Home > The Cone Zone > Archives > 2008 > July > 15 > Entry
How Long Before I Get To My Exit?
Anyone who’s driven South Florida highways during rush-hour knows getting to your exit can’t come soon enough.
Now, thanks to the latest intelligent transportation technology, motorists on I-595 know exactly how long it will take to reach their destination.
The SMART SunGuide traffic management center in Fort Lauderdale is posting travel time information on the dynamic message signs along I-595.
Soon, it will be available on I-95 in Broward County, said Steve Corbin, the Florida Department of Transportation’s district ITS operations manager.
And it will roll into Palm Beach County when the big electronic signs are installed on I-95 in a couple of years.
Here’s how it works:
Vehicle detectors along the side of the highway gather information on average speed and the volume of traffic. The raw data goes into an algorithm, which computes the travel times and produces best estimates based on the data samples collected. The posted travel times are updated every minute.
Having the information gives drivers a concept of how much time it will take before they get to where they’re going. It’s also a valuable tool for visitors not familiar with the area.
Travel times are posted 24/7, but not when there’s a lane-blocking incident on the highway.
About 40 traffic management centers around the country display travel times on highway message signs, according to the Federal Highway Administration.
Comments
By Jupiter Mike
July 16, 2008 8:11 AM | Link to this
And how much did this cost? You get there when you get there. I’d rather see the $ spent on other higher priorities i.e. education, health, fire/police service.
By multdota
February 25, 2010 1:45 AM | Link to this
а все таки: шикарно. а82ч
By Sausy Amatuers
March 3, 2010 11:39 PM | Link to this
eh. love this ))