Chicago – January 7, 2009 – NAVTEQ, a provider of digital map data for location-based solutions and vehicle navigation, has been granted the “Best of ITS” award to recognize its traffic information system and agency partnership with the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) in St. Louis. In an effort to monitor traffic and relieve congestion in the St. Louis area, MoDOT sought out the expertise of NAVTEQ Traffic to launch the NAVTEQ-MoDOT Advanced Traveler Information Services project. In addition to recognition for its achievements in providing real-time flow and volume updates to drivers, the NAVTEQ-MoDOT project was also credited as a model for other public-private collaborations to effectively manage road closures and other congestion-causing events.
In January 2008, MoDOT closed the major I-64 interstate highway serving St. Louis. This effort is part of MoDOT’s major reconstruction of I-64—a project that will take approximately two years. Because of the closure’s potentially severe impact on commuter and truck traffic flow, MoDOT embarked on an ambitious plan to provide as much information to travelers as possible to better handle frequent congestion.
The NAVTEQ-MoDOT Advanced Traveler Information Services project involved a comprehensive approach to effectively leverage a number of NAVTEQ Traffic solutions. This award-winning suite of traffic solutions, used to advance MoDOT’s traveler information services, includes:
• the installation of additional traffic sensors to increase real-time data;
• incorporating data from MoDOT traffic sensors;
• the use of vehicle GPS data to provide additional traffic data coverage;
• staffing the NAVTEQ Traffic operations centers 24/7;
• placing NAVTEQ Traffic staff in the MoDOT Gateway Guide operations center;
• providing NAVTEQ Traffic.com511™ (ATIS) services by phone, web and email; and
• disseminating NAVTEQ Traffic to XM satellite radio, local TV and radio stations.
The result of this coordinated effort was an all-encompassing system of real-time flow and volume information on the major expressways in the St. Louis region, giving commuters automated traffic updates every 60 seconds.
“By providing drivers with up-to-date information on traffic conditions, commuters in the St. Louis region can make more informed decisions about which route to take. This allows drivers to avoid congested areas and get to destinations faster. We are proud of our award-winning collaboration with MoDOT and believe it is an initiative that can ultimately pave the way for other public/private efforts,” said Howard Hayes, vice president for NAVTEQ Traffic.
