MassDOT unveils real-time VMS network

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) has unveiled a new network of variable message signs (VMS) that offer real-time traffic information along the Interstate 93 corridor from Canton to the New Hampshire border. At the same time, the agency is also helping Cape Cod travelers by introducing new traffic resources, including new online CCTV cameras showing road conditions on Route 6 Westbound and using VMS boards to share with drivers the extent of the heavy traffic leaving the Cape on Sundays. The Real-Time Traffic Management pilot includes I-93 Northbound and Southbound travel time information via a network of 22 VMS. The signs display travel times in segments between various interchanges. As traffic slows, road sensors send updated travel times every minute to the message boards, letting drivers know how long it will be until they reach their destination. MassDOT is currently working on linking the real-time traffic information for customers via its ‘511’ travel information internet site and in the future will make it accessible to third parties through its open data initiative.

MassDOT is also bringing online seven additional cameras for residents and visitors interested in road conditions on Cape Cod. The Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority is now hosting two new cameras on its website. Six new VMS boards are also being deployed to communicate road conditions. MassDOT is intending to provide further resources for Cape Cod travelers by expanding the statewide real-time traffic initiative to Western Massachusetts along I-91. Launching the new travel information system, MassDOT secretary and CEO, Richard A Davey, said, “Just in time for the busy July 4th holiday, we are launching a service people have been clamoring for. Real-time traffic data will better allow people to plan their commutes giving them greater control over their day. These initiatives are further examples of the Patrick-Murray Administration’s commitment to improving the customer experience through innovation.”

3 July 2012