T3 Webinar Files

Educating Students for ITS Careers: Are Universities Meeting the Challenge?
(February 6, 2014)

Transportation Agencies Perspectives

Presenter: Nicolaas P. Swart
Presenter's Org: Maricopa County Department of Transportation
Presenter: Reza Karimvand
Presenter's Org: Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT)

HTML version of the presentation
Image descriptions are contained in brackets. [ ]
Back to Webinar Files

T3 Webinars are brought to you by the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Professional Capacity Building Program (PCB) of the U.S. Department of Transportation's (U.S. DOT) ITS Joint Program Office (JPO), Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA). References in this webinar to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm, or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the public, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the U.S. DOT.

The slides in this presentation are branded with the Arizona Tech: Moving Forward Together logo.

Slide 1: Educating Students for ITS Careers: Are Universities Meeting the Challenge? Transportation Agencies Perspectives

Nicolaas P. Swart, P.E.
Traffic Management Division Manager
Maricopa County Department of Transportation & AZTech Program Manager

Reza Karimvand, P.E.
Assistant State Engineer
Transportation Technology Manager
Arizona Department of Transportation & AZTech Co-Program Manager

[The slide contains the Arizona Department of Transportation logo and the Maricopa County logo.]

Slide 2: Overview

• Background
• Congestion Management Focus
• Challenges
• Vision
• Success in Sustaining an ITS Program: MCDOT Perspective
• Creating and Sustaining an ITS Program: ADOT Perspective
• Challenges/Opportunities Towards the AZTech Vision

Slide 3: Background: ITS in the Phoenix Metro Region

• Mainly Decentralized Architecture
• 13 Traffic Management Centers (State and Local Agencies)
• FMS
• AMS (Signals Systems)
• Regional Camera Sharing
• Communications (Fiber, Wireless, RCN)

[The slide contains logos of twenty-four agencies involved in ITS in the Phoenix Metro Region and a map of the Phoenix Metro region marked with the locations of the region's thirteen Traffic Managemen Centers.]

Slide 4: Congestion Management Focus

Seamless traffic management across boundaries and facilities through integrated systems and operations:

• SMART Corridors (arterials)
• Traveler information systems (integrated)
• Data archiving and retrieval (integrated)
• Incident management (integrated)
• Regional Community Network (RCN)
• Integrated Corridor Management (ICM)

Slide 5: Challenges

• Expanded ITS infrastructure
• Skill development mainly through in-house training
• Agencies competing for available limited skilled pool
• ITS staff needs multidisciplinary skills
• Current job classification
• HR positions/roles

Slide 6: Vision: 2009 AZTech Arizona Operations Action Plan (Phoenix Metropolitan Region)

Top Four Priorities Included:

• Vision Statement:
  • We have qualified, well-trained staff and a pipeline of new talent
• Desired Outcomes:
  • Clear job descriptions
  • Certification process
  • Uniform training
• Action:
  • AZTech Operations Committee developed ITS Certification White Paper
  • Leverage National agencies/organizations to develop certification programs

[This slide contains the cover of the Arizona Operations Actions Plan, Phoenix Metropolitan Region document.]

Slide 7: Successes in Sustaining an ITS Program: MCDOT Perspective

• Build support with Management
• Respond to ITS needs
• Target Consultant support to very specific needs
• Develop in-house skills
• Develop Manuals, Policies and Procedures
• Educate and build trust with HR

All the above takes time

[This slide contains the Maricopa County logo.]

Slide 8: Creating and Sustaining an ITS Program

ADOT Perspective

[This slide contains the Arizona Department of Transportation logo.]

Slide 9: Creating and Sustaining an ITS Program

ADOT's Role in Traffic Management & Operations

• Freeway Management System (FMS)
• Transportation Technology Group (TTG)
• Institutional Structure & Staffing

Slide 10: Creating and Sustaining an ITS Program: ADOT Freeway Management System (FMS)

186 Miles of FMS Coverage Statewide

• Highway Condition Reporting System (HCRS)
• Cameleon ITS: Cam Cam
• Cameleon ITS: D Cam
• 511 Call Line for 24/7
• AZ 511 Speed Map
• Regional Archived Data System (RADS)

All Software and Hardware are in-House maintained

Slide 11: Creating and Sustaining an ITS Program

ADOT Statewide ITS Features

Slide 12: Creating and Sustaining an ITS Program

ADOT Transportation Technology Group (TTG)

[This slide contains a graphic of the TTG. A blue center circle, labeled “TTG Statewide Operation,” is encircled by four smaller brown circles: “Traffic Operation Center 24/7,” “ITS Planning & Design,” “ITS Maintenance,” and “Information Technology.”]

Slide 13: Challenges/Opportunities Towards the AZTech Vision

• ITS Technology Consistently Changing:
  • We are not alone
  • Identify what is constant or core
• Training:
  • ITS principles
  • Include ITS principles in undergraduate curriculum
  • Include advanced ITS principles in graduate curriculum

Slide 14: Challenges/Opportunities Towards the AZTech Vision

• Certification:
  • Identify job requirements/description
  • Identify training needs
  • Establish and fund national certification training program
  • Possible models: Consortium for ITS Training and Education (CITE)
• Develop a guidance document for HR

Slide 15: Creating and Sustaining an ITS Program

Staffing Challenges

Example: In the absence of ITS Engineers:

• Hired Electrical Engineer who has strong background on ITS communications
• PE was a requirement
• Candidate with ITS knowledge and background
• Agencies spend resources to develop ITS professionals

Slide 16: Creating and Sustaining an ITS Program

What Can Be Done??

• Form a national coalition to approach the Board of Regents
• Undergraduate and graduate level curriculums
• Encourage students
• ITS related presentations
• Develop certification process

Slide 17: Contacts

Nicolaas P. Swart, P.E.
Traffic Management Division Manager
Maricopa County Department of Transportation & AZTech™ Program Manager
Phone: 602-506-0599
Email: nicolaasswart@mail.maricopa.gov

Reza Karimvand, P.E.
Assistant State Engineer
Transportation Technology Manager
Arizona Department of Transportation & AZTech™ Co-Program Manager
Phone: 602-712-7640
Email: RKarimvand@azdot.gov

[This slide contains the Arizona Department of Transportation logo and the Maricopa County logo.]

Back to Top