Orlando, Fla., September 10, 2008 – One of the nation’s largest Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) conferences, Transpo2008, will bring together experts from around the nation to share technology breakthroughs that are improving transportation in Florida and nationwide. The conference is Sept. 22 to 25 at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Fla., and features the nation’s leading experts on Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII). The VII initiative is a national effort involving teams from the auto industry and state and national Departments of Transportation, working collaboratively to solve congestion and safety challenges through technology.
The updated Transpo2008 schedule also offers an opportunity for attendees to tour the Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) District Five and the Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise’s Regional Traffic Management Centers (RTMCs), both located in Orlando. Included in the Turnpike tour is the unique SunWatch Center, which monitors all toll-collection devices in the state and repairs failures automatically if possible, provides expert assistance to local technicians for more serious problems, or dispatches the closest roving technician for the most serious failures. After all, time is money!
Among featured speakers are Scott Belcher, ITS America President and CEO; Ken Voigt, Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) International President-Elect; James Christian, Assistant Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Division Administrator; and Debbie Hunt, FDOT Assistant Secretary.
The dynamic technical program presentations begin Monday morning on Sept. 22 and run through Thursday afternoon on Sept. 25. The theme of Transpo2008 is “ITS-Piecing It All Together.” Transpo2008 will challenge participants to understand how each piece of transportation systems can complement each other to create a better overall system including planning, implementation, management and innovation.
This conference brings together the best and brightest in ITS, traffic engineering and operations, and transportation planning for informative technical presentations, lively discussions, training, and on-site tours of Orlando area ITS facilities. Transpo2008 also features a technology exhibition that will preview VII initiatives and other technologies that will be on display in November at the ITS World Congress in New York City, the world’s largest gathering of ITS experts.
The Intelligent Transportation Society of Florida (ITS Florida), the Florida Section of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (FSITE), FDOT and the Florida Division of FHWA are the hosts of Transpo2008. This event is held every other year and is the premiere Florida venue—and one of the largest in the nation, except for ITS America’s Annual Meetings and the World Congresses—for sharing ITS expertise.
Start the conference having fun in the Transpo2008 Golf Tourney at the fabulous Rosen Shingle Creek course on Monday. The ITS Florida and FSITE awards will be presented at the awards banquet on Wednesday evening. For more information on Transpo2008 and to register, visit www.itstranspo.org.
About ITS Florida
ITS Florida is a state chapter of ITS America, an organization that provides technical advice and assistance to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). ITS America and its state chapters use technology to significantly improve the performance of our transportation system. ITS Florida members include transportation agencies, private and commercial transportation system users, ITS technology and service providers, and other agencies supporting the transportation system in Florida. To learn more about ITS Florida, visit www.itsflorida.org.