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Denver Area Drivers Can Expect a Mountain of New Traffic Information from SpeedInfo Sensors Installed on Key Routes


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SAN JOSE, Calif.--Skiers heading for the mountains, students on their way to CU Boulder and other Denver-area drivers are about to get a new information fix. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is expanding information available about traffic flow on key interstates and other highways through the deployment of 75 SpeedInfo solar-powered, Doppler radar sensors throughout the Denver metropolitan area.

CDOT has installed these sensors along I-25, I-70, I-76, I-225, I-270 and US-36. The sensors provide information on traffic flow in both directions and feed this information wirelessly to CDOT’s traveler information Website, www.cotrip.org. CDOT also uses this Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) technology to improve safety and provide better traffic information around construction zones as well as to empower drivers with near real-time information that helps reduce congestion on key routes around Denver.

“The CDOT team is very satisfied with the accuracy and reliability of the SpeedInfo traffic flow data. We are especially pleased with how easy the equipment was to deploy and integrate into the Colorado Transportation Management System (CTMS) software,” said Ali Imansepahi, Resident Engineer – ITS Branch at CDOT. “Also, with data availability from the wireless sensor network guaranteed at 95 percent, we maintain high reliability with real-time accuracy. The system meets our needs for the type of quick decision making data necessary for accurate TMC response and traveler information systems.”

“As a rapidly growing metropolitan area and a crossroads for both north-south and east-west traffic, Denver faces several unique traffic challenges,” said Charlie Armiger, SpeedInfo’s Vice President of Program Development. “SpeedInfo sensors are being deployed as another valuable tool for CDOT to enhance information that will improve safety and mobility for area drivers, reduce congestion, improve traffic planning and contribute to improved construction zone safety. Our proven traffic data networks provide a highly cost- effective, easy-to-install and turn-key data solution that generates the most accurate traffic information updated every minute.”

How SpeedInfo’s Technology Works

SpeedInfo’s Doppler radar sensors are mounted on light or signage poles. Sensors are located approximately every mile and collect traffic speed information continuously. Sensors forward data to the SpeedInfo Traffic Data Server via the AT&T Wireless® data network with virtually no latency. SpeedInfo servers format the data for delivery to customers via the Internet. The data is available from SpeedInfo servers in a standard XML format, or if required, specialized formats. Unlike other solutions that are expensive, difficult to deploy, and provide inaccurate data, SpeedInfo’s sensors install easily on existing infrastructure. Highway crews can cover as many as 15 miles of highway a day with no lane closures or disruption to traffic.

About SpeedInfo

SpeedInfo is a leading innovator of real-time traffic data networks and has deployed more than 900 sensors on critical Interstate and arterial routes throughout the U.S. In addition to providing advanced traffic sensor technology, SpeedInfo server software and network expertise combine to create a commercial data infrastructure that eliminates existing problems with data latency, reliability and comprehensive coverage. In addition to state and local Departments of Transportation and Metro Planning Organizations, SpeedInfo customers include mass media organizations that provide traffic information that radio and television networks broadcast to consumers, traffic aggregation companies, and mobile application developers, such as content providers for automotive navigation systems. Founded in 2002, SpeedInfo is headquartered in San Jose, Calif. For more information, please visit www.speedinfo.com.

About the Colorado Department of Transportation

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is responsible for a 9,161 mile highway system, including 3,775 bridges. Each year, this system handles over 28.6 billion vehicle miles of travel. Although the Interstate system accounts for only about 10 percent (915 miles) of the total mileage on the state system, 40 percent of all travel takes place on Colorado Interstate highways.

CDOT maintenance forces take care of the highway system, plowing snow and repairing pavement. Last winter, these men and women plowed 7.1 million miles of highway. They also repaired road damage and potholes, using more than 270,947 tons of asphalt and 196,646 gallons of liquid asphalt in preservation activities.

For more information, please visit: http://www.dot.state.co.us/