Western States Forum 2015: Image Gallery
Western States Forum Steering Committee members are pictured here as they welcome participants and kick off the 2015 Western States Forum. Since this was the 10th annual Forum, the Committee provided some history of the event and described its development and evolution. Left to right: Leann Koon, Western Transportation Institute; Ian Turnbull, Caltrans District 2; Sean Campbell, Caltrans Division of Research, Innovation, and System Information; and Doug Galarus, Western Transportation Institute.
Photo By: Jeff Worthington
Steering Committee members Ian Turnbull (L), Sean Campbell (center), and Doug Galarus (R) introduce the technical program as they explain the unique goals and format of the Forum.
Photo By: Jeff Worthington
Oregon DOT engineers Dennis Mitchell and Doug Spencer teamed up to present the Multnomah Falls Parking Management System. They discussed the design of the system including signage, detection, gate systems, ITS hardware and software, and the operational observations (as well as resulting improvements) of the system made to date. Here, Doug shows and describes the system’s controller cabinet.
Photo By: Doug Galarus
Oregon DOT engineers Dennis Mitchell and Doug Spencer teamed up to present the Multnomah Falls Parking Management System. Here, Dennis is discussing some of the operational impacts of the system (parking occupancy vs. gate activations).
Photo By: Doug Galarus
Israel Lopez from Nevada DOT’s Traffic Operations Technology Section presented the Nevada Data Exchange (NDEX). Here, he discusses the federal initiatives that drive the use of a data warehouse.
Photo By: Doug Galarus
Israel Lopez, Nevada DOT, shows the functionality of the NDEX’s soon to be released data visualization module.
Photo By: Leann Koon
Mark Kelly, Communications Systems Supervisor for the Wyoming Department of Transportation, presented and demonstrated the tablet reporting app WYDOT has developed for road condition reporting. Part of the presentation included discussion of how the tablets use the newly installed WiFi hotspots and Wyoming’s statewide “P25 data” communications network. In this photo, Mark is showing the communication network for the tablet app.
Photo By: Leann Koon
Mark Kelly from the Wyoming DOT demonstrates the tablet reporting app they have developed for road reporting by maintenance personnel. To his right, Ian Turnbull tries out the app on a WYDOT tablet.
Photo By: Doug Galarus
Mike Beyer (Caltrans District 2) and Martha Styer (Caltrans Headquarters) use Wyoming DOT’s tablet reporting application while Mark Kelly conducts his live demonstration of the system.
Photo By: Leann Koon
Faced with the need for hundreds more variable message signs (VMS), Caltrans considered advantages and disadvantages of different procurement options before choosing to develop and build its own advanced VMS. David Wells, Caltrans Senior Transportation Electrical Engineer and AVMS Project Manager, discussed the development of the AVMS specification, and the design, manufacturing, and testing of the new sign and its control software.
Photo By: Doug Galarus
David Wells, Caltrans Senior Transportation Electrical Engineer, provides some background for Caltrans’ decision to develop and build its own advanced VMS.
Photo By: Doug Galarus
Welcome to Utah DOT as they were represented at the Forum for the first time this year! Corey Coulam, a program manager for the Utah Traffic Operations Center, presented UDOT’s Citizen Reporter Program. Here he is giving an overview of the program and how the information flows from the citizen reporter to the TOC.
Photo By: Doug Galarus
Utah DOT’s Corey Coulam shows Citizen Reporter coverage of various road segments.
Photo By: Doug Galarus
Caltrans District 2 ITS Engineer Keith Koeppen discussed and demonstrated the Safety Chain Control System (I-5 near Yreka, CA) that he and his project team developed to enhance worker safety during winter weather and chain control situations. Here he is explaining what happened when chain controls were activated before and the need for a new system.
Photo By: Doug Galarus
Keith Koeppen (Caltrans District 2) discusses some of the lessons learned from the development, installation, and deployment of the Safety Chain Control System that he and his project team developed.
Photo By: Doug Galarus
Martha Styer, a Senior Transportation Electrical Engineer for Caltrans Division of Traffic Operations, and Dr. Dali Wei, a post doc researcher at UC Davis and software developer for Trans Intelligence, presented and demonstrated the TranSync Mobile Tool. Martha first reviewed the basics of signal timing and the use of real-time dynamic time-space diagrams.
Photo By: Doug Galarus
Martha Styer, a Senior Transportation Electrical Engineer for Caltrans Division of Traffic Operations, and Dr. Dali Wei, a post doc researcher at UC Davis and software developer for Trans Intelligence, presented and demonstrated the TranSync Mobile Tool. Dali demonstrated the app and discussed the results of case studies completed in Auburn, Yuba City, and Mountain View, California.
Photo By: Doug Galarus
In a follow-up to their 2013 presentation on the same project, the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) presented on the Winter Performance Measures program. Bob Koeberlein, Headquarters Operations Engineer for ITD, provided an update on the program’s development and the latest results of the program’s implementation.
Photo By: Leann Koon
ITD’s Bob Koeberlein provides some background on the development of the winter performance measures program.
Photo By: Doug Galarus
Participants listen to a technical presentation. Presentations are very detailed and one to two hours in length to allow speakers the opportunity to really delve into the technical details of a project.
Photo By: Leann Kooon
Participants listen to a technical presentation. Presentations are very detailed and one to two hours in length to allow speakers the opportunity to really delve into the technical details of a project.
Photo By: Doug Galarus
Participants watch a technical demonstration. Demonstrations give participants the opportunity to really get up close to the technology being presented and see first hand how something works.
Photo By: Doug Galarus
One of the more unique aspects of the Forum is that questions and discussion are encouraged throughout the presentation, not just at the end. Here Jason Shaddix from the Oregon DOT asks a speaker a question.
Photo By: Doug Galarus
One of the more unique aspects of the Forum is that questions and discussion are encouraged throughout the presentation, not just at the end. Here, several people have their hands raised to ask Israel Lopez (NDOT) some questions.
Photo By: Doug Galarus
One of the more unique aspects of the Forum is that questions and discussion are encouraged throughout the presentation, not just at the end. Here, several people have their hands raised to ask some questions.
Photo By: Doug Galarus
One of the more unique aspects of the Forum is that questions and discussion are encouraged throughout the presentation, not just at the end. Here, Phil Graham from Caltrans District 9 raises his hand to ask Dennis and Doug from ODOT a question about the parking management system.
Photo By: Doug Galarus
Participants took an active part in discussion during each of the technical presentations. Here, Koon Tse from Caltrans District 8 talks about his experience with traffic signal timing software during the Caltrans TranSync presentation.
Photo By: Leann Koon
Sean Campbell (left) from Caltrans and Ron Vessey (right) from the Washington State DOT network during an extended break. Sean and Ron are both members of the Western States Rural Transportation Consortium Steering Committee.
Photo By: Leann Koon
Doug Galarus (WTI) and Ian Turnbull visit prior to the start of the technical presentations on Wednesday morning. Doug (left) and Ian (right) are both members of the Western States Rural Transportation Consortium Steering Committee.
Photo By: Leann Koon
Sean Campbell from Caltrans prepares to introduce the speakers from Oregon DOT.
Photo By: Leann Koon
The Forum provides many opportunities for participants to network with other ITS practitioners to discuss Rural ITS technologies and how these technologies are being utilized to improve operations and safety in their own district or state. In this photo, Keith Koeppen (center) explains the Safety Chain Control System components to John Carson of Caltrans District 1 (seated), Lonnie Hobbs from Caltrans District 2 (left), and Tom Moore (center left) from the Nevada DOT.
Photo By: Leann Koon
Mark Kelly from WYDOT (left) shows the tablet app and discusses the project with University of Nevada Reno’s Hao Xu (center) and Dali Wei (right) from UC Davis.
Photo By: Leann Koon
Luis Torres (left), Caltrans District 10, and Jeff Worthington (right), Caltrans District 2, discuss ITS projects in their districts.
Photo By: Leann Koon
Mark Kelly (center), WYDOT, and Don Anderson (right), Caltrans, network during one of the breaks.
Photo By: Leann Koon
Phil Graham (left) from Caltrans District 9, Ty Lasky (back) from UC Davis, and Mike Jenkinson (front), from Caltrans Headquarters discuss an ITS project.
Photo By: Leann Koon
Networking sessions and meals provided a good opportunity for the Forum participants to meet and discuss Rural ITS technology implementations. Monica Harwood (left), WSDOT, and Bob Koeberlein (right) from Idaho visit during the Tuesday evening reception.
Photo By: Leann Koon
Networking sessions and meals provided a good opportunity for the Forum participants to meet and discuss Rural ITS technology implementations (Tuesday evening reception and dinner.) This year, participants represented 8 states, 7 state DOTs, 3 universities, 7 Caltrans Districts, and 2 groups from Caltrans Headquarters.
Photo By: Doug Galarus
Yreka is located in rural northern California in Caltrans District 2 and provides an appropriate setting for in-depth dialogue about rural ITS system design and implementation. To maintain the rural perspective and continue to foster transparency and trust with an informal atmosphere, an evening dinner and networking session were held at a campground.
Photo By: Leann Koon
Having equipment on display for demonstration during networking sessions and presentations was an asset to the Forum and its participants. Here, Keith Koeppen (left) describes one of Caltrans District 2’s controller cabinets to Israel Lopez (right) from the Nevada DOT.
Photo By: Leann Koon
Having equipment on display for demonstration during networking sessions and presentations was an asset to the Forum and its participants. This photo shows one of Caltrans District 2’s controller cabinets and a demonstration of the CCTV Image Relay they’ve developed.
Photo By: Leann Koon
Mike Beyer from Caltrans District 2 helps David Wells from Caltrans Headquarters set up the Caltrans Advanced CMS pixel modules that David demonstrated.
Photo By: Leann Koon
Each participant receives a personalized notebook which contains copies of the presentations to use during the technical program. It also contains contact information for each of the Forum participants to facilitate networking and sharing of ideas and experiences even after the Forum is completed.
Photo By: Leann Koon
Participants preview the upcoming presentation and network during a break.
Photo By: Leann Koon
Event planner Marlene Woodard has been involved with the Forum since its inception in 2006. She’s pictured here during the Tuesday evening reception.
Photo By: Leann Koon
At Forum registration (back to front): Regan, Jasmine, Marlene, Leann. Regan helped keep the Forum running smoothly as timer. Marlene was the event planner and Jasmine was her assistant. Leann is the Forum coordinator.
Photo By: Doug Galarus
Jacob Turnbull was the audio technician for the Forum. He kept the sound system adjusted at optimal levels during each speaker’s presentation.
Photo By: Doug Galarus
Regan was the timekeeper and ensured that the event ran according to schedule.
Photo By: Leann Koon
Tony and Eileen Congi prepared and served the dinner on Tuesday evening and the BBQ on Wednesday evening. We have been enjoying their delicious food for the past 10 Forums. Thank you!
Photo By: Leann Koon
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