TransTalk

PRESIDENTS MESSAGE


Welcome back
from what I hope
was a great
summer for
everyone! While
the MET Section
slows down a little
bit over the
summer months,
a lot has been
going on behind
the scenes. I figured I would take this
opportunity to highlight some of these
activities along with a look at some future
events coming your way this fall.
2
nd
Annual All Day Technical Conference - I
am happy to report that we were able to build
on the success of last years inaugural All Day
Technical Conference as we held our 2
nd

Conference on July 18
th
at the Skyline Hotel in
Manhattan. We had over 120 people in
attendance and were able to offer 7 PDHs
from a lineup of great speakers! I want to
specially thank our Technical Projects
Committee for another awesome event!
ITE International Annual Meeting I was able
to head up Boston to experience my first
Annual Meeting. I have to say that it was very
impressive to see such a large gathering of
traffic professionals from all across the
country. I participated in the Elected
In This Issue
October 2013, Volume 16, Issue 3
By Adam Allen, P.E., TSOS


1
!"#$%#&'( "# *+,' -
Presidents Message
3 Candidates for 2014 Met
Section Treasurer
5
From the Editor
7
We need to Throw Away our
Throwaway culture
11
CoVal Advanced Travel
Advisory System
10,15,16
Meeting Highlights
17
Section Calendar
18
Student Chapter Happenings
13
Conveying the Benefits of Transit Signal
Priority Through Animated and Static Media
19
Young Member Events


TransTalk
2
October 2013


Leadership Forum and was able to share
ideas and learn from ITE leadership from
around the country.
2014 Northeastern District Annual Meeting
A few weeks back, members of the Local
Arrangements Committee were able to meet
in Long Branch, NJ to put the finishing
touches on booking the venue for our 2014
Annual Meeting. For those of you whove
never attended a District Meeting, I urge you
to consider joining us at the Ocean Place
Resort in Long Branch, NJ on May 14 16 for
what is shaping up to be a great meeting full
of excellent technical presentations and
networking opportunities.
Emerging Professionals Conference I am
very excited to announce this new event
planned by our Mentorship Committee. It is
geared towards younger transportation
professionals and will focus on developing
their skills to advance their careers. We are
excited to have Carl Selinger, a Met Section
Lifetime Member, present on topics such as
decision-making, time management, effective
meeting preparation and leadership skills.
We have also assembled an impressive panel
including CEOs, Commissioners and senior
ITE Leadership, from both the public and
private sectors, to share their experiences in
a roundtable discussion.
Young Member Events The Young Member
Committee has already put together a lot of
exciting networking opportunities this year.
After a successful Six Flags trip, they have
numerous events planned for the fall. So stay
tuned for various Young Member Events
coming your way!
As you can see, we have a lot coming up as
we wind down 2013. I hope to see all of you
in Milleridge!

"#$%&'$()*% +$%%,-$. !"#$%#&'( /0"1 *+,' 2
!"#$%&'%
)$*+#,,&*'-.,
/*'+#$#'0#
resented by
I1L Met sect|on Mentorsh|p
Comm|ttee
12:00M-3:30M
1hursday Cctober 10
th
2013

Locat|on: NI1A Conference Area
108S kaymond 8|vd.,
17
th
I|oor (Cne Newark Center)
Newark, New Iersey 07102



re||m|nary Agenda:
12:00pm-1:00pm keg|strat|on& Network|ng
1:00pm-1:20pm We|come "I1L and ou! What
can I1L do for your career?"
1:30-3:30pm: Deve|op|ng Sk|||s for young
profess|ona|s by Car| Se||nger
Co-sponsored by
I1L oung Members Comm|ttee
I1S NI Lmerg|ng rofess|ona|s
3 Dn cred|ts (pend|ng)



3
TransTalk
October 2013
!"#$%#&'( "# *+,' 3
Keith Hall, LEED AP BD+C, STP!, is an Assistant Project Engineer with Maser
Consulting in Hamilton, NJ. As a product of the cooperative education program
at Northeastern University where he earned his Bachelors Degree, his
experience spans over 5 years, as an active team member and lead designer on
key projects and a developer of solutions for unique challenges. Serving both
private and public clients, Mr. Halls project portfolio includes adaptive traffic
signals, ITS, pedestrian accessibility, bicycle facilities, and design standards for
agencies such as the Port Authority of NY&NJ; positioning himself to be a
difference maker in the future. His experience extends internationally having
studied in the Netherlands and gaining invaluable knowledge through field investigations,
exercises, and daily life. Its no coincidence then that he has taken an active role in designing
transportation facilities to accommodate all modes, with a commitment to sustainability, in the
US.

Mr. Halls active ITE involvement dates back to his college years, serving as President for the
Northeastern University student chapter which under his leadership won student chapter of the
year for the District in 2012. In addition, he was presented with the 2011 ITE Northeastern
District Student Paper Award for his review of dilemma zone practices. Since then, ITE
endeavors above and beyond regularly attendance at Section meetings include:
! Presenting for the Met Section on the topic of Sustainable Transportation in the Fall of
2012;
! Co-chairing the Construction/Activation sub-committee for the ITE Sustainable Traffic
Signal Development IR;
! Serving as a volunteer reviewer for the USDOT/ ITSA/ ITE ITS ePrimer series; and
! Currently co-chairing the Met Section Mentorship Committee tasked with creating a
program geared toward providing insight, industry experience, and leadership to our
emerging professionals.
In addition to these ITE responsibilities, Keith is a volunteer firefighter serving his hometown
community for over 6 years and is also the chair of the Students in ITS committee for ITS-NJ.

As you can see, Keith is passionate about his career and ITE in particular. Its his firm belief that
the technical and networking opportunities that ITE provides plays a critical role in the success
of the industry, its individual members, and the public it serves. He will make it his mission to
further engage and expand the Sections student chapters and younger members, through
enhanced participation activities and mentorship opportunities. Aligning with his core
philosophy of community involvement and outreach, he will seek more opportunities to get the
section involved in giving back to our local communities that have given us so much. Moreover,
he will set forth an initiative to provide increased exposure to cutting-edge research and new
technologies as it relates to transportation, keeping our members at the forefront of our ever-
changing industry. Having served under similar capacities, he understands the dedication it
takes and is willing to devote the time necessary to serve in the position, fulfill all duties and
responsibilities, but most importantly be diligent and faithful to continue the great tradition that
is the ITE Met-Section of NY-NJ.

"#$%&%#'() *+, -./0 1(' 2(3'&+$ 4,(#)5,(,


TransTalk
4
October 2013
Tra Vu, Ph.D. is a Transportation Engineer with Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. in
New York. Her specialty is in simulation modeling, with focus in advanced
Intelligent Transportation Systems. She is extremely familiar with most major
modeling software including Aimsun, Vissim, and Synchro, using them
regularly in her work on major simulation design projects for NYCDOT, NJDOT
and the Port Authority.
Ms. Vus undergrad, graduate, and post-graduate schooling have all been at
Polytechnic Institute of New York University (NYU-Poly, formerly known as
Polytechnic University). She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering and
Master of Science degree in Financial Engineering in 2007. In 2009, she acquired her second
Master of Science degree in Transportation Planning and Engineering, and received her Doctorate
in Transportation Planning and Engineering in January of 2011.
During her years at the university, Ms. Vu conducted several transportation research projects in
the fields of Freeway Weaving Sections, and Transportation Finance. In the fall of 2011, after
finishing her Doctorate, she taught a Special Topics course in Transportation Simulation
Modeling as an adjunct professor at NYU-Poly.
Tra Vu has received a number of awards, including the following: Polytechnic University Cordella
E. Williams Memorial Award - 2005/2006; The Society of American Military Engineers (SAME), The
New York City Post Scholarship Fund 2005, 2006, and 2007; the Sharon D. Banks Scholarship
presented by WTS-GNY 2005 and 2009; and the 2009 Professor Louis J. Pignataro Memorial
Transportation Engineering Education Award presented by our ITE Met Section on March 18
2010.
Tra has been an active member of the ITE organization for over five years, and while pursuing her
post graduate studies, she revived the ITE student chapter at NYU-Poly which had been dormant
for more than two decades. As President of this chapter, she organized meetings and field trips,
and introduced her peers to the myriad of activities offered by ITE. Currently, Tra is the Chair of
the Long Island Arrangements Committee, responsible for organizing ITE meetings at Jericho
Terrace in March, and joint meetings with the ASCE Met Section at the Milleridge Inn in
September.
With a fresh perspective on student life and student chapters, one of Tras main objectives as a
member of the Met Section Executive Board would be to attract more student participation. Her
plan is to encourage educators, who are ITE members, to serve as channels for students to get
more exposure to ITE and to help them learn how the organization can aid them in advancement
Additional nominees for any office may be made by petition, signed by not less than twenty-five
voting members and representing at least three employment organizations. Each such petition
shall be accompanied by the written consent of the nominee to run for the office for which
nominated and must be received by the Secretary no later than September 30
th
.

"#$%&%#'() *+, -./0 1(' 2(3'&+$ 4,(#)5,(,



5
TransTalk
October 2013
Welcome back from what was, hopefully, a
wonderful summer.
There has been a lot of media coverage ads
and stories on radio and especially television
about this falls elections. Two of the most
widely covered have been the New York City
mayoral race and the New Jersey
gubernatorial race although there are
numerous other races throughout the region.
Michael Bloomberg has been mayor of the
city for three four-year terms. During most
of that time, his transportation commissioner
has been Janette Sadik-Khan. The
Bloomberg/Khan team has accomplished a
great deal in a really short time. There has
been a dramatic increase in bicycle lanes,
including the innovative placement of the
lanes between the curbs and the parked cars.
There is the bike share program which is a
public-private partnership with Citibank.
There is the Select Bus Service (SBS) which
the rest of the world calls Bus Rapid Transit
(BRT) in cooperation with the MTAs transit
agencies. There is the closing and narrowing
of roads available for motor vehicles and the
related proliferation of pedestrian plazas.
Perhaps the most visible has been the
conversion of much of Times Square as well
as Herald Square-Greeley Square to
pedestrian zones. It will be interesting to
see who will become the next mayor, who
his/her transportation commissioner will be,
and what policies will be advanced by the
new administration. As I attended the
From the Editor


By Mayer Horn, P.E., PTOE, PTP


!"#$%#&'( "# *+,' 4
mayoral candidates forum earlier this
summer at Baruch College and listened to
each of the candidates (at least, those who
showed up), I heard some strange and
destructive ideas, including an intention to
destroy what has been accomplished during
the Bloomberg/Sadik-Khan period.
Governor Chris Christie has Newark Mayor
Corey Booker as his opponent. Both men
have national recognition and are likely to be
thinking about the national election of 2016;
the policies that the successful candidate will
advance are likely to be viewed in the
context of the 2016 election. Will the two
Jims of transportation Jim Simpson as NJ
DOT Commissioner and Chairman of NJ
Transit, and Jim Weinstein as Executive
Director of NJ Transit continue in their
posts beyond 2013? Will there be policy
changes?
Despite the gridlock in Washington, work on
major projects in our region continues.
These include the Tappan Zee Bridge
replacement, MTA Long Island Rail Roads
East Side Access to Grand Central Terminal,
MTA New York City Transits Second Avenue
Subway and 7 Line Extension to the Javits
Center, and the widening of the New Jersey
Turnpike to Interchange 6 (and the related
connection in Pennsylvania of the connection
and I-95). Other major projects are the
extension of New Yorks Penn Station into
the Post Office Farley Building now known
as Moynihan Station and the proposed


TransTalk
6
October 2013
.#/0 )1$ 2'&)/#. !"#$%#&'( /0"1 *+,' 5
Gateway Project which would include two
single-track tunnels under the Hudson River
replacing the former proposal called
Access to the Regions Core ARC which
had been advanced by NJ Transit.
The Barclay Center has opened at the edge
of Downtown Brooklyn and the basketball
Nets now call it home. The hockey Islanders
are committed to join them when the
Nassau Coliseum lease terminates. That
Coliseum now has a developer to redevelop
this structure in Uniondale in central Nassau
County. Whereas the Barclay Center sits
atop numerous subway lines and a (still)
major LIRR terminal, the Coliseum is beyond
walking distance from any of the rail
stations; transit is not a major access mode.
At our ITE Met Section, the focus is on the
programs for the last half of 2013, the 2014
Northeastern District meeting which the
Met Section will be hosting next May, and
the candidates for 2014 Treasurer. The
bylaws require at least two candidates for
the treasurer position and the nominating
committee has selected Tra Vu and Keith
Hall as candidates. (Other candidates can
get on the ballot by petition, according to
the bylaws.) Keith is serving on the Met
Section Mentoring Committee and has
spoken at a Met Section meeting. Tra is
serving on the Local Arrangements
Committee for Long Island, will be greeting
attendees at the September meeting, and
has received the Pignataro Award from the
Met Section. We are fortunate that both are
good candidates, anxious to serve. Bios
and pictures of the candidates appear in
this issue.

Comments on this article and other
transportation matters are welcome.



