We at Daktronics Transportation take our business to heart. Every year, America's transportation systems encounter more demand, more volume and more challenges. Our products and services impact these universal systems in several ways, and we couldn't be more proud to work in this industry.

May 14-20 is the 50th annual National Transportation Week, which commemorates and celebrates the critical infrastructures that keep us moving safely and efficiently.

As we take the week to celebrate our achievements in transportation, we also look forward to the innovations which will help our airports, highways, railways, ports and parking facilities meet their goals.

We would also like to extend a hearty "thank you" to the hard-working transportation engineers, architects, consultants and officials who make our business possible.

Learn More
National Transportation Week: www.ntweek.org
Daktronics Transportation: www.daktronics.com/transportation

Image courtesy of fastlane.dot.gov

Adding two lanes to 20 miles of an interstate is a daunting task, but when it results in safety and mobility for millions of motorists — New Hampshire's project will be well worth the effort.

Like the Granite State's rolling hills, the idea of free-flowing, stress-free traffic paints a beautiful picture for visitors and residents alike. There's no doubt that the project will make a lasting impact, especially because it involves several innovative and economical elements of ITS technology.

Perhaps the most apparent technology used in the I-93 project will be a series of Daktronics Vanguard® dynamic message signs. With data integration, these intelligent displays will provide up-to-the-minute travel times, safety messages and weather conditions for motorists to make informed decisions. Mounted on cantilever structures, these walk-in displays are easily accessed for maintenance without disrupting the normal flow of traffic.

Also connecting with real-time data, several Daktronics dual variable speed limit signs (VSLS) will set minimum and maximum speeds. This application promotes smooth, safe traffic — especially during peak hours.

The Salem-to-Manchester rebuild has no less than 25 phases, the last of which will be completed in 2020.

In a recent interview published in Traffic Technology International, ITS Manager Denise Markow explained her department's approach to the challenge.

"NHDOT is excited about bringing innovative technology to its roadways," she said. "The ability to monitor and react to roadway incidents and conditions in real-time will allow us to better manage the growing traffic along our corridors."

To manage the forecasted traffic increase, New Hampshire DOT plans to use the new DMS to communicate traffic incident delays, inclement weather warnings and public service announcements. Additionally, the traffic management center will use the VSLS to adjust speed limits based on I-93's real-time traffic conditions.

By installing the Vanguard displays on I-93, New Hampshire has become the forty-fifth U.S. state to deploy Daktronics DMS.

Denise noted the benefits of working with experienced ITS manufacturers such as Daktronics.

"Working with our regional Daktronics salesperson and project management team has been great," she said. "The DMS, VSLS and control software that they proposed for this project are the perfect solution for our long-term goals."

Reach Daktronics ITS Market Manager Jason Morrison at Jason.morrison@daktronics.com or at 605-695-8022.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection recently updated the El Paso port of entry with new Daktronics LED displays that inform and guide traffic approaching the border from Mexico.

The installed displays are networked with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag readers which scan the special RFID tags on the person's vehicle. RFID tags store the person's passport information and eliminate the need for officers to check passports by hand, decreasing the amount of time it takes to cross the border. Wait times, lane use, and other driver instructions are posted on the LED displays so drivers can use the appropriate lane to cross the Paso Del Norte Border Bridge.

For more information, watch the news story produced by El Paso's local NBC affiliate KTSM below.

Reach Daktronics ITS Market Manager Jason Morrison at Jason.morrison@daktronics.com or at 605-695-8022.

We're already halfway through what has been another great ITS World Congress here in Orlando, Fla.

Hundreds of people have made a stop at the Daktronics booth. We're learning about their challenges and their ambitions with ITS technology and also sharing our solutions for their DMS needs.

We'd like to extend a special thank you to all of the people who have spent time with us – especially those who attended our social hour yesterday. It was great to meet new professionals and also to see some familiar faces here in Orlando.

Also – a special congratulations to the City of Minneapolis for being recognized at the Best of ITS Awards ceremony on Tuesday. Although they didn't win their category, we were proud to be part of their dynamic parking lane project which received a runner-up award.

If you haven't done so yet, please stop by our booth (#1957) and say hello.

Our booth, #1957, at ITS World Congress.

Customers, colleagues and other attendees stopped at our booth for a social hour on Tuesday.

Daktronics Transportation Market Manager DeWayne Anderson shares some details about our company and our technology with a delegation from Brazil.

Visitors to our booth will have a chance to see our technology in action and also grab a copies of our new DMS catalog.

Keep an eye out for local Daktronics DMS installations in Orlando, such as this Vanguard® VF-2000 in Florida DOT District 5.

Reach Daktronics ITS Market Manager Jason Morrison at Jason.morrison@daktronics.com or at 605-695-8022.

On Oct. 16, the world's leading transportation policy makers, technology and business professionals will gather in Orlando, Fla., for the world's largest transportation convention and trade show.

This year's ITS World Congress (Oct. 16-20) will undoubtedly bring to light some exciting innovations from all corners of the ITS industry.

Our team is looking forward to learning about the challenges and goals of your ITS projects, especially those for active traffic management (ATM). Commonly used in Europe and now on a few U.S. highways, these cutting-edge ATM systems are commonly applied for speed harmonizing, temporary shoulder use, queue warnings, special lane management and travel times. If your agency is looking to invest in an ATM project, we would definitely like to visit with you about it.

Throughout the event, we'll be participating in the NEMA Interoperability Showcase which will give attendees a hands-on opportunity to use third-party software to remotely control a Vanguard® DMS in our booth. Daktronics has been honored to aid in the development of NTCIP protocols for DMS and we're looking forward to seeing these protocols demonstrated at the show.

