ARMONK, N.Y., May 20, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM)
announced today a new transportation management solution to help
minimize congestion and improve traffic flow for the New Jersey
Turnpike Authority (NJTA). This solution, which is part of NJTA's
Advanced Traffic Management Program (ATMP), will serve both the New
Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway, two of the most
heavily traveled highways and busiest toll roads in the United States.
IBM has worked to create a centralized, federated command and
control system that manages nearly a thousand devices. Traffic
management professionals at the NJTA now have a single,
comprehensive view of all signs at their command with intuitive
access to the sophisticated tools necessary for nimble management
of information such as updating speed limits and travel messages to
drivers. Connecting a wide array of systems into a central location
that is both dynamic and intelligent enables the NJTA to quickly
react and respond to real-time information about roadway conditions
that ultimately serves to reduce congestion and delays faced by
motorists.
"This first of its kind transportation management solution will
help minimize congestion and improve traffic flow for the Garden
State," said IBM North America General Manager Elly Keinan. "With IBM's Intelligent
Transportation solution, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority is
providing operators a holistic view for monitoring traffic events
and conditions through data collection from a variety of roadside
devices. Using an Internet of Things approach in creating a modern
turnpike will allow the NJTA to easily add enhancements to the road
system such as advanced analytics and predictive capabilities in
the future for traffic prediction, incident detection, and other
roadway optimization capabilities."
Coming on the heels of the most significant physical
infrastructure improvement in NJTA history (a recent widening
project that added 170 lane miles of new roadway), the management
plan employs advanced rule-based technology that shifts a long
standing paradigm of sign management to message management
supporting situational awareness and proactive incident management
and avoidance. In future phases, the ATMP will use data generated
from over 3,000 sensors to further optimize response times for all
forms of traffic incidents and reduction of secondary incidents.
The new system provides central management of approximately 900
devices that include: variable message (VMS), drum (CM) and
portable signs, in addition to newly designed hybrid (VMS/Drum)
displays and traffic cameras.
IBM and NJTA have agreed to take a multi-year view when using
technology to improve safety and service. The software design was
conceived for the long term with a stated intent to deliver new
capabilities in short, manageable cycles. The challenge was to
establish a framework that would allow the NJTA to improve the
utilization of its legacy infrastructure while also introducing new
capabilities and building for the future. The initial phases of
this program have clearly demonstrated the real impact technology
can have in supporting the NJTA traffic management professionals to
actively serve all the patrons of both the New Jersey Turnpike and
the Garden State Parkway.
This system provides a suite of services to improve each
response to an ever-changing set of planned and unplanned roadway
events. The rules-based design coupled with a significant degree of
abstraction for all devices, such as signs and cameras has enabled
a true paradigm shift from device management to roadway management.
This transformation has the potential of improving both incident
identification and response time. Future ATMP delivery cycles will
introduce new functionality such as advanced analytics and
predictive capabilities.
About IBM
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please visit www.ibm.com/IoT
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CONTACT: Jeannine Kilbride,
860-997-6277, jkilbri@us.ibm.com
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SOURCE IBM