The Indiana Department of Transportation (InDOT) has appointed a global infrastructure consultancy to provide design services for its initial truck parking information management system (TPIMS) deployment.
The project is part of the Mid-American Association of State Transportation Officials (MAASTO) program to provide innovative solutions to address critical truck parking needs in the region. It has been funded by a US$25m TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) grant. As part of its approximately US$4m contract, AECOM will collaborate with InDOT to deploy technologies aimed at providing truck parking availability across Indiana, which will eventually integrate data collected and disseminated among the other contributing MAASTO states, including Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. As well as the TIGER funding, the MAASTO states will be contributing US$3.6m to the overall cost of the project.
The MAASTO TPIMS platform will be truly regional. Truck drivers, dispatchers and others will see a consistent, cohesive parking-availability system as they cross state lines. However, each state also will have the flexibility to integrate proposed solutions into their existing transportation information systems. The Regional TPIMS system is projected to generate more than US$403m in benefits through the life of the project. Better parking information will mean fewer non-routine maintenance repairs on highway shoulders and ramps, due to illegal parking. The system will also provide more efficient movement of goods, less fuel consumption and reduced emissions, by reducing the time truck drivers spend looking for available parking spaces.
AECOM has provided design services on 16 projects related to InDOT’s ITS and commercial vehicle programs over the past 10 years. Many of these projects have included design elements similar to this project and the deployment of innovative new technologies. Work is anticipated to begin on the project this fall and be completed in the spring of 2017.
“We understand the significance of this first piece of the MAASTO truck parking puzzle that will build the foundation of data dissemination and information exchange between the trucking industry, transportation agencies and the public across state borders,” said Dan Corey, AECOM’s MAASTO truck parking coordinator and deputy intelligent transportation systems (ITS) practice leader. “Our team is excited to be a partner in the promotion of seamless data exchange and truck safety.”
Ryan Elliott, AECOM’s project manager, noted, “We have designed the installation of nearly 20 similar type signs throughout Indiana. To meet the compressed project schedule and logistical size of the project, we will utilize multiple design teams to maximize production efficiencies. We are also promoting the use of innovative technologies, such as drones, to help verify the location of the closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras that will monitor the parking facilities to improve the system’s accuracy.”
