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Kentucky
Transportation Cabinet Wins Award for Transportation Technology
The Advanced
Regional Traffic Interactive Management and Information System (ARTIMIS)
in Northern Kentucky, won a "2003 Best of ITS Awards" at the
Intelligent Transportation Society of America's (ITS America) annual
meeting this week.
The awards ceremony,
held in Minneapolis, was part of the 13th annual meeting of the organization.
All the award-winning projects showcased the year's most outstanding
developments and deployments of advanced information and communication
technologies for improving traffic and transit safety, security and
efficiency. Recipients were honored in eight categories and ARTIMIS
won in the Advocacy area. There were nine entries in this category and
three finalists. This is the sixth award from three different organizations
that ARTIMIS has won.
Leon Walden, The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's project manager for
ARTIMIS said, "any award by your peers is great, but the most satisfaction
comes from knowing that traffic is flowing smoother and safer."
The ARTIMIS system manages traffic on more than 88 miles of highway
in the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky region. It provides information
to motorists about travel conditions in time for alternate routes to
be chosen. A local public relations firm and a well respected ex-Cincinnati
police officer have spearheaded a public awareness campaign to increase
system usage and improve its local image.
The campaign included helping emergency response teams and law enforcement
officers better utilize the system; sending monthly press releases to
keep the media aware of the system; and implementing a strategic public
involvement program to increase awareness among motorists in the local
community. Videos were made to explain the system and presentations
made to community groups.
A 2002 media analysis shows that nearly 99 percent of the clippings
mention ARTIMIS in a neutral or positive light. The Web site is getting
more than 100,000 hits per day and the system is now seen as the most
reliable source of information in the area for motorists and other states
are modeling their program.
ARTIMIS is run
jointly by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and the Ohio Department
of Transportation. ARTIMIS Regional Traffic Management Center was the
first to develop an area-wide 511 number to make it easier for both
local and out-of-town motorists to access traffic and travel information.
ITS America, headquartered in Washington, D.C. promotes development
and deployment of surface transportation technologies to save lives,
time and money and improve quality of life.
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For more information:
Contact: Mark Pfeiffer
(502) 564-4890
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