7
TransTalk
October 2013
Democrats and Republicans agree that Americas
transportation infrastructure needs rebuilding
and upgrading, but cant agree on how to do
this, especially as to how to pay for it. This
agreement, and disagreement, was clearly
evident in the press reports of President
Obamas March 29 infrastructure remarks at the
Port of Miami. To supplement state and federal
programs, the President proposed a series of tax
breaks and loans to stimulate private investment.
Speaker John Boehner noted that Republicans
also want to upgrade American infrastructure,
but only if it could be paid for.
Funding sources are certainly critical
considerations, but shouldnt we also be
assuring that program costs are minimized,
consistent with environmental goals? This can be
achieved with multipurpose, innovative design,
including value engineering and, wherever
possible, making the best use of available
facilities and transportation rights-of-way (ROWs).
Available ROWs include inactive or lightly used
railroad lines. I refer to such ROWs as
transportation rights-of-way because that term
captures their potential for the 21
st
Century,
rather than for their role in the 19
th
Century or
the 20
th
Century.
Recycling is a big part of sustainability and we
need to apply that kind of thinking to
transportation planning. In transportation
planning, we should stop throwing away
perfectly usable transportation rights-of-way. Too
often, we build new rather than repurpose and
improve an existing channel, or we look to what
was rather than fully exploring what might be.
I will be focusing here on several transportation
programs related to NYC and Long Island that
did not or are not following these common sense
principles. In one case, this resulted in project
By Leon Goodman, P.E., PTOE


costs way over what they might have been.
Also, a current proposal for re-use of an
inactive ROW will not achieve its full
mobility/community-serving potential, unless
its possible transportation function is fully
considered. In another case, involving a lightly
used rail ROW, there could be a missed
opportunity for a major multimodal
transportation/economic development
initiative.
Here are some situation where there was a
throwaway or where, by using the full potential
of available rail rights-of-way, a throwaway can
be avoided now and into the future:
Air Train JFK (opened 2003)
This long-needed transit facility for JFK Airport
provides several functions: on-airport
circulation, connections to the subway and bus
systems, and connection to the Long Island
Rail Road (LIRR). The 4 mile long link to
Jamaica cost about $900 million. This very
high cost was due to the link being built as a
completely new viaduct over the Van Wyck
Expressway and, at a third level, over the
cross-street overpasses. Major funding for this
link came from the Federal Aviation
Administration. That agency ruled that there
could be no local stations between the airport
and Jamaica. Consequently, the local Queens
communities bore the visual impact of three-
level structures, but there were no transit
service benefits provided for those
communities.
During planning of this link, many
transportation planners, including me, urged
use of the path of the inactive LIRR Rockaway
Beach Branch. That line, parallel to the Van
Wyck Expressway, runs fro the northeast
corner of JFK to the LIRR at Rego Park. That
We Need to Throw Away our
Throwaway Culture

!"#$%#&'( "# *+,' 6


TransTalk
8
October 2013
ROW, already completely grade-separated,
provides a more direct route from Manhattan to
the airport as compared with the Van Wyck
route. Transfer to the LIRR could have been
provided at a new LIRR Rego Park station also
serving that community. The Rockaway Beach
Branch route, essentially requiring only
upgrading of the existing ROW, would have
required a much lower construction cost,
probably in the $200-$300 million range.
Inactive LIRR Rockaway Beach Branch (present)
In March of this year, The New York Times
reported on the QueensWay proposal, which
would convert the still inactive ROW of the LIRR
Rockaway Beach Branch to a pedestrian/bicycle
train. QueensWay advocates compare this idea
to the High Line in Manhattan, with food stands
along the way. But the Rockaway Beach Branch
ROW still has great transportation potential for
residents of the adjacent Queens communities.
It should not be used only for a linear park and
food stands. This irreplaceable, publicly-owned
land could also serve to reduce auto traffic and
increase mobility in the local communities. This
could be achieved by using this Queens ROW for
a modern, context-sensitive, grade separated
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service with connection
to area bus and rail lines, including Metropolitan
Ave., Atlantic Ave., other major crossroads, and
the Queens Blvd. subway. This type of quick,
reliable, environmentally friendly BRT system
has been in service for years in many cities,
including Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, and Miami.
At Atlantic Ave. in Woodhaven, the BRT station
could connect to a rehabilitated Woodhaen
Station on the LIRR Brooklyn line. In this way,
the Queens communities would gain the public
transportation service denied to them under the
Air Train JFK program.
Both sustainability elements parks and high-
quality transit could be achieved by the time-
shared use of a single way within this ROW:
transit during weekday peak periods and a
pedestrian/bicycle train at all other times. The
trail would therefore be available weekdays
(midday and late afternoon), Saturdays,
Sundays, and holidays (all day). When the way
was in use as a trail, BRT service would operate
along Woodhaven Blvd., with stops only at major
crossroads.
Sponsors of QueensWay should consider both
elements, using funding from parks and
transportation programs. Moving this very
achievable idea forward would give Queens
residents two quality-of-life improvements in
one program.
LIRR Bay Ridge Branch (The Gateway Project
Proposal)
The Bay Ridge Branch of the LIRR, traversing
central Brooklyn, could play a key role in
creating:
1) Major multi-modal regional mobility and
environmental improvements.
2) A new Brooklyn-Queens rapid transit service.
3) A significant economic boost for Brooklyn,
Queens, and Long Island.

These benefits could be achieved by creating
The Gateway Project, which would include
Brooklyn Waybuilt almost entirely within the
ROW of this lightly used freight rail line.
Gateway, a published proposal, is a multi-
modal transportation concept that would
directly address economic competitiveness and
sustainability...and is very doable. It would
address the cost-inefficiencies and
environmental negatives of the major Southern
missing link in the regional transportation
system. Gateway would have three elements:
Brooklyn Way, Staten Island Transit, and Liberty
Tunnel. Gateways central element, Brooklyn
Way, would be the first state with the tunnel
and/or Staten Island Transit added later.
Brooklyn Way would provide a modern,
electronically tolled, managed lanes roadway
fitting within the Bay Ridge Branch ROW, and
within existing highway ROWs in southern
Brooklyn and Queens, with virtually no
relocations needed. Where needed, below grade
sections could be decked over as part of its
context-sensitive designs. New double stack
clearance freight rail would be included,
replacing the existing outmoded, low clearance
tracks.
The Staten Island Transit element would allow
BRT services from Staten Islands northerly and
southerly communities to operate to JFK Airport,
via the Verrazano Bridge and Brooklyn Way.
The New York-New Jersey cross-harbor Liberty
Tunnel would include freight rail and
electronically tolled managed lanes.
7890"&,9:+; !&<$&0'= !"#$%#&'( /0"1 >+,' ?
!"#$%#&'( "# *+,' @



9
TransTalk
October 2013
Combined, the three elements would provide:
transit (BRT connections to many subway lines in
Brooklyn); sustainable highway modes (managed
lanes for HOVs, buses, and trucks, with
electronic toll collection) more energy-efficient
truck routing, and improved, double-stack
clearance freight line. Toll revenues, from
Liberty Tunnel and Brooklyn Way, could be a
base for public funding and/or public-private
partnerships.
In summary, Gateway would achieve the
following:
1. Divert truck trips from many overloaded
expressways and reduce VMT (Vehicle-Miles
Traveled) by creating a more direct route for
trips from the west destined to Southern
Brooklyn, Queens, and Long Island. A
significant number of these trips now travel
along circuitous, energy-wasting routes
involving the George Washington Bride, the
East River toll bridges, and connecting
overloaded expressways.
2. Divert truck trips from the Staten Island
Expressway.
3. Improve freight rail for NYC and Long Island.
4. Provide new transit connections for JFK
Airport and improve connections among the
airports and seaports.
Create new transit service between Staten Island
and other boroughs. For the first time, Staten
Island residents would have, quick reliable transit
access to the thousands of jobs at JFK Airport in
Queens.
Two of the transportation right-of-way
conversations discussed here involve new BRT on
former rail rights-of-way. Other American cities
have successfully done this and here are a few
examples:
1. Pittsburgh: the Martin Luther King, Jr. (East)
Busway, on part of a Conrail ROW.
2. Los Angeles: the Orange Line Busway, on the
former ROW of the Southern Pacific Railroad.
3. Miami: the South Miami-Dade Busway, on the
former ROW of the Florida East Coast
Railroad.

One of the rail right-of-way conversions, Brooklyn
Way, created toll managed lanes. Some of the
other area with tolled managed lanes are
Houston, Miami, Minneapolis, San Diego, and
Seattly.
For all of the inactive or lightly-used
transportation ROWs noted here, use by new rail
transit or by BRT services represents efficient,
forward-looking transportation development.
Lets get serious about not throwing away these
irreplaceable resources. These old arteries can
be utilized to inject new vitality ito the nations
economy, and to better our quality of life, by
improving urban mobility at relatively low cost
with minimal environmental impacts. Lets fully
realize the great opportunities for the future that
they offer.
Leon Goodman, a transportation professor at
Pratt Institute, is a Past International President
of the ITE, a Past Met Section President, a Past
Chair of the ITE Transit Council, and former
Manager of Transportation Planning for the Port
Authority of NY & NJ. He was the Project
Director for initiating several acclaimed
programs including the Exclusive Bus Lane at the
Lincoln Tunnel and One Way Tolls at twelve
Hudson River and Staten Island crossings.
!"#$%#&'( "# *+,' 2A
7890"&,9:+; !&<$&0'= !"#$%#&'( /0"1 >+,' 6


TransTalk
10
October 2013
Comments from the Editor:
For a number of years, Lee Goodman has
used Gateway to describe his proposal for the
Bay Ridge Division. More recently, Amtrak has
used Gateway to describe its proposal for
additional Hudson River tunnels into Penn
Station, NY. The two projects are not related.
Lee is correct in describing the Bay Ridge
Division as a lightly used freight line. At least
as recently as the 1960s, and perhaps later,
there were diesel locomotive-hauled LIRR
freight trains serving local sidings and 8 to 10
electric locomotive-hauled New Haven Railroad
freight trains of 130 140 cars on this line
daily. The freight service is currently operated
by the New York and Atlantic Railway which has
been growing its volume.
The Cross Harbor Freight Tunnel has long
been advocated by Gerald Nadler, both in the
New York State Assembly and then in the U.S.
House of Representatives. In the Congress, he
was able to secure $100 million for planning and
environmental studies. These were originally
conducted by the New York City Economic
Development Corporation and its consultants,
and then transferred to the Port Authority. The
Port Authority has been focused on improving
the car float operation across the harbor.
Rail transit service along the Bay Ridge
Division had long been advocated by the
Committee for Better Transit, among others. It
would connect with numerous subway lines in
Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. A similar
proposal has been made by one of the
candidates in the current mayoral campaign.
Recently, Regional Plan Association has also
proposed rail transit on this line. In addition,
Metro North has proposed to route some of its
New Haven Line trains via a portion of the Hell
Gate Line to Penn Station when the LIRR reduces
its service to Penn; this Metro North proposal
does not appear to conflict with the others.
Joint Meeting with
the Highway
Capacity and quality
of service committee

August 1
st
, 2013
Polytechnic Institute of NYU

On August 1
st
, 2013, TRB Highway
Capacity and Quality of Service
Committee hosted a joint meeting with
the MET section of ITE. The luncheon
featured short presentations by TRB
Committee members on current and
future activities, and by ITE met section
members, who discussed their experiences
and observations on the 2010 HCM.
Gregory Hass from NYCDOT and Robert Frazier from HDR Inc
presented Experiences with the 2010 Highway Capacity Manual
Dr. Lily Elefteriadou, Chair of the Committee, a Poly graduate and
now Professor of Civil Engineering of University of Florida,
presented Efforts Towards a 2015 Update to the HCM
7890"&,9:+; !&<$&0'= !"#$%#&'( /0"1 >+,' @



11
TransTalk
October 2013
CoVal Advanced Travel Advisory
System
By Richard Marsanico


89' /"<<":%#, +0$%B<' :+C >0"D%('( E; F%B9+0( G+0C+#%B" :9" B9+%0C $9' H#(&C$0; !"11%$$''I
Over the past several years, there has been an
increased interest in advising motorists of their
travel time to particular destinations. Most
notable is the INFORM System which installed a
project on the Northern State Parkway with
specifically designed Travel Time signs
disseminating information for destinations in
Nassau, Suffolk, and Queens. The input to the
system is E-ZPass tag reader information. The
data is transmitted to INFORM via a TRANSCOM
portal at which point it is aggregated into link
travel speeds by CoVal Systems Central software
called Foundation. The Foundation System
currently transmits the travel time information to
roadside signs on the Northern State Parkway and
to the large overhead Variable Message Signs on
the Southern State Parkway and the Belt Parkway.
This has been a real benefit for the motoring
public in terms of getting a stress-reducing
advanced warning of how long their trip would be.
This information also gives the motorist the
opportunity to make a decision to take an
alternate route. This is especially valuable at
decision points, e.g., between the Northern State
Parkway and the Long Island Expressway.
Recently, CoVal Systems Inc. has created a light-
weight, low-maintenance travel advisory system
(CATAS) for use by agencies wanting an easy-to-
implement, fully featured system for providing
up-to-date travel time information to travelers.
CATAS uses travel time link data provided by
TRANSCOM to its member agencies, but is also
equally capable of utilizing other sources such as
BlueTOAD, Sensys, or ATMS data. Recently, CATAS
played a key role in providing travel time
messages to the motoring public during the
construction on the Taconic Parkway Bridge. Four
PVMS (Portable VMS) were placed on highways
directly intersecting and immediately before the
Taconic State Parkway. CATAS was responsible
for disseminating travel time messages to the
public, informing them of the northbound and
southbound traffic conditions.
During the construction, CATAS proved to be an
invaluable tool to analyze and report the changing
traffic patterns and conditions on the Taconic State
Parkway.
CATAS Operation
The operation of a basic CATAS system is shown in
the figure below. The core system component is
the CATAS Server which provides a database
engine, connections to the VMS Modules, and
provides a user-interface to access the
configurations and reporting functionality of the
system. CATAS brings in link data from external
systems and collects it in one centralized place.
CATAS Components
CATAS has three components:
The Server is a java application responsible for the
functionality of the system. The CATAS requires
minimal configuration and operator interaction. It
has numerous roles, including retrieving data from
external sources (including link speed/travel
time data and weather information), generating
and disseminating travel time messages, and
creating reports based historical records. In
addition, it has maintenance interfaces to facilitate
installation and troubleshooting.
The Workstation is a custom java Web Start
application which communicates with the server in
order to provide a comprehensive event-driven user
interface.
The Web Interface provides remote access to the
CATAS file-system. The Web Interface also
!"#$%#&'( "# *+,' 2-


TransTalk
12
October 2013
provides the CATAS Current Message Report, which
shows the messages currently being displayed on
the signs entered into the system.
Key Processing Features
The following points present some of the most
important tasks performed by CATAS:
Speed, Travel Time, and Status data for
Links of Interest (LOIs).
Each minute, LOIs are summed to obtain
Trip travel times and statuses.
Each minute, a message is composed for
each attached VMS.
Message composition is versatile. This
display can be a simple, 2 character numeric
travel time to a fully composed, multi-page
message utilizing numerous variables such as
speed, travel time, and distance.
Message templates and operations are
schedulable by time of day, day of week, and day
of year.
Every enabled VMS receives a message
each minute. The message is uploaded to the
system to verify the correct message is
displayed. CATAS Events as well as every state
change for message composition and
communication quality are stored in Archive
files.
User Interface Highlights
CATAS provides a GUI for configuring and
monitoring the operation of the system.
The main window provides access to
database configuration, data monitoring, and
report generation.
Data lists are color-coded for immediate
visual recognition of faults.
A snapshot of any report or list can be
exported to HTML. Other output formats include
Excel, MS Access DB, Rich Text Format, PDF, and
graphical JPG.
Real-time updated map with server side
tile-based distribution system
For more information on CATAS, check out the
CoVal Systems website, www.covalsystems.net.
!"D+<. !"#$%#&'( /0"1 *+,' 22



13
TransTalk
October 2013
Conveying the Benefits of Transit Signal Priority
Through Animated and Static Media



By Tra Vu, Ph.D.


Aimsun

micro-simulation
modeling was utilized for
the design and analysis of
a new revolutionary
wireless transit signal
priority (TSP) system
recently deployed on the
M15 Bus Rapid Transit line
in Lower Manhattan, New
York City. The goal of the
deployment is to decrease
transit travel times without
causing significant adverse
impacts to other traffic.
To illustrate the benefits
of the recommended TSP
system on transit travel
times, we tracked and recorded the simulated
trajectory of an M15 bus with and without TSP.
The two animations are then tiled side by side for
comparison. As the TSP eligible bus crosses each
intersection, an on-screen message informs
viewers how the TSP system responded and how
much time the system has saved since the
beginning of the route. In the scenario captured,
the TSP-equipped bus was able to save over 4
minutes in travel time along a 2-mile stretch from
Allen Street & E. Houston Street to Water Street &
Whitehall Street; which amounts to a 13%
improvement in travel time.
Animated comparisons of these two moving
buses can easily engage the audience as it helps
viewers see just how much faster the TSP system
enables a bus to advance along the corridor.
Furthermore, viewers can quantify the benefits of
the TSP system for their specific needs based on
their origin and destination stops. So in most
cases, animated visual aids are preferable;
however, there are some instances where the use
of video animation is restricted. We are then
faced with the challenge to convey the same
effect the animated video provides to its viewers
but only with the media of a single static poster.
To achieve this goal, we took an aerial map of the
corridor and used it as the background of the
poster and highlighted the M15 bus route. We
then placed realistic 3-D model images of a TSP-
bus and non-TSP equipped bus at strategic
locations throughout the map. Special care was
taken to ensure that the perspectives of the
buses were aligned in accordance to the direction
of their travel. This also helped to create the
illusion of moving buses. A time line was then
drawn and the representative pairs of buses were
placed on the map to show how they traverse
each of the three main segments of the route.
Using indicators, along with text captioning, we
were able to portray the increased spacing
between the buses as the TSP-equipped bus pulls
ahead, and demonstrate the 13% improvement in
travel time performance.


TransTalk
14
October 2013



15
TransTalk
October 2013
Northeast
District Annual
Meeting

Amir Rizavi and Paul Eng-Wong presented
Transportation Alternatives for the Elderly
Ci Yang, student of Rutgers University, presented
her poster Analysis of taxi demand versus
subway accessibility in New York
May 22-24
Northhampton, MA

Leon Goodman presented The Staged Rail Trail
Conversion, Pedestrian/Bike and BRT
Michael Salatti presented Signal Recovery
Reimbursement after Hurricane Sandy
Mark Yedlin presented Construction Staging of
NJ-495


TransTalk
16
October 2013
Met section all day
technical Conference

July 18, 2013
Skyline Hotel




17
TransTalk
October 2013
Section Calendar
October 2013
S M T W T F S
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
27 28 29 30 31

December 2013
S M T W T F S
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31

November 2013
S M T W T F S
1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

October 10
th
Emerging
Professionals Conference,
Newark, NJ

October 16
th
Section Meeting
with career fair in the afternoon
and Student Traffic Bowl in the
evening at Authurs, Hoboken, NJ

November 1
st
Deadline for
TransTalk December issue

November 21
st
Section
Meeting at Riccardos, Queens,
NY





TransTalk
18
October 2013
Young Member
Event
Ten young members
went to a golf outing at
Pier 25 after work on
September 20
th
(Well,
mini golf). They enjoyed
the nice Friday
afternoon as well as
some ice cream.
Student Chapter Happenings
The student chapter of
NYU-Poly went on a
tour at George
Washington Bridge on
April 10
th
, 2013.



19
TransTalk
October 2013
Sponsorships
The ITE Met Section Publishes TransTalk
four times each year. Support by
sponsors is encouraged. Business card
ads have been available at $200 per year
for all issues. This price is remaining the
same for 2013. In addition, larger size
ads are available at the following rates
approved by the Executive Board:
Business Card ad - $200
Quarter Page ad - $400
Half Page ad - $700
Full Page ad - $1200

If your company or agency wants to
renew its ad, place a larger ad, revise its
ad, or place a new ad, please email the
editor and have a check sent to the 2013
Met Section Treasurer:

Mr. Amir Rizavi, P.E.
Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc
Two Penn Plaza, Suite 2602
New York, NY 10121
arizavi@vhb.com

If this is a revised or new ad, please email
the ad to the editor.

Note to Sponsors: Please check the
business card (or larger) ad in this issue.
If your office has moved, if the company
name has changed, if the business card is
for a person no longer associated with
your company, you might want to email
an updated ad to the editor.


TransTalk
20
October 2013




21
TransTalk
October 2013


TransTalk
22
October 2013

Your 2013 ITE Volunteers
Send comments and/or
articles to:
Mayer Horn, P.E., PTOE,
PTP Editor
Greenman-Pedersen, Inc
325 West Main Street
Babylon, NY 11702
Tel: 631-761-7257
Mobile: 631-356-5089
Fax: 631-422-3479
Email: mhorn@gpinet.com
Please visit us at
http://ite-metsection.org/
TransTalk Executive Board
President Adam Allen
Vice President John Biront
Secretary Luigi Casinelli
Treasurer Amir Rizavi
Past President Grace Van Kirk
Sr. Section Director Ray DiBiase
Jr. Section Director Bill McMenamin
Committee Chairs
Section Administrator Mike Salatti
North NJ Arrangements Jeff Smithline
New York City Arrangements John Miller
Long Island Arrangements Tra Vu
Long Island Arrangements Marvin Souza
Westchester Arrangements Brian Dempsey
Westchester Arrangements Michael ORourke
Central Jersey Arrangements Lynn LaMunyon
Central Jersey Arrangements Nick Aiello
Webmaster Michael Collins
Newsletter & Public Information Mayer Horn
Newsletter & Public Information Jennifer Bates
Newsletter & Public Information Lian Duan
Policy & Legislative Michael ORourke
Professional Development Thomas Arlo
Professional Development Alfred Yeung
Industry Richard Marsanico
Student Outreach Tom Pagano
Student Outreach Tommy Kwong
Mentorship Paul Eng-Wong
Mentorship Keith Hall
Young Members Henry Chiang
Young Members Olu Akele
Young Members Emily Valentino
Membership Osman Barrie
Membership Warren Michelsen
Technical Projects Don Tone
Technical Projects Einah Pelaez
Action Calendar Andy Saracena
Pignataro Awards Marvin C. Gersten
Pignataro Awards Gordon Meth