With more than 250 sessions and 400,000 square feet of exhibit space to explore, you're probably going to have a busy week in Orlando, but Daktronics would certainly enjoy the opportunity to connect with you. You're invited to take part in our happy hour on Tuesday, Oct. 18 from 3:30-5:30 p.m. in booth #1957 to visit about your organization's projects. We'll have an ice cold Yuengling lager for you when you get there.

If you plan to spend any time outside of the Orange County Convention Center, make sure to check out the several Daktronics DMS installations in the area:

View Orlando DMS Installations in a larger map

It's going to be a world-class event, and we hope to see you there!

Reach Daktronics ITS Market Manager Jason Morrison at Jason.morrison@daktronics.com or at 605-695-8022.

On August 28, three of my coworkers and I will travel from Brookings, S.D. to beautiful Coeur d'Alene, Idaho for the National Rural ITS Conference.

If you're flying into Spokane, Wash. (like us), you'll have the chance to see a few Daktronics DMS installations on your way into Coeur d'Alene. These Vanguard® VF-2000 amber displays are strategically placed along the 30-mile stretch of I-90 between the two cities.

Once you're at the show, make sure to stop by booth #20 and visit me (ITS Market Manager Jason Morrison), our Daktronics Transportation Sales Manager Tom Becker, Rocky Mountain Sales Manager Casey Williamson and Rocky Mountain Project Manager Scott Peterson. We'll be ready to show you our current ITS solutions and answer any questions you might have about your next DMS project.

In addition to our booth, we're also parking our Vanguard Road Show just outside of the Coeur d'Alene Resort for a demonstration. This will give you a chance to get an up-close look at our current family of DMS products.

If you haven't done so already, visit http://www.nritsconference.org for some useful information about the conference.

Reach Daktronics ITS Market Manager Jason Morrison at Jason.morrison@daktronics.com or at 605-695-8022.

Since the birth of the standard in 1998, Daktronics has held a voting seat on the Dynamic Message Sign Working Group of the National Transportation Communications for ITS Protocol. This group is responsible for NTCIP 1203 v02 – a document which ensures the compatibility and interoperability of DMS equipment from competing manufacturers.

This team of manufacturers (including our market competitors), transportation agencies and system designers has continually improved this standard to reflect the rapid development of DMS technology. Most recently, we've the committee has set up some important standards for full-color dynamic messaging.

The latest edition of NTCIP 1203 includes standard definitions for communicating graphics and colors on LED displays. These definitions open up a wide range of possibility for agencies to expand their full-color, full-matrix DMS systems with equipment from multiple manufacturers. Daktronics is particularly proud of this achievement because it is in the best interest of our current and potential ITS customers.

In addition to graphics and colors, the NTCIP DMS Working Group also expanded definitions for diagnostics reporting capabilities. What does this mean? Simply put, agencies can now compare apples to apples when they check the status of all of their equipment – regardless of the manufacturer.

Lastly, NTCIP 1203 v02 contains key requirements for displaying content on full-matrix displays, including message "tags" which allow agencies to show text alongside graphics on different areas of the display. This update offers key flexibility for DMS users to get the most out of their investment in the latest DMS technology.

This keeps Daktronics on its toes. By requesting NTCIP compliance in their specifications, agencies are ensuring the expandability of their systems – giving us more motivation to continue producing products of the highest quality.

The DMS industry is deeply competitive, but in the most positive way. Just like any governing body, the NTCIP DMS Working Group has been able to put aside its differences to make important compromises and move the industry in a very constructive direction.

If you have any questions about the NTCIP compliance of Daktronics products, please feel free to contact us at any time so we can find a future-proof solution for your organization.

Contact me at Ken.Smith@daktronics.com or 605-692-0200 for more information about NTCIP.

As the population of American motorists continues to grow and diversify, standard MUTCD (Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices) graphics have never been more important.

In multi-lingual communities such as Southern Texas or New Brunswick, DOTs and other transportation agencies are relying heavily on symbols or symbols in conjunction with text rather than text-only signage. The universal meaning of these symbols allows agencies to deliver recognizable messages to people who would otherwise have to translate text. When there's a standard symbol that fits the situation, DMS users should look to the MUTCD for guidance not only because it's the national standard, but also because graphics are simply good at getting the message across.

A study from the University of Rhode Island noted 25 per cent faster message recognition with DMS graphics. With every full-color DMS installed for this purpose, the MUTCD standard becomes more important than ever.

Today, agencies look to the MUTCD to help them create effective full-color messages to show on these displays.

Chapter 2L of the MUTCD defines and provides guidelines for several DMS applications:

• Incident management and rout diversion
• Warning of adverse weather conditions
• Special event applications associated with traffic control or conditions
• Control at crossing situations
• Lane, ramp and roadway control
• Priced or other types of managed lanes
• Travel times
• Warning situations
• Traffic regulations
• Speed control
• Destination guidance

The MUTCD graphic guidelines largely reflect those for static signage, including specifications for background/foreground colors, symbol dimensions, visibility and overall size.

From section 2L.04.13 of the MUTCD:

Some CMS that employ newer technologies have the capability to display an exact duplicate of a standard sign or other sign legend using standard symbols, the Standard Alphabets and letter forms, route shields, and other typical sign legend elements with no apparent loss of resolution or recognition to the road user when compared with a static version of the same sign legend. Such signs are of the full-matrix type and can typically display full-color legends. Use of such technologies for new CMS is encouraged for greater legibility of their displays and enhanced recognition of the message as it pertains to regulatory, warning, or guