissioner since Lt. Gov. Carol Molnau was ousted from the position by the state Senate in February. She continues in her elected office.

The office Sorel has headed is responsible for the delivery of the Federal-aid Highway Program to state and local transportation agencies in Minnesota. The state Transportation Department (MnDOT) is the primary recipient of nearly all Federal-aid highway funds in Minnesota, but much of the funding is passed through to local agencies or other organizations throughout the state.

Sorel has led the Federal Highway Administration's Minnesota office since 2005 and has worked for the federal department for almost three decades. He served as the U.S. Transportation Department's liaison during the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City.

MnDOT came under heightened scrutiny after the Interstate 35W bridge collapse last summer. In March, a month after being named interim chief, having been a top aide to Molnau, McFarlin closed the aging DeSoto Bridge on Hwy. 23 in St. Cloud when bent connector plates were found during inspections. Earlier this month, the department announced that the bridge will be replaced, along with the troubled Hwy. 61 bridge in Hastings, with construction to start in 2010.

The safety of both bridges had been an issue of mounting concern after the Aug. 1 collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis. The decisions to replace the bridges have been seen in some quarters as a sign of increased urgency at the agency. The new commissioner is subject to Senate confirmation, but there's no requirement that a vote take place this year.

Sorel, who has been in Minnesota for three years, has built a low-key résumé. Though Sen. Steve Murphy, chairman of the state Senate Transportation Committee, said he had met Sorel only recently, Sorel received the Presidential Honor for leading the federal transportation response to the Interstate 35W bridge collapse.
Murphy, DFL-Red Wing, made no secret that he preferred McFarlin. But he said that he believed Sorel would be confirmed by the Senate, and that Sorel "had a very long and productive track record."

In announcing his decision, Pawlenty said he hoped McFarlin would remain with MnDOT and said he had spoken to Molnau about his choice. The governor acknowledged he did not know Sorel well before he became one of three finalists. "It was a very close call," Pawlenty said of his choice.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
© 2008 Star Tribune. All rights reserved.

2008-04-17T07:58:00.004-05:00

Report from the 2008 ITE Techical Conference and Exhibit...

ITE: Miami
By Steve Manhart, P.E., PTOE, PTP
ITE Midwestern District Director

During the last week of March, I attended the ITE Technical Conference and Exhibit that was held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Miami, Florida. Prior to the conference, I represented the Midwestern District at the meeting of ITE’s International Board of Direction.

Late last year, the ITE Board authorized the update of the ITE Strategic Plan. On Friday, March 28, Mr. Glenn Tekker of Tekker Consultants led the International Board and ITE Staff in facilitating a Strategic Planning Workshop. The purpose of this session was to update and better define who we are as an organization, and to help us determine achievable goals with measurable outcomes. While not yet fully adopted, the Core Purpose of ITE derived from our session was:
· “To advance transportation knowledge and practice for the benefit of society.”
Aligned with this Core Purpose, ITE’s Mission was identified as being:
· “To be the source of professional expertise, knowledge and ideas promoting transportation science and principles.”
The draft Core Values were identified as
· “Collegiality, Social Responsibility, Integrity and Inspiration.”

The International Board is still working on draft goals to meet and enhance these core values. More information will be forthcoming on the adoption and implementation of the Strategic Plan.

Following this exercise, the International Board met to discuss a variety of issues affecting the organization. President Alf Guebert led the meeting

· The Board was introduced to the two candidates for 2009 International Vice-President:
o Paul Eng-Wong – in 1988, Paul co-founded Eng-Wong, Taub & Associates, a traffic and transportation engineering firm in New York City, serving as President. Over the years, it has grown to a 50-person company celebrating its twenty-year anniversary. Paul’s ITE involvement started at the grassroots level as a member and committee chair in the Metropolitan Section before going on to be elected President and Section Director. He was later elected Chair and International Director of the Northeastern District, and served as Chair for both the Transportation Planning Council and Transportation Consultants Council.
o Gene Wilson – In 2001, Gene founded Wilson & Associates in Laramie, Wyoming, specializing in transportation engineering safety consulting and education. For 22 years prior, Gene was a civil engineering professor specializing in Transportation at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. Gene has served in a variety of ITE committees and boards, including ten years as Chair of the Transportation Professional Certification Board.

· New Initiatives -- The International Board approved the expenditure of $348,000 from revenues above reserves to fund a variety of new initiatives:
o Professional Development $169,000
o Publications Programs $ 22,500
o Meetings and Conferences $ 10,000
o ITE Journal $ 14,500
o Public Information $ 50,000
o Membership Marketing $ 57,000
o Applications of New Technology $ 25,000
Total $ 348,000

These initiatives include the development of a series of programs and seminars to promote professional development, to assess publication needs, and to promote the application of new technology. In addition, ITE will explore innovative means to bring in international and/or notable speakers to meetings, as well as to simulcast meetings via the web.

· Poster Sessions -- The International Board will explore having poster sessions at future Annual Meetings. Poster sessions have become quite popular with younger members and students. It is also successful to display the posters in the same areas as vendors and breaks. The Board will look at the possibility of holding poster sessions at next year’s Annual Meeting in San Antonio.

· Agency Membership Changes – The International Board approved a new incremental cost structure for agency memberships between existing cost break points.

· New Publications – The next two years will see the release of several new and updated ITE publications, including:
o Transportation Planning Handbook, 3rd Edition (Spring 2008)
o Urban Geometric Design Handbook (Spring 2008)
o Trip Generation, 8th Edition (Fall 2008)
o Traffic Signal Timing Manual (Summer/Fall 2008)
o Transportation Engineering Handbook (Winter 2008)
o Trip Generation Handbook (Summer 2009)
o Rural Geometric Design Handbook (Summer 2009)
o Manual of Traffic Signal Maintenance (Winter 2009)
o Introduction to Transportation Engineering, 3rd Edition (Winter 2009)
o Parking Generation, 4th Edition (Winter 2009)
o Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (2009/2010)
o Intelligent Transportation Primer, 2nd Edition (2010?)
o Freeway and Interchange Geometric Design Handbook, 2nd Edition (2010)

· Expanded Webinar Offerings – The statement was made that ITE webinars are poised to do nothing but grow! They have become a successful means of professional development and education for our members. The release of many of the new publications listed above will be complimented by corresponding webinars to better share information about the changes or new methodologies.

· Decreased Student Membership – Student membership has dropped in the U.S. in the last year. There still are increased efforts to capture these “Millennium Members”, since they reflect the future of the organization. ITE Headquarters will work to reach out through emerging technologies. There was discussion regarding what other districts do for student and youth outreach. The Western District holds a Traffic Bowl competition between schools at their Annual Meeting (which will be held in conjunction with the ITE Annual Meeting this year in Anaheim). They also have an ITE District page on Facebook.

· New Roundabout Task Force – A new roundabout task force will be implemented as part of the Coordinating Council. If participation and interest increase in that area, it may be upgraded to full council status.

The ITE Technical Conference and Exhibit was called to order on Monday, March 31st. The theme of the conference was “Making a Difference in Transportation Safety,” and sessions spanned two-and-a-half days. The Opening Session featured the Director of the Missouri Department of Transportation Peter Rahn and the George Shrut Professor of Human Performance Management David Shinar from the Ben Gurion University of Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel.

Sessions were split into four tracks – Engineering/Design/Operations Track; Human Behavior/Multi-Modalism Track; Policy and Programs Track; and Planning/Data and Analysis Tools Track.

Highlights included Wayne Tanda of the Monterey County Resource Management Agency (Salinas, CA), who spoke of the Public Sector Perspective in Reducing Exposure to Tort Liability. Wayne stated that up to 2/3 of liability involves maintenance. He recommends performing “Conditions Audits” instead of “Safety Audits”. Furthermore, he suggested that maintenance projects that DON’T get funded should be noted just as much as those that are funded. In addition, he recommends having a good agency policy on records retention.

Another popular session was a Briefing on the Proposed Amendments to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. The briefing provided an overview of the significant changes proposed for the 2009 Edition of the MUTCD. The briefing was conducted by Scott Wainwright and Fred Rank both of FHWA and Bruce Friedman of Kimley-Horn. (To view the slide presentation used in this briefing, go to http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/proposed_amend/index.htm

There was also an interesting session on the ITS Safety System being implemented along I-75 “Alligator Alley” in southern Florida.. This seventy-five mile stretch of interstate highway runs through the Everglades between Miami and Naples. Due to its straight alignment, few exits and lack of visual variation for the driver, the crash history is quite high, especially on the last quarter of the trip (near Miami for eastbound traffic, and near Naples for westbound traffic). Furthermore, the 85th Percentile Speed along the stretch is 85 mph (posted at 70 mph). The speaker, Kenneth Vorce of VANUS Engineering Evolution, Inc., described various changeable message boards and other deployments that will be used along the stretch to “relax the eyes” of the driver, and work to reduce driver fatigue.

Sorry, I can’t report on any guest appearances on CSI: Miami (…that I know of). However, there were several opportunities for multi-modal transport in and around Miami (including taxi, bus, people-mover, boat, and air). Also, there were plenty appearances of several ITE members (including yours truly) in South Beach during the week. In all, it was a fun and informative week.

2008-04-16T07:42:00.004-05:00

Politicians and the Gas Tax...
Tom Brahms passed this along, stating, "It is most fascinating what politicians dream up and lanch... Here is a sister association's perspecitive..."

ARTBA Press Release...

Ten Reasons Why Suspending the Federal Gas Tax Would be Bad for the Economy and Poor Public Policy

Washington, D.C. [Apr. 15, 2008]—On April 15, Senator John McCain called for a suspension of the federal highway user fees—the 18.4 cents-per-gallon gas tax and the 24.4-cents per gallon diesel tax—from Memorial Day to Labor Day as an “immediate economic stimulus.” In fact, this proposal would have severe negative economic impacts.

It is important to understand the federal motor fuels excises are not “general taxes.” Since 1956, they have been dedicated, by law, to the federal Highway Trust Fund and can only be used for transportation-related investments by state and local governments. In 2006, federal funding provided by gas and diesel fees financed almost half of all highway capital expenditures made by the states.

The federal gas and diesel excises have had nothing to do with the increase in gasoline and diesel fuel prices. The federal gas tax rate has not changed since October 1, 1993.

Here are 10 reasons why the McCain gas tax proposal would be bad for the economy and poor public policy:

1. It would eliminate almost $9 billion that would be invested in road, bridge and public transit investments that benefit the public and American businesses —$7 billion in highway improvements; $2 billion in transit investments. This would trigger a series of negative economic consequences.

2. State and local governments, already cutting back in many instances due to the economic downturn, will decrease their capital investments in highways and transit. This, in turn, will decrease business opportunities for private sector design and construction firms already hit by the recession, which will then reduce demand for related materials, supplies, equipment—and employment.

3. More than 310,000 Americans whose jobs are currently supported by federal investments in highways and transit will have their employment placed at risk. View a state-by-state breakdown.

4. The Highway Trust Fund's Highway Account, already facing a first-ever deficit, due in part to the economic downturn, would see that deficit grow to more than $10.8 billion by September 2009. This will trigger additional cutbacks in state and local investments in highways and transit infrastructure improvements in 2009 and beyond.

5. Even if the federal excises were reduced, the federal government could not guarantee that gas and diesel prices would drop commensurately at the pump. In fact, research shows that when the states of Illinois and Indiana temporarily suspended their sales tax on motor fuel purchases in 2001 in response to escalating retail prices:—the impact on consumer pocketbooks was minimal; and —state transportation improvement programs were shortchanged by tens of millions of dollars.

6. The U.S. economy would lose an estimated $23 billion in long-term economic benefits that would be generated by $9 billion in highway and transit investments—a net loss of $14 billion. The U.S. Department of Transportation has reported that every $1 in highway infrastructure investments generates $2.60 in economic benefits.

7. Cutting federal investments in highway and transit improvements would exacerbate traffic congestion across the nation —causing motorists and truckers to spend even more on motor fuel. Research by the Texas Transportation Institute shows traffic congestion is now responsible for about three billion gallons of wasted motor fuel in the U.S. each year.

8. Cutting federal investments in highway and transit improvements would affect traffic safety . Nearly 43,000 Americans died last year in motor vehicle crashes. Poor road conditions and outdated alignments were a contributing factor in an estimated one-third of them. Highway crashes cost American society $230 billion—$820 per person—each year. Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death of Americans 6 to 28 years of age and result in more permanently disabling injuries than any other type of accident.

9. Reducing or eliminating the federal motor fuels tax would do nothing to increase the supply of motor fuels—a major reason why motor fuel retail prices are up.

10. What would happen when the federal gas tax suspension ends on Labor Day? Would Americans experience—in one day—an 18.4 cent per gallon spike in the retail price of motor fuel?

Using the gas tax as a political expediency would be bad public policy and set a dangerous precedent.

Visit the ARTBA website at http://www.artba.org/economics_research/current_issues/state_fed_gas_taxes.htm for additional information about gas tax issues.

2008-04-14T09:08:00.002-05:00

Message from Neighbors -- Slow Down On Our Street!

By MARY JANE SMETANKA, Star Tribune

(Reprinted from Minneapolis Star-Tribune, 04/14/08)

How fast is too fast when driving on a residential road?

Minnesota's statutory speed limit on most city streets is 30 miles per hour. But that's too fast for some residents in Edina and St. Paul, where the cities get asked all the time to lower local speeds to 25 mph.

In Andover, where rural areas have become residential but big lots still give neighborhoods a rural feel, residents are protesting speed limits that state law sets at 55 mph for rural areas.
Two summers ago, a speeding driver on one of those roads missed a curve, ran off the road and hit a gas meter, sparking a fire that destroyed a $500,000 house. The city asked the Minnesota Department of Transportation to reevaluate the speed limit on the road. MnDOT did -- and kept the limit at 55.

"People are constantly telling us that the speed limits are just too fast," said Andover City Administrator Jim Dickinson.

Since August, a state task force made up of MnDOT and city engineers from around the state has been re-examining speed limit laws and how they affect local roads. Bernie Arseneau, who directs MnDOT's office of traffic, safety and operations, is working with the group. Arseneau agrees that a 55 mph limit on residential roads in Andover and places like Chanhassen "doesn't make any sense." He's suggested speed limits of 30 to 35 mph may be better on such roads.
But he said he doesn't think the task force will suggest lowering city speed limits from 30 to 25 mph because there is "no compelling reason" to do so. While there are city roads where 25 mph is a better speed, Arseneau said, "on those roads, drivers are going 25. So they're functioning safely."

Watching the traffic whiz by

The issue isn't an easy one. MnDOT tends to look at speed limits from an engineering standpoint, considering road characteristics and technical analyses that measure how fast most people drive a stretch of road.

But people who live on a road look at it from their front steps. They watch traffic whiz by. They know how easy or difficult it is to back out of their driveways. They worry about kids playing at the street edge or using a shoulder to walk to the school bus.

Sometimes, St. Paul city engineer John Maczko said, people bemoan speeding on streets near their homes but do it themselves when they drive. "People act one way when they're standing on the sidewalk or sitting in their front lawn, and act 180 degrees opposite when they're behind the wheel," he said.

Maczko, a member of the task force, is a firm believer in a 25 mph speed limit on urban roads. He thinks it's safer. St. Paul has long wanted that lower speed limit, he said. Minneapolis pushed for a similar change a few years ago. And in Edina, Public Works Director Wayne Houle said the city receives "a tremendous amount of complaints" about speeding on city streets. Last month, the Edina City Council passed a resolution supporting the state task force and an investigation into the feasibility of a 25 mph limit.

Enforcement only does so much, Houle and Maczko said. Busy police are reluctant to tag people unless they drive at least 10 to 15 mph above limits. While cities are free to put black-and-yellow "advisory speed signs" on roads -- signs that warn of steep hills or urge drivers to slow to 20 mph around a curve -- they can't just post a new speed limit. State law says they must ask MnDOT for a speed study and a decision on the speed limit.

Houle and Maczko said a 25 mph limit would save their cities money because they wouldn't have to spend so much on signs for exceptions. And they both want a uniform lower statewide limit so speeds don't change at city boundaries, confusing drivers.

Slow-down campaign

In Edina, where traffic worries in one neighborhood resulted in city plans to put in speed bumps that in turn angered other residents, the city is beginning a campaign to get drivers to slow down.

At City Hall, residents can pick up magnetic stickers that say, "Be the pace car, not the race car. Slow down in residential neighborhoods." Window decals with the same message can be stuck on the windshield as a reminder to drivers.

Maczko said that in the end, quelling the speed problem lies with drivers. "When you try and address this whole thing, it really comes down to us as individuals," he said. "There's this belief that we can engineer our way out of everything and if we put up a sign [the problem is] going to go away. It won't."

Still, he thinks 25 mph is the safest speed for residential roads. Wisconsin, Iowa and the Dakotas all go with 25 rather than 30 as a city street speed limit, he said. Arseneau said that nationally, states split roughly down the middle.

While Arseneau said the task force probably will not recommend changing the urban speed limit, that may not be the last word on the subject. A transportation policy bill at the Legislature includes a request for MnDOT to ask local governments what they think of speed limits and report back to legislators. Among the issues it directs the agency to deal with: speed limits and whether road definitions should be changed.

2008-04-09T09:35:00.003-05:00

Lobbying and Advocacy Web Seminar

ITE is developing a web seminar on "Lobbying and Advocacy: What Can the Institute, Districts, Sections and Chapters Do?" This web seminar will be offered to the Institute’s Elected Leadership at no cost and led by:

Alan P. Dye
Partner
Webster Chamberlain & Bean
Attorneys at Law

The North Central Section had pursued a ruling on whether they could support a transportation advocacy group in hopes of increasing Minnesota Transportation Funding. This is ITE HQ's response to that request.

I encourage all MWITE elected leaders to contact Ann O'Neill at ITE HQ (aoneill@ite.org) with their interest in participating in the webinar, and preferred date.

2008-04-08T09:32:00.004-05:00

News from the Miami Technical Conference and International Board of Direction Meeting

Over the next few posts, you will see new from the Miami meeting. It was a great time, and was quite interesting.

One of the first items to report is ITE's commitment to become a Supporting Organization of the "Make Roads Safe" international campaign. ITE lends its support to this international effort to put global road traffic injuries on the G8 and UN Sustainability Agendas. As such, the organization urges the G8 and UN to:

Fund a global action plan to improve road safety in developing countries;

Ensure that at least 10% of road budgets provided by the World Bank and other major lenders is devoted to road safety; and

Organize a UN summit to agree on a high level political commitment to action on global road traffic injuries.

Please see more information on Make Roads Safe at their website -- http://www.makeroadssafe.org/

2008-03-21T08:57:00.006-05:00

Institute of Transportation Engineers
International Director Report

International Director: Stephen J. Manhart, P.E., PTOE, PTP
Date Submitted: March 17, 2008
District: Midwestern District (MWITE)

I. Issues or topics discussed at chapter, section and district board meetings that may need to have ITE Board and/or staff discussion/action (please list for each issue/topic—the chapter, section or district person to contact for further information):

a. Personal Employment Advertising in District and Section Newsletters – This subject came up in February. Illinois Section President Amarpal Matharu informed the District Board that he had received two requests from Illinois Section members to post personal ads for employment in the Illinois Section Newsletter, Items. He asked the District Board for direction on whether he should post these ads. After much deliberation among the Board, I asked the IBOD to share any experience their districts or sections had with posting personal ads for employment. Here were the responses I received:

i. Mid Colonial District (MASITE Section newsletter Editor Dean Kaiser) – This district publishes Section newsletters only. Corporate sponsorships offer unlimited “help wanted” ads plus “sponsor board” recognition. No personal employment ads via newsletter. Opinion that Board would not approve this, as person has not provided necessary sponsorship.
ii. Northeastern District (Director Lynn LaMunyon) – We haven’t run into this on the District level yet. I have copied Mayer Horn, the TransTalk Newsletter Editor (Met Section). He might have more information.
iii. Northeastern District (Met Section Newsletter Editor Mayer Horn) -- Our policy about employment ads is as follows:
· Companies can place employment ads at no cost if they are sponsors. Sponsorship costs $200 per calendar year. Sponsorship includes a business card ad in our newsletter with a hyperlink to the company's web site, inclusion of company announcements at no additional cost, employment ads on the section's web site, and listing on the section's web site as a sponsor.
· Government organizations can place employment ads in the newsletter and on the section's web site at no cost. This policy would probably apply to not-for-profit organizations, but I don't recall this having arisen.
· I would print personal employment ads of Met Section members at no charge.

iv. Texas District (Texas District website & newsletter editor Gary Thomas) – We post employment opportunities on the TexITE Web site at no charge. We currently accept/post personal ads from members. To be honest, never really thought about it. But I don’t think I’m opposed to it.
v. Western District (Director Randy McCourt) -- To my knowledge the Western District and its Sections/Chapters have never done the “I am looking for a job” thing. We post advertisements for agencies/firms looking to hire staff (at a cost) – but not the other way around.
vi. Florida District (Director Jeff Arey) – The Florida District (10) does not have personal ads in the newsletter.

In the end, the spring issue of Items was published with the two personal ads included (see Attachment A). I will keep the IBOD informed of this new service, and subsequent reaction from the membership. Thanks to all who participated in this information-gathering exercise!

b. Transportation Lobbying… Continued – Recently, we were asked to add ITE to the list of supporting organizations for the “Make Roads Safe” international campaign. MWITE supports such a move, but with the following comments.

· This action is somewhat similar to the effort that the North Central Section sought a few months ago when they considered becoming a sponsoring organization for "Vote Yes” campaign in Minnesota. At that time, NCITE has considered becoming a member of the Minnesota Transportation Alliance. The Alliance is a transportation lobbying group advocating for investments in the state’s transportation system. Last year, the Alliance was successful in leading a Minnesota resolution campaign to direct all Motor Vehicle Sales Tax monies to highway and transit funding. Many public and private agencies and organizations are Alliance member organizations, including the fifteen organizations I listed in my last Director’s Report.

· Earlier this year, the Minnesota Legislature had approved a transportation funding bill that had been vetoed by the Republican governor. The Democratic majority in the state legislature needed the votes of a few Republican legislators to help overturn the veto. In the weekend leading up to that fateful vote, I wrote letters to the editor of both major metro newspapers (See Attachment B), as well as letters to each of the legislators who had originally voted against the transportation bill, urging support to overturn the veto. Both newspapers ran the letter, and several legislators replied with their side of the story. In the end, six Republican representatives supported the bill, thus successfully helping to overturn the veto, providing the citizens of Minnesota with increased transportation funding to the tune of $6.6 billion over the next ten years.

Does ITE’s larger support of the “Make Roads Safe” campaign allow our districts, sections and chapters to support other efforts at a local scale? Are my letters to the editor and to state legislators fall within ITE’s Policies and By-Laws? As far as I know, these issues have yet to be resolved.

While the North Central Section’s immediate need to resolve this issue has passed, there will be other times when sections and districts will want to consider support for organizations and initiatives improving transportation. Do our actions set the precedents?

II. “New” topics and papers that you feel the other Board members and ITE Staff should be aware of that were presented at one of the chapter, section or district:

§ Wisconsin Section presentation -- University of Wisconsin-Madison Car Share Program“ ZipCar” – Contact ITE Wisconsin President Dave Jolicoeur for more information, djolicoeur@sewrpc.org

§ Illinois Section presentation – “Moving Beyond Congestion” by Ms. Leanne Redden, Chicago RTA (http://www.movingbeyondcongestion.org/ ) – Chicago’s RTA, CTA, Metra and Pace have joined together in a strategic planning process to develop a vision and strategy for the future of transit. The joint goal is to provide a region-wide consensus for convenient, affordable, reliable and safe transit expansion.

§ Illinois Section presentation – “O’Hare Expansion and Role of O’Hare Modernization Program (OMP)” by Rosemarie S. Andolino, Executive Director of Chicago’s OMP. The OMP, a $6.6 billion program in 2001 dollars, reconfigures O’Hare’s outdated intersecting runway system into a parallel runway configuration, substantially reducing delays and increasing capacity well into the future. The OMP also includes construction of a new terminal on the west side of the airport. The OMP will create up to 195,000 new jobs and $18 billion in economic activity to the region’s economy each year in addition to the 450,000 jobs and $38 billion O’Hare generates today.

§ North Central Section presentation – “Panel Discussion of HEAT (Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic) in Minnesota by Sue Groth of Mn/DOT, Mark Peterson of the Minnesota State Patrol, and John Bloomfield, Human Factors Researcher from the University of Minnesota. Presentation of the reduction in crashes along targeted highways within state.

§ North Central Section presentation – “Updated Access Management Tools and Real World Examples”, a panel discussion by David Plazak, Iowa Sate University’s Center for Traffic Research and Engineering (CTRE), Brian Gage from Mn/DOT, and Kristi Sebastian from Dakota County, MN. Mr. Gage provided an overview of Mn/DOT’s new Access Management Manual, while Mr. Plazak and Ms. Sebastian provided real-world examples of access management in Minnesota and throughout the Midwest.

III. Student Chapter or student-related innovative activities and/or products that the ITE Board and/or staff should be aware of:

§ The ITE student chapter at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) participated in Student Day at the school. The chapter and its student members collaborate with other UIC units like Urban Transportation Center (UTC). The Chapter aims to facilitate further exchange of latest information on a variety of scientific, professional, and educational issues related to transportation in collaboration with other UIC programs, faculty and staff who are committed to research in transportation.
§ NCITE and the Illinois Section hosted annual scholarship and awards presentations this year. Both sections had seen an increase in applicants – a welcome change from previous years.

IV. Unique programs or projects of the chapter, section or district:

a. Simulcasting ATSSA Webinar – NCITE promoted and co-sponsored the simulcast of a webinar on the FHWA’s new Sign Reflectivity Final Rule that was presented at ATSSA’s Annual Meeting in New Orleans. (NOTE -- This simulcast represented an opportunity for persons to learn from the presentation while not actually attending the conference. This “virtual conference attendance” is something ITE’s IBOD should consider as an alternative means of serving members who, by virtue of high travel costs, cannot attend our Technical Conference or Annual Meeting. The only issue would be webinar costs.)

VI. General Comments / Other Significant Issues to bring to the attention of the Board and HQ Staff:

a. Chicago District Meeting – The Illinois Section will be hosting the 2008 Midwestern District Meeting at the Hard Rock Hotel in Chicago, IL, on July 6-8, 2008. These dates provide opportunities for attendees to bring family to the event for the Taste of Chicago and July Fourth events nearby. It is estimated that the room rate will be $189/night plus tax.

Attachment A -- Excerpt of Spring Issue of ITEMS Newsletter

Attachment B -- Excerpt of Saint Paul Pioneer Press, Sunday, February 24, 2008, p. 9B

2008-03-17T09:05:00.002-05:00

2008 Section Activities Award (Reminder)

MWITE Vice President John Davis reminds us that just about TWO WEEKS, the Section Activity Reports are due! This competition follows the International ITE procedures and format and the winner is the MWITE nominee to International.

See the District website at www.midwesternite.org for additional details, and please try not to include your NCAA tourney brackets in with your Section’s report.

2008-03-14T10:54:00.001-05:00

Study: Traffic congestion is up in the Twin Cities metro
St. Paul Pioneer Press Article Last Updated: 03/14/2008 08:44:14 AM CDT

Traffic congestion in the metro area has increased for the first time in four years, according to a new study by the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

Last year, there were 305 miles of congested freeway in the Twin Cities area, compared with 267 miles previous year, 277 miles in 2004 and 280 miles in 2004. A "congested mile" is defined as a mile of traffic moving slower than 45 miles per hour.

Much of the increase traces back to the collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge in August, according the Metropolitan Freeway System 2007 Congestion Report. The bridge collapse sent traffic to Highway 280, Interstate 94, Interstate 694 and Interstate 35W as people searched for alternate routes.

Construction projects on busy interstates also contributed to the congestion, the report said.

The report can be found at :http://www.dot.state.mn.us/newsrels/08/03/14-congestion.html

2008-03-14T08:54:00.002-05:00

Maintaining Professional Involvement In A Time of Economic Downturn
By Steve Manhart, MWITE International Director, from the MWITE Spring 2008 Newsletter

Whether or not our government wishes to face it, our economy is in a downturn. We may even be in a recession (…yikes, I said the “R” word). I will leave that for the economists and politicos to figure out.

Nevertheless, companies and agencies are facing economic struggles, tighter budgets and less discretionary funding. As a result, many companies and agencies have limited or totally restricted out-of-state travel, professional memberships, and outside organizational activities. Some companies and agencies are requiring that participation in professional organizations be on a member’s own time and on his or her own dime.

So how does one maintain professional involvement in this time of economic downturn? One may argue that if the employer does not pay for his or her membership, why stay involved? Worse yet, if one is laid off or between jobs, does it make sense to retain one’s professional organization memberships?

To answer these questions, one must decide whether the involvement is worth the investment of time and money. In a recent article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune newspaper (“The Benefits of Professional Organization Membership”, by Robert Elsenpeter, February 18, 2008), the business columnist outlined the top reasons that professional organizational membership is important:

· Personal and professional development resources
· Networking opportunities
· Professional certification that can help your career
· Service and support from the national organization
· Opportunities to develop one’s leadership skills
· Discounts on related products and services
· Regular organization conferences
· Member publications

I believe whole-heartedly that the Institute of Transportation Engineers is beneficial in each of these areas. Membership in ITE affords the transportation professional with opportunities for growth, networking, and technical resources. Personally throughout my career, I have benefitted from the networking and leadership opportunities within ITE – from the section level all the way to the international level. I would challenge anyone who is questioning the value of professional organization membership to review this list and tell me what he or she can forego and still sustain or grow his or her career.

Say that you are a member in several professional organizations. Each organization provides niche benefits and opportunities based on what interest or profession is being served. Why would one stay with ITE versus other organizations? Does ITE membership provide the personal or professional benefits that serve your needs?

Remember that ITE is the preeminent international organization for transportation professionals. Currently, ITE is working to increase its importance and relevance (therefore, its value) to the transportation professional. The ITE International Board of Direction is undertaking a strategic planning initiative this year. The purpose of this initiative is to tweak and adjust the organization to fit the ever-changing needs of its membership. Furthermore, the Board has created a high-level committee focused on improving Member Recruitment, Retention, and Reinstatement (the “Three Rs”). Another committee has been created to focus on Public Relations and Information Sharing. The output of these committees will increase the value and vitality to our membership. (More information will be presented in upcoming issues.)

On a district level, MWITE is working to become more valuable to our members is by providing personal advertisements for employment. This is a new service that we are initiating in this [upcoming] issue. While we have long posted employment ads from consultants and agencies, this is the first time we are providing our members the ability to place personal ads for employment. After checking with other districts, it appears MWITE is the first to be offering this service to its members – an important new benefit in this time of economic downturn.

So how does a member maximize his or her membership? In many ways, the resulting benefit a member receives is proportional to the investment of time and effort he or she may put into the organization. This may be a simple as attendance at a section meeting, or be as complex and time-consuming as committee involvement, presentation of a paper, or attendance at a district or international meeting.

The ITE International Meeting is our annual showcase of new projects, products, innovation and interaction among transportation professionals. Each member should try to attend this meeting at least once during his or her career. If cost or schedule prevents a member from attending the International Meeting, he or she should consider attending the District Annual Meeting. Though narrowed to a district focus, this meeting still provides members with many of the benefits of achieved at the international meeting. Section and chapter meetings, while still important, provide the narrowest scope of interaction and information sharing.

The current economic climate requires some tough choices to be made with one’s professional membership budget. ITE strives to remain the preeminent international organization for transportation professionals. The International Board of Direction is working to keep pace and stay vital with the changing transportation profession. As you deal with this time of challenge, weigh the importance of your professional organizational membership. Retain your membership and stay involved. No matter at what level, ITE will provide a good return on your investment.

2008-03-14T08:50:00.001-05:00

Roundabout will get a sound out for Highway 2&13 intersection near Ashland, WI
News from 91.3-FM, KUWS Radio, Duluth, MN

People in the Ashland area aren’t sold on the use of a roundabout to reduce crashes at a dangerous intersection. Danielle Kaeding reports.

In one 10 year stretch from 1992 to 2002, there were 32 crashes at the intersection of Highway 2 and 13 near Ashland. That prompted a flashing sign to be erected. But for some people, that’s not enough for an intersection dubbed “the Bermuda Triangle”. Wisconsin Department of Transportation Northwest Director Don Gutkowski says they’re pushing for a roundabout intersection to improve safety but won’t force one on anybody. “What we’re doing right now is we actually hired a consultant who specializes in roundabouts and built a lot in the state. They’ve done a lot of public outreach on them in a lot of communities that were very resistant to them. So, they’re going to help us with the public involvement, and right now we’re in the process of negotiating the contract.”

Bayfield County UW-Extension Agent Tim Kane says that’s good because people want to know more. “We want to support the Department of Transportation to develop, not only looking at the roundabout but at a traffic signal possible solution. We encourage the department to hold some additional public information meetings on those alternatives and get further input from folks who live in the area.”

Some Chequamegon Bay residents expressed concern at the DOT meeting that Highway 2 is too busy for a roundabout. Gutkowski disagrees. “You’ll have some back up queuing that you have. That’s where you design for the roundabout or the signals that you have that you minimize the amount of queue that you have. That’s why there’s two lanes, three lanes, four lane roundabouts is that minimizes that. You get more free-flow through there.” The DOT chose a roundabout from ten alternatives to improve safety at the intersection of Highway 2 and 13.

2008-03-14T08:45:00.001-05:00

U.S. 41 project may revive roundabout controversy in Howard, WI
Traffic at Woodale and Cardinal intolerable at times, official says
By Malavika Jagannathan mjaganna@greenbaypressgazette.com

HOWARD — A proposed roundabout at Woodale Avenue and Cardinal Lane that was rejected by local officials and residents in 2001 may resurface in 2011 to help traffic flow in that area.
Traffic at the intersection — currently a four-way stop — has become intolerable at times, causing backups and even a few pedestrian problems, said Howard's direct enforcement officer Jim Dagneau, who looked into the issue after hearing concerns.

About 12,100 vehicles go through the intersection each day, according to the Department of Transportation traffic reports. Traffic is heaviest after school lets out between 3 and 5 p.m. with Bay View Middle School on the northwest corner of the intersection. Trustee Burt McIntyre, who drives a school bus, said he has often witnessed the backups especially with school buses exiting and entering the school. "We knew this was going to be a problem in the future, but it's coming up sooner than we thought," Steven Dantoin, an engineer with the Brown County Highway Department, told the Village Board on Feb. 25.

Now, with the state's project to resurface and expand U.S. 41 slated to begin in 2011, Dantoin said Brown County would look at resurfacing Cardinal Lane from Glendale Avenue to Woodale at the same time and installing a roundabout at the Cardinal-Woodale intersection.
A roundabout would narrow the street, Dantoin said. It also would require some right-of-way purchases from neighboring properties. Nothing has been officially proposed or approved by the Village Board.

A roundabout was proposed in 2001 at that intersection but rejected after residents protested. A signal at the intersection would have cost too much, so the village retained the four-way stop.
At the time, signals would have cost $133,000 more to install than a roundabout at the same location — and the county would have subsidized the roundabout. If a roundabout is built in 2011, its cost would be split between the county and the village.

Since 2001, roundabouts have become a common sight in the county, including a two-lane roundabout that opened last year in De Pere, and they are the preferred intersection-controlling device of both the county and the state in reconstruction projects.

2008-03-14T08:33:00.001-05:00

Plans for casino will have some Four Staters driving in circles
Posted by Jeff Stensland: March 13, 2008 06:57 PM CDT, KOAM-TV website, Pittsburg, KS

A new roundabout is planned to deal with a potential traffic danger. It would create a safer intersection by slowing traffic in a one lane circle. The intersection of US-400 and Highway 66, west of Riverton, Kansas has seen several serious and fatal accidents over the years.

Officials with the Kansas Department of Transportation says a roundabout is better than a signal in that traffic can always be moving, but at a slower pace. The already busy highway is expected to see more traffic with area growth, and the opening of a destination casino in the area.

County Commissioner Rodney Edmondson says the idea of a roundabout is new to the area, but it should greatly reduce accidents in the area. "I think there probably is some foresight in that area," Commissioner Edmondson says. "A roundabout will slow traffic down but keep it flowing. It will handle high volumes of traffic without stop-and-go traffic."

Work is expected to begin in early April, with a detour ready by July. The entire project could be finished as early as November. To learn more about roundabouts, a guide is provided by the Kansas Department of Transportation: http://www.ksdot.org/burTrafficEng/Roundabouts/roundabout.asp

2008-03-06T14:39:00.005-06:00

Transportation Funding Success for Minnesota...

Last week, the Minnesota State Legislature overturned the veto from Governor Tim Pawlenty and approved $6.6 billion in transportation funding over the next 10 years. Six Republican legislators broke ranks with the minority party in the House of Representatives, and turned back the veto by just over the required two-thirds majority.

2008-03-06T14:36:00.001-06:00

Last Chance to Enter...

The ITE Transportation Achievement Award is awarded annually for excellence in the advancement of transportation to meet human needs by entities concerned with transportation such as governmental agencies, legislative bodies, consulting firms, industry and other private sector organizations. The Transportation Consultants Council has endowed this award.

Awards are presented in the categories of operations, facilities and safety.

See the ITE website: http://www.ite.org/awards/index.asp for more information about the award and instructions for applying.Please note the deadline of April 1, 2008. Any question about this award or any other ITE award, please contact Heather Talbert at ITE (htalbert@ite.org or 202-289-0222, ext. 138).

2008-01-18T08:07:00.000-06:00

In Memoriam…

Rosemary Joyce “Joy” Manhart (nee Chilton) – passed away quietly and nobly on Thursday, January 17, 2008. She is preceded in death by her husband Joseph, father and mother, William and Rose Chilton, and brother Ray Chilton. Joy is survived by son Stephen Manhart of Burnsville, MN, and daughter Ann Schulzki of Colorado Springs, daughter-in-law Teresa Manhart, son-in-law Anton Schulzki, and three granddaughters, Kristen Manhart, Avery Schulzki and Analiese Schulzki. Joy was born on November 22, 1926, above the Daisy Shop in Amersham, Bucks, England, and throughout her life, she remained fiercely proud of her British heritage. Early in her life, she resided in Hillingdon, Middlesex, outside of London. She recalled the terror of the German air raids during the Blitz on London during WWII. In the early 1950s, Joy met Joe when he was in the U.S. Force and stationed in England. In 1955, Joy came to America, and they were married later that year in Nebraska. In the years that followed, Joy and Joe raised a family and lived in several towns throughout Nebraska and Wyoming. In 1969, Joy and family moved to Colorado Springs, where she lived throughout the remainder of her life. In the early 1970s, Joy was employed at The Denver department store. In 1991, Joy became a U.S. citizen, but firmly held onto her British roots. Upon retirement, Joe and Joy enjoyed traveling throughout North America and the United Kingdom. Joy will be remembered always for her charm and gracious manner.

Visitation will be held Friday, January 25, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Swan Law Funeral Home, 501 N. Cascade. Funeral mass will be held at Divine Redeemer Catholic Church on Saturday, January 26, at 10:00 a.m., with interment at Evergreen Cemetery to follow.

The family wishes to thank the staffs of Brookdale Village at Skyline and the Evergreen Hospice for their vigilance and care of our mother. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to The British Trust, Evergreen Hospice or American Cancer Society.

2008-01-16T07:59:00.000-06:00

Membership Growth...

Yesterday, Tom Brahms reported that the membership growth of ITE was up 1.75% in 2007. The following table illustrates the growth patterns over the last ten years.

ITE has established a Membership Task Force focusing on the "3-Rs" -- Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation. This task force is charged with looking at ways to increase overall membership in the organization, and helping all segments of the organization attract and retain members.

The task force, with the counsel of the Mark Betchkal of Yes Marketing LLC (a membership marketing consultant working almost exclusively with CESSE [Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives] member organizations) made a number of initial observations:

1. Student Chapter advisors are a critical links between the Institute and the students. We need to find ways to provide meaningful services to the faculty advisors and to encourage them to be active members in the Institute.
2. We must recognize that we are less likely to attract recent graduates in the first five years after graduation because their focus is not on membership in professional societies. We need to track these young professionals but devote our efforts to those who have attained a stable professional and personal life.
3. We need to eliminate admissions, transfer and reinstatement fees.
4. We need to simplify membership applications to seek only the information necessary to determine that the applicant meets the requirements for membership.
5. We need to do a better job of describing what we do and better describe and disseminate the value of membership.
6. We need to identify champions within targeted market sectors to assist in the recruitment effort by reaching out to their non-members peers, explaining the benefits of membership and encouraging their participation in the Institute.
7. We need to understand that not all professionals or other users of our services will become members. We need to wed these individuals to ITE as valuable customers and service them appropriately. The Institute’s value to them and their value to the Institute can be partially realized with their being customers. Serving them well as a customer will increase the chances of their becoming members.
8. We need to understand and recognize the social and “fun” aspects of membership and incorporate these aspects into our program accordingly. People like to volunteer and serve those organizations where they can have fun doing so and where their contributions are appreciated.

The task force and the International Board of Direction will work towards the development of a program to implement many of these observations into reality. Stay tuned...

2007-12-27T15:52:00.000-06:00

Beginning Year Two...

After months of neglect, the blog is up and running again...and with a new look!

The last half of 2007 has been extremely busy for me, with lots of project-related travel to western Minnesota, as well as lots of ITE-related trips. In August, I attended the ITE Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh, where I lit up the dancefloor as a Twenties zoot-suit gangster. We must recognize the efforts of Earl Newman, 2007 ITE International President, who has well represented the Midwestern District throughout the past year. Earl has certainly set the gold standard in terms of fairness, information-sharing, and promoting the organization to our students. Our organization has benefited immensely by having Earl as President. Thanks Earl!

We must also congratulate Ken Voigt, who was elected as 2008 International Vice-President. Ken's work with the MWITE Board in developing our Strategic Plan will be important as the International Board revisits the ITE Strategic Plan in 2008. With Earl, Ken and me on the International Board in 2008, the MWITE will be well represented.

In October, I successfully completed the Professional Transportation Planner (PTP) certification exam.

Later that month, I attended the ITE International Board of Direction Fall Meeting at ITE Headquarters.

In early December, I attended the Annual Banquet for the Wisconsin Section. I had the honor of installing the 2008 Wisconsin Section Board, as well as to visit with friends and acquaintances from that state to the east of me.

In mid-December, I attended the MWITE Director's Fall Retreat at the Hard Rock Hotel in Chicago, IL. This facility is the venue for the MWITE Annual Meeting July 7-9, 2008. It is a great hotel located right on the Magnificent Mile, just steps away from shopping, museums, restaurants and bars. It will be a great meeting, and a fun getaway for the entire family. Be sure to add it to your calendars.

Last week, I was in Washington, DC, again. I attended the meetings of two ITE committees. The first was the Membership "Three-R" Committee, focusing on Registration, Retention, Reinstatement. The second committee meeting was for Prublic Relations and Information. You'll hear more about these committees soon.

So, after a hectic last half of 2007, I look forward to an equally-busy 2008. Be sure to sign up for the ITE 2008 Technical Conference and Exhibit in Miami (--Think "Spring Break" for Traffic Engineers!!!).

So, let's say a fond farewell to 2007, and look forward to the rewards and challenges of 2008!

Happy New Year!!!

2007-06-07T13:35:00.000-05:00

Getting Caught Up... I know it's been ages since I've posted anything here, but business has kept me, well..., busy! Here are a few items that have fallen through the cracks until now:

New District Logo and Stationery -- To promote the name change from District 4 to the Midwestern District, the District Board has looked to update its logo. ITE President Earl Newman solicited the help of Kara Crisp, a graphic designer with the City of Springfield, MO, to work up some possible logo designs. Kara presented several to the Board, and a new logo was selected. Kara and District Secretary/Treasurer John Davis worked the selected logo into new district stationery. The new graphics work well to update our district's image and professionalism. Watch for them at the St. Louis meeting and in upcoming communications. Thanks to Kara, John, and all who worked on this effort! Job well done!

Kudos to NCITE -- Section President Marcus Culver reports, "At the Midwestern District Meeting this June, NCITE will be presented with two district awards. The first is for Section Activities and the other is for Section Website. Both awards are a reflection of the hard work and dedication of those members that volunteer their time and energy to NCITE on the technical committees and our publications. The entire membership deserves a pat on the back for the Activities award as this is a reflection of the big picture of technical committees, activities, and meetings our Section manages. For the website, a big thank you goes out to Nick Erpelding, our Webmaster, who has put in countless hours updating the website, creating new pages, and coming up with new ideas such as the new calendar feature. Good job, Nick.

"I also just received a letter from ITE International today that NCITE has been selected to receive the ITE Newsletter Award for circulation between 250 and 500. I am extremely proud of the newsletters editors and those who have contributed articles for the newsletter. The newsletter submitted for this award was the Winter 2007 newsletter and included an article by the Geometric Design Committee Chair Bill Klingbeil on Channelized Right Turn design. It also included some historical photos that proved very interesting. I wanted to give special recognition for the newsletter award to Lynn Kiesow who, over the past couple of years, has worked with Chad Ellos and Peter Langworthy to come up with some unique ideas and features for our newsletter. And of course, those two editors I just mentioned have put significant efforts in assembling, proof reading, and distributing this document.

"Finally, this year’s NCITE Student Paper winner was also selected for the District Paper Award. Xinkai Wu from the University of Minnesota won both awards for his paper titled “Improving Queue Size Estimation for Minnesota’s Stratified Zone Metering Strategy.” It is a very informative paper on the previous strategy used and how it was modified to improve freeway operation as well as wait times on the ramps. Congratulations to Xinkai and thank you for representing the Section so well."

Upcoming Elections -- As you know, we are coming up on our traditional election season. This year, there are two elections that will affect the Midwestern District -- that for 2008 International Vice President, and for 2008 District Searetary/Treasurer. Candidates for International Vice President include Rod Kelly from the Tesax District, and our own Ken Voigt.

Ken has been a staunch supporter and ally for, not only the Midwestern District, but the entire professional organization. I have had the pleasure to work with Ken at a previous employer, and he is passionate about traffic engineering and transportation. He cares! He would be a great ambassador for our organization. I encorage you to vote for Ken when the ballots are sent out in a few weeks! Remember, Ken's winning would allow him to follow Earl and keep our district involved in the upper leadership of ITE for several more years.

Also, later this summer, you will receive a ballot for 2008 Midwestern District Secretary/Treasurer. This year's rotation of candidates is from the North Central Section, and includes John Crawford from URS Corporation, and Mike Spack from Traffic Data, Incorporated. Both candidates are equally strong, and have devoted years of experience and dedication to NCITE, the District and to ITE in general. Watch for the ballots and candidate background information when it comes in the mail. Be sure to vote!

See you in St. Louis! -- Next week is the Midwestern District Meeting in St. Louis. It promises to be a great time! I have not been down by the Arch in nearly twenty years, so I look forward to my return. Kudos to the Shawn Leight and the Local Arrangements Committee, who appear to be ready for our descent onto the city. Be sure to contact Lee Cannon (lcannon@CBBTraffic.com) if you have items to donate to their auction to benefit the student scholarship funds of the various sections. What a great idea! See you there!

2007-05-08T13:18:00.000-05:00

National Transportation Week...
Next week marks the observance of the annual National Transportation Week. This year is the seventy-fifth observance of this event. To celebrate, please encourage your sections and chapters to recognize this week with events to raise the awareness of transportation in our world.

There is a National Transportation Week website (http://www.ntweek.org/). Check it out. Print out the poster from the website, and post it at your place of work.

Also, please consider proclaiming the observance of National Transportation Week (see ITE's sample proclamation). Post your proclamation on your section's website, or read it at an upcoming section or chapter meeting. If you are involved in public agencies, consider having your elected board issue a similar proclamation commemorating the week.

Our livelihoods are based on transportation. Let's celebrate, but also look for ways to increase mobility, safety, and funding for transportation initiatives into the future.

2007-05-08T12:32:00.000-05:00

Midwestern Weather Disasters...

Our thoughts and prayers are with all those victims, rescuers and caregivers who are working in the weather-ravaged areas in the Midwest. We also recognize the valiant efforts of Midwestern public works personnel in who are dealing with the ravages of nature through tornadoes, storms, and now floodwaters.

Pictures of the destruction in Greensburg, Kansas, was unbelieveable. Fortunately, the early warning systems prevented further loss of life.

Storms with heavy rain and high winds also deluged other areas of Kansas, as well as Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Iowa and Arkansas. The Missouri River and its tributaries are flooding their banks and impacting the levee systems. Roads are flooded and bridges are out. We hope and pray the municpal, county, state and federal officials are able to deal with the conditions quickly and effectively.

(Photos from the Kansas City Star, the Wichita Eagle, and the Salina Journal.)

2007-04-25T10:53:00.000-05:00

And Now, A Word From Our Sponsor...

In the last two weeks, Edwards and Kelcey, Inc., merged with the Jacobs Engineering Group.

The Minneapolis office will be know as "JACOBS Edwards and Kelcey." Other offices will be known by other names. For instance, the Chicago office will keep the name "Edwards and Kelcey", while other offices will change to "Jacobs Engineering Group".

2007-04-25T08:50:00.000-05:00

Certification News...

From the ITE Executive Digest (April 23, 2007):

The Transportation Professional Certification Board™ (TPCB) is pleased to announce that nearly 2,000 transportation professionals have received Professional Traffic Operations Engineer™ (PTOE) certifications. TPCB offers PTOE certification, as well as Professional Transportation Planner™ (PTP), Traffic Operations Practitioner Specialist (TOPS) and Traffic Signal Operations Specialist™ (TSOS).

The TPCB is seeking cities to hold the PTOE, PTP, TOPS and TSOS exams on Saturday, October 20, 2007. For a location to be considered there needs to be an expression of interest for 20 or more persons who would like to sit for any one of the above listed certification exams. If a city is chosen, all arrangements for the test site and the proctors are made by the TPCB’s testing consultant. For more information, contact TPCB at +1 202-289-0222 or via e-mail at certification@ite.org

(NOTE: NCITE has submitted a request to host the exams in the Twin Cities in October.)

2007-04-25T08:21:00.000-05:00

NCITE Section Meeting...

I deliverd an ITE update to the NCITE April Seciton Meeting last week. I provided an update about ITE professional development activities as well as to provide members with informatin on the upcoming Midwestern District Meeting in St. Louis and the ITE Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh.

2007-04-12T13:18:00.000-05:00

San Diego Debriefing...

After two weeks of catching up at work, I can finally file my report on my trip to the San Diego Technical Conference and Exhibit.

Between March 23 and March 28, 2007, I traveled to San Diego, CA, to attend the Institute of Transportation Engineers’ Technical Conference and Exhibit at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina. I arrived on Friday, March 23, in order to attend the ITE International Board of Direction Meeting held in conjunction with the conference. The Board Meeting lasted Friday and Saturday.

The Board Meeting involved a lot of discussion on ITE public relations, as well as membership recruitment, retention, and reinstatement. Additional funds were authorized for staff to promote these efforts. There was addiitonal discussion of ITE staffing changes and succession planning. The ITE website was addressed regarding the level of information that should be provided. The Transportation Professional Certification Board was discussed regarding the potential for additional certification activities. The Board approived two new Honorary Members of ITE -- Brian Bochner of Texas, and Andy O'Brien from Australia. Both will be formally recognized at the Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh.

The theme of the Technical Conference was Congestion. The conference began with a keynote address from Tyler Duvall, Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy from the USDOT in Washington, DC. Mr. Duvall spoke about the need for a strategic focus on congestion rather than mobility. He also stated that there needs to be a major federal role to stimulate transportation initiatives at the metropolitan level. He ended with the view that we are on the cusp of seeing an alignment of special interest groups working toward congestion management. He also highlighted the website, http://www.fightgridlocknow.gov/.

Another speaker, Tim Lomax, from the Texas Transportation Institute, stated that congestion reliability is important in measuring congestion. Drivers will accept a certain level of congestion delay as long as they can plan for it. Drivers have less tolerance for unexpected delay. Both early and late arrivals have costs. Forty percent of all congestion is created by bottlenecks, while other congestion is created by weather, special events, etc.

Other speakers included Ted Trepanier of the Washington DOT, who discussed several performance measures his state uses to measure congestion – duration, extent, severity, reliability, travel time, delay, volume, etc. Other topics covered included signal timing strategies, multimodal congestion mitigation, land use strategies, etc.

2007-04-06T12:11:00.000-05:00

Minnesota Supreme Court Nixes PhotoCop...

Minneapolis can't use cameras to bust red-light runners, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled Thursday, but city officials vowed to continue pressing lawmakers to legalize the PhotoCop system.
The court concluded the system violates state law because it targets vehicle owners, whether or not they were behind the wheel when cameras captured their vehicles blowing through red lights.

http://www.twincities.com/portlet/article/html/fragments/print_article.jsp?articleId=5605113&siteId=569

2007-04-04T12:48:00.000-05:00

UPS Drivers Turn Right for Efficiency...

UPS plots its delivery routes to make as many right turns as possible. In a world where half the driving choices are left turns, they avoid turning left... UPS managers used to get out and drive the routes, plotting on maps how they could be efficiently driven turning mostly right. Now they have a combination of not just experience, but computers, codes and programming that allows them to plot out right-turn routes in minutes.

http://www.abcnews.go.com/WNT/print?id=3005890

2007-03-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

Countdown to San Diego...

This Friday, I fly out to San Diego to attend the ITE Technical Conference. I will also be attending my first ITE Board of Direction Meeting as a full District Director. Among the items on the agenda include:

1. MEGA Issue -- Public Inforamtion, Public Relations, Public Image/Information/Relations Development and Resources

2. Membership Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation Task Force Report

3. National Unified Goal for Traffic Incident Management

2007-03-14T14:33:00.000-05:00

Certification Update...
Today, Tom Brahms updated the International Board on the status of the upcoming certification exams:

"At six sites on March 24, 2007 we will have 178 persons sitting for one of the four exams this surpasses the prior record date of October 2001 when 174 sat for the PTOE exam. For the first offering of the Professional Transportation Planner certification exam we have 76.

"A concerted effort will be made between now and the October 2007 multi-site TPCB PTOE/PTP/TSOS/ TOPS Exams to increase the number of applicants for all TPCB certifications but especially of TSOS and TOPS.

"From my perspective 2007 will be a successful year if we end it as follows:
Certificate Program_____ #Applicants 2007 _____End of Year # certificants
______PTOE________________ 300 __________________2,000
_______PTP________________ 250____________________ 175
______TSOS ________________ 200 ___________________ 150
______TOPS ________________130 ____________________100

"To reach these numbers I need your help. Talk up these opportunities. Talk up the training that is available for PTOE, TSOS and TOPS. Encourage the ITE sections to hold sessions around the refresher courses (many did so with the PTOE refresher courses and were able to provide a useful member service). For each of these programs the refresher course has a MS PowerPoint slide set with instructor notes (available from ITE Headquarters for $25.) and an accompanying reference (available for purchase from ITE Headquarters with discounts available for quantity purchases). ITE through the ITE Educational Foundation has scheduled these refresher courses as web seminars. Further we have recorded the audio and visuals for the refresher courses and they may be used on a self instructional basis. These will be available within the next two weeks. There will be a single disk for each certification program and they will be priced at $125 for each program. The user may go through the refresher courses at their own pace and repeat sections as necessary. We also have a practice exam available on line for a nominal fee of $10.

"A brochure will be produced in April to promote this material as well as the four certification programs.

"We have come a long way since January 1999 (the first offering of the PTOE exam) and we can and will make similar progress on all of the certification programs.

"On Friday, April 20, 2007 immediately following a two day TPCB Strategic Advance in Annapolis, MD there will be a workshop to define the audience, subject domains and the format of a transportation safety certification program. These are exciting times workings of the TPCB.

"Special thanks goes to Brian Bochner and Steve Gayle for the considerable effort that they contributed to getting questions prepared and reviewed, for their active participation in the exam assembly and subsequent reviews prior to the launching of the Professional Transportation Planner exam. Their efforts have made it possible for the 76 persons to take the PTP exam on March 24th. And by the way the 76 compares with 104 that sat for the PTOE exam in January 1999. This bodes well for the future of the PTP certification."

-- 03/14/07 e-mail from Thomas W. Brahms, Executive Director and CEO, Institute of Transportation Engineers, Transportation Professionals Certification Board

2007-03-09T08:44:00.000-06:00

Midwestern District Director Report...

Yesterday, I filed my March District Director Report to ITE HQ. Below is text from that report. Thanks to the Section and District Presidents who all contributed to this report.

Institute of Transportation Engineers
International Director Report

International Director: Stephen J. Manhart, P.E., PTOE
Date Submitted: March 8, 2007
District: Midwestern District

I. Issues or topics discussed at chapter, section and district board meetings that may need to have ITE Board and/or staff discussion/action (please list for each issue/topic—the chapter, section or district person to contact for further information):

a. Issues with Membership Database -- The North Central Section continues to have problems with maintaining their own database (for email lists) and not getting timely updates from ITE on new member/member contact info changes. This is the lifeblood of our organization and should be the top priority of ITE. (Contact Marcus Culver, NCITE President.)

b. Web Pages -- Will ITE ever host section/district web pages? Would ITE ever consider having a staff of 2 to 3 people to maintain these web pages? It is a tough call, but we find it is becoming more and more difficult to find volunteers to keep our website up to date. Having a paid professional would help but also introduce issues with how to share those 2-3 people across all the Districts and Sections. (Contact Marcus Culver, NCITE President.)

c. District Dues -- There was a question a while back from someone about whether one could only pay local and national dues without paying district dues. According to Earl Newman, technically, one could opt out of paying District dues, but that isn't really advertised. Not that it is a common request, but it raised the issue of whether there is a need for the District to inform members more clearly on the services provided on the District level. (Contact Peter Lemmon, Illinois Section President.)

d. Section Restructuring -- The MOVITE Board is currently evaluating their Board make-up and representation. Any changes could be taken to a vote this year if a restructuring gets that far. The Section President would be the contact person who can elaborate as needed. (Contact Doug Ripley, MOVITE President.)

II. “New” topics and papers that you feel the other Board members and ITE Staff should be aware of that were presented at one of the chapter, section or district:

a. Real Time Traffic Database -- The winning paper for the Wisconsin Section’s Martin Bruening Award described Wisconsin DOT’s new database system, WISTRANSPORTAL, which will link all of the state’s real time traffic data and archival data such as accident reports into a central location for data analysis. This system will ultimately feed the State’s new “511” initiative and will assist designers in identifying high crash locations. These are just two of the possibilities derived from the new system which is still under development. For more information, contact Steven Parker, UW-Madison, Traffic Operations Lab, author, 608-265-4921

b. Modern Roundabouts – As with other areas of the country, modern roundabouts are becoming quite “fashionable” in the Midwest. Nevertheless, operational analysis of them remains a subject of much debate. For example, RODEL is becoming the accepted norm for roundabout analysis in Minnesota, while some agencies are admitting RODEL’s limitations and are considering other analysis tools. Some members are looking to ITE to provide leadership and direction in settling this operational analysis issue. NCITE’s Intersection Traffic Control Committee is looking at which analysis methods may be best for the Minnesota condition.

III. Student Chapter or student-related innovative activities and/or products that the ITE Board and/or staff should be aware of:

a. Professional Ethics at the Student Level – MOVITE will be discussing the topic of professional ethics as part of student activities this summer. (Get to ’em while their young!)

b. “Job-Shadowing” -- Last fall, after the Illinois Section’s monthly luncheon held at Illinois Institute of Technology and following a job fair, section members tried a "job shadow" program where students could go back to the office with participating firms for the a few hours in that afternoon to get a sense of the office environment, talk about different aspects of our jobs, answer questions, and hopefully get a feel for what we actually do at work. They are hoping to expand on this program this fall. Have other Sections tried something like this and if so, how was their experience?

c. ITSO -- NCITE’s student chapter at the University of Minnesota is called ITSO, Interdisciplinary Transportation Student Organization, and is actually a compilation of ITS MN, WTS and NCITE. The advantage of this, while it may appear that ITE is not strongly emphasized, is that you get a broader exposure to students you might not otherwise reach. NCITE has joint meetings and offers scholarships opportunities to OTSO, as well as mentoring programs. This group has surprisingly increased student membership and activity in our organization.

d. Students at TRB -- Both UW-Milwaukee and Madison sent student delegations to the TRB Annual Meeting. UW Milwaukee has sent a group every year since 1998 through innovative fund raising and Section support. (Contact Professor Alan Horowitz, Chair of Civil Engineering, UWM, 414-229-6685, for more information.)

IV. Unique programs or projects of the chapter, section or district:

a. Research Grant -- The North Central Section is looking at offering a small transportation research grant for a member or group in their section to further some already in-place project. The recipient would be required to write an article in their newsletter, perhaps give a section meeting presentation on the topic and submit an article to the ITE Journal and even perhaps present an International Meeting presentation. NCITE hopes to spur some good research and communication with this grant. This is in response to the lack of quality articles and reports being submitted for the newsletter, which is a result of members being so busy.

b. Green Bay Chapter – The Wisconsin Section is exploring the possibility of starting a regional chapter in the Green Bay (Fox Valley) area.

VI. General Comments / Other Significant Issues to bring to the attention of the Board and HQ Staff:

a. St. Louis Meeting -- MOVITE is hosting a joint Section and Midwestern District Meeting in St. Louis, MO, on June 13-15, 2007.

b. Billing of Non-International, Section Affiliate Members -- Can this be done at the International Level to use their billing resources? (Please contact Katie Belmore, WI Section Treasurer 414-225-3729)

c. E-Balloting -- Can Section elections be done under the same system that international uses for e-balloting under an ITE wide contract? (Contact Dan McCormick, WI Section Secretary 608-266-4761)

d. Midwestern ITE Blog – Since January, I have maintained a blog of ITE District and Section activities, news, and information of interest. My weblog address is:
www.midwestern-ite.blogspot.com

2007-03-02T08:27:00.000-06:00

March in Minnesota... March roared in like a lion when the second massive snow storm in less than a week dumped more than a foot of snow throughout the upper Midwest. In the Twin Cities yesterday, the snow storm was anticipated, and Mn/DOT crews (top picture) did a great job in clearing the roads so that the p.m. peak drive was not gridlocked. In Duluth (lower picture), snowfall was combined with high winds coming off of Lake Superior, causing white-out conditions and stalling traffic in its tracks.

This weather was part of a larger severe storm that hit the Midwest and ares to the south yesterday. Severe thunderstorms and hail were reported in the Kansas City area, thunder-snow and ice were reported in Iowa, and tornadoes were reported throughout the South.

2007-02-27T10:14:00.000-06:00

Early Daylight Savings and Traffic Signals...
Rick Zygowicz of the Wisconsin Section posted this timely warning (pun intended!) as part of ITE Wisconon News and Events:

The results of a brief survey have shown that only a small percentage of agencies that operate and maintain traffic signals have taken action to prepare traffic signals for the changes to Daylight Savings Time (DST) that take effect this year.

The 2005 Energy Policy Act has extended DST by one month. Previously DST took effect for most of the United States at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday of April and reverted to standard time at 2 a.m. on the last Sunday of October. Beginning this year DST begins for most of the United States at 2 a.m. on the second Sunday in March (March 11th) and reverts back to standard time at 2 a.m. on the First Sunday of November (November 4th).

If no action is taken traffic signal controllers may have incorrect time settings from March 11th - April 1st and October 28th - November 4th; resulting in Time of Day signal timing plans being offset by one hour on the dates indicated. Peak hour timing plans offset by one hour could potentially increase traffic delays at signalized intersections. It is recommended that this information be passed along to state and local agencies involved in the operation or maintenance of traffic signals to encourage appropriate action to be taken.

Agencies should be advised to check their system documentation to determine how these changes will effect the operation of their system(s). One or more of the following actions may be necessary:

> Controllers with programmable DST settings -- Update the settings to reflect the new implementation dates prior to March 11th. Verify that the changes take effect and monitor the operation of the system particularly on the dates of March 11, April 1, October 28 and November 4, 2007.

> Controllers without programmable DST settings connected to a central system or external time source -- Contact controller manufacturer for availability of firmware or software update; install update prior to March 11th. If firmware or software update is not available; disable DLS feature on controller and implement time update from central system or external time source. If DST feature cannot be disabled; implement time update from central on March 11th and verify time settings on April 1st, October 28th and November 4th.

> Controllers without programmable DST settings not connected to a central system or external time source -- Contact controller manufacturer for availability of firmware or software update; install update prior to March 11th. If firmware or software update is not available; disable DST feature on controller and implement time update manually on March 11th. If DLST feature cannot be disabled; implement time update manually on March 11th and again on April 1st, October 28th and November 4th.

For more information on this subject or this survey, please contact:
Eddie Curtis, P.E.
FHWA Resource Center
61 Forsyth St SW Suite 17T26
Atlanta, GA 30303
(404) 562-3920
http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/arterial_mgmt/index.htm

2007-02-23T09:27:00.000-06:00

An Open Letter to District and Section Leadership--

TO: Midwestern District Board, Illinois Section Board, MOVITE Section Board, NCITE Section Board, Wisconsin Section Board

FROM: Steve Manhart, P.E., PTOE, Midwestern District Director

RE: Transportation Certification Update

DATE: February 23, 2007

Just a few years ago, transportation professionals questioned the worth of any additional certification beyond the professional engineer license or AICP certification. Now, the Professional Traffic Operation Engineer (PTOE) certification has become an accepted and respected recognition of qualifications.

To date, total applications for the PTOE certification since the beginning of the program have surpassed 2,125 and there are more than 1,700 certified PTOEs worldwide. In the Midwestern District alone, we have 275 PTOEs.

Certification opportunities are on the rise. The PTOE, Traffic Operations Practitioner Specialist (TOPS) and Traffic Signal Operations Specialist (TSOS) certification exams are set to be offered on March 24, 2007. On that date, the Transportation Professional Certification Board (TPCB) will also be offering a new certification exam – the Professional Transportation Planner (PTP) certification exam.

Certification requirements, fees and exam schedule are posted on the updated TPCB website, http://www.tpcb.org/ . You will also find the listing of the seven March 24 exam locations, which includes one in the Midwestern District (Chicago), one close by (Dallas), and one at the ITE Technical Conference in San Diego. Please note that the application deadline has been extended to March 9, 2007, for these exams.

Preparation assistance for these exams is available on the TPCB website. There are online practice exams for all four certification programs and they are hosted on ITE’s learning.com website. The cost of the practice exams has been lowered to $10 per exam. Copies of the TSOS and TOPS Refresher course reference and the PowerPoint slide set with instructor notes are available for purchase. Soon, complete recordings of the PTOE/TOPS/TSOS web refresher courses and will be offered for self-study.

I encourage you to talk up these certification programs. Consider setting the example for your section. Encourage peers and subordinates to apply to take one or more of the exams. Remind everyone there is still time to sign up for the March 24 exams at any of the seven locations. The TPCB has pledged to expedite applications as they come in.

Together, we can post a record number of people sitting on one day taking the TPCB certification exams. Help us meet the goal to have more than 50 sit for the new Professional Transportation Planner exam.

Thanks!

2007-02-21T13:48:00.000-06:00

TPCB News...
The Transportation Professional Certification Board Inc. (TPCB) announced that the first Professional Transportation Planner (PTP) examination will be held in six cities on March 24, 2007. Applications for the PTP certification exam on Saturday, March 24th must be received by Friday, March 9th. Additional information including an application, a detailed list of the subject domains and sub-domains, the number of questions on the test, a practice exam and future exam dates and locations is on the TPCB Web site at http://www.tpcb.org/.

Also, The TPCB is looking for participants in strategic planning for the proposed Transportation Safety certification. Are you interested, or do you know of someone you could recommend? It would require travel to Annapolis, MD. Please get back to me with any recommendations. I would request your response by March 1. I will then pass the names on to ITE HQ, and they will ultimately assign who will attend.

2007-02-19T09:32:00.000-06:00

Plans to Improve Access to O'Hare...

Chicago is pushing a new plan aimed at improving roadway access to O'Hare International Airport, where driving to and from the terminals is like going through the world's busiest cul-de-sac.The ambitious initiative includes widening the main airport road, Interstate Highway 190, and building a new Mannheim Road over I-190, complete with a flyover ramp feeding traffic to the Tri-State Tollway (Interstate Highway 294).

In addition, the airport transit system, or People Mover trains, would be modernized. Twenty-four new People Mover cars would be added to the current 15-car fleet to meet future shuttle demand between the airline terminals and remote parking areas, city aviation officials said. Of the current 15 cars, 12 are in active use with three held in reserve.

http://http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-0702190188feb19,1,583994.column?coll=chi-news-col

2007-02-19T09:04:00.000-06:00

Commuter Rail Gets Support from Outstate Minnesota Mayor...

Saint Cloud, MN, Mayor David Kleis and other supporters are lobbying for support from his city and other surrounding communities to be connected to the Northstar Commuter Rail Project. The Northstar Corridor from the St. Cloud area to downtown Minneapolis is one of the fastest growing transportation corridors in the state.

Commuters from the St. Cloud area who are traveling on either I-94, I-494 or Highway 10 to or from the Twin Cities can spend hours stuck in traffic during their rush hour commute.St. Cloud, with the support of legislation and the surrounding communities, could have an opportunity for its commuters to avoid the headache of rush hour traffic.

http://media.www.universitychronicle.com/media/storage/paper231/news/2007/02/19/News/Snarled.Traffic.Leads.Kleis.To.Push.For.Commuter.Rails-2728215.shtml

2007-02-16T09:15:00.000-06:00

Saint Paul Looks for Light-Rail to Spur Development...

It's a seven-mile extreme makeover that many hope will spark a citywide renaissance.

After months of brainstorming, two task forces issued a block-by-block blueprint Thursday for development along a proposed $1 billion light-rail train line between St. Paul and Minneapolis. The master plan envisions a downtown high-rise transit hub, a Capitol-area "urban village" and more stores in the Midway.

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/16709521.htm

2007-02-16T08:48:00.000-06:00

US Transportation Secretary Visits Missouri...

Mary Peters, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation says the future of Missouri transportation is at the crux of the future of transportation nationwide. Peters also highlighted her plan to reduce congestion on the nation's busiest highways and interstates and included Missouri in her Corridors of the Future Program. She listed the I-70 corridor from Missouri to Ohio as one of the 14 stretches of highways and interstates her program will target.

In addition, Peters stressed the importance of finding a working solution to the controversy over the Mississippi River Bridge. She says the Missouri Transportation Department and the Illinois Transportation Department must work together because individual state revenues just won't cut it. Missouri has been pushing for a toll bride. Illinois has rejected that idea. But, Peters says a toll bridge is a viable solution.

http://www.missourinet.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=C81D2465-079C-11A4-AC6919EFE95AEEEB

2007-02-16T08:36:00.000-06:00

Iowa Transporation Commission says Road Use Tax will fall short...

The Iowa Transportation Commission Tuesday endorsed the study that shows the road use tax fund will fall nearly 28 million dollars short in the next 20 years. The report has already gone to the legislature and Department of Transportation Director Nancy Richardson says this action helps in the argument for more road money.

http://www.radioiowa.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=C0C276EC-94F4-EBDC-FA1A585B5A5B0C33

2007-02-16T08:16:00.000-06:00

St. Louis Salting, Signal, and Striping Questions...
A St. Louis Post-Dispatch traffic reporter answers readers' questions regarding ice control, flashing left-turn arrows, and double-white pavement markings... http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/columnists.nsf/alongfortheride/story/FA563AAEBFDB7A69862572800007706B?OpenDocument

2007-02-13T16:18:00.000-06:00

Candidates Announced for District Secretary/Treasurer...

At today's NCITE Section Meeting, President Marcus Culver announced that the nominees have been selected for this year's election for 2008 District Secretary/Treasurer position. John Crawford of URS Coporation and Mike Spack of TDI have been nominated for the District post. Elections will be held later this year. The successful candidate will serve a four-year progression through the District offices from Secretary/Treasurer, to Vice President, President and Past President. Good luck to each of the candidates!

2007-02-12T09:52:00.000-06:00

Tax Questions...
Marcus Culver, NCITE President, had questions regarding tax implications for his section. According to the "ITE Elected Leadership Manual", the section should probably be filing a return since their annual receipts are over $25,000.

However, in a phone call to Peter Frentz at ITE HQ, it was learned that as long as the section's revenue stays below $50,000, the section does NOT need to file taxes. Once the section gets over that $50K threshold, they need to go through a fairly lengthy process to establish tax exempt status (which ITE’s lawyers help with), and then they will have to file from that point forward. For more information, please contact Peter Frentz at ITE Headquarters.

2007-02-12T09:21:00.000-06:00

PhotoCop, the Sequel...

This week, the City of Minnepaolis will be asking the Minnesota State Legislature to reconsider a state law to allow it to resume PhotoCop, which trained cameras on 12 intersections to catch drivers running red lights. We'll be following the developments of this debate.

2007-02-09T09:38:00.000-06:00

McTrans HCS Survey...

McTrans is asking users of simulation models to participate in an online survey... "Recognizing that traffic analysts often use simulation and other models in conjunction with, or instead of, the HCM procedures, the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) has initiated a project to enhance the guidance in Part V of the HCM for selection and use of alternative traffic analysis tools. This project is being carried out by the University of Florida and T-Concepts Corp.

"One of the key tasks involves a survey of current practice. We invite all users of traffic analysis tools to participate in this survey. Your response will help to guide the research team in the development of guidelines that will be useful to you as a transportation professional.

"The survey document is posted at http://trc.ce.ufl.edu/research/nchrp385/survey.htm. The survey is brief and can be completed in about ten minutes. If you agree that better guidance is needed on the use of alternative tools for traffic analysis, we hope you will take advantage of this opportunity to give the project team your thoughts."

2007-02-07T09:26:00.000-06:00

ITE District 1 Considering Name Change...
Much like our Midwestern District in the last couple of years, ITE District 1 is considering a name change. District Director Kim Hazarvartian says the District Executive Board is talking about changing its name from District 1 to Northeastern District. The District incorporates the New York Upstate Section, The Meotrpolitan Section of New York and New Jersey, and the New England Section. Their executive board questioned whether they needed to have a vote of their membership to approve the name change.

This is the latest in the trend of districts rebranding themselves by their geographic area. One look at the ITE website under "ITE Chapters" shows a map that identifies each of the 10 districts by their new geographic monikers. Check it out at http://www.ite.org/emodules/scriptcontent/chapterdirectory/main.cfm

2007-02-05T17:28:00.000-06:00

NCITE Section Meeting Announced...

Please join NCITE for breakfast on Tuesday, February 13th and learn more about the status of several of our high priority transit corridors. A panel of four speakers – Rich Rovang, Metropolitan Council (Central Corridor), Katie Walker, Hennepin County (Southwest Corridor), Mike Schadauer, Mn/DOT (Northstar Corridor) and Dan Krom, Dakota County (Cedar Avenue) – will each be giving a presentation on their respective corridors.
Follow the attached link for information on the February NCITE Section Meeting.
Please RSVP (email preferred) by noon Thursday, February 8.

http://www.nc-ite.org/announcements/NCITE-Feb-13-2007.pdf

2007-02-05T17:02:00.000-06:00

Illinois Considering Roundabouts...

Roundabouts Debated for Kane County (IL) Traffic Safety... http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/news/241369,2_1_AU03_ROUNDABOUT_S1.article