Houston TranStar has received the "2011 Digital Government Achievement Award" from the Center for Digital Government (government-to-government category). The award is for TranStar's cutting-edge Anonymous Wireless Address Matching travel time information system.
"Houston TranStar's monitoring system on I-45 between Houston and Dallas allows us to provide travel information during both evacuations and for day-to-day use at a fraction of the cost of other technologies," said John R. Whaley, director of Houston TranStar. "Because of the incredible cost savings involved, this technology is a game-changer in travel monitoring, whether for emergency management or daily commuting."
The plan to monitor travel conditions on I-45 came after Hurricane Rita threatened to devastate Southeast Texas in 2005. When millions of Gulf Coast residents evacuated their homes and created a 50km traffic jam from downtown Houston along I-45 North, officials recognized the need for a more extensive traffic monitoring system.
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"The Bluetooth-based Anonymous Wireless Address Matching system, or AWAM, can typically be deployed at less than 10 per cent of the cost of traditional toll-tag based travel monitoring systems," said Stuart Corder, director of Transportation Operations, TxDOT's Houston District. "The AWAM system saved taxpayers $1.5 Million and let us accelerate implementation of new technology on a major Interstate."
Travel time information is not only available during evacuations, but is accessible 24 hours a day/7 days a week to provide current travel conditions on IH 45 between Houston and Dallas. The sensors collect anonymous data that cannot be used to gather personal information: All data are encrypted upon receipt before being processed. Travel times obtained from the AWAM system can be viewed on Houston TranStar's website - %$Linker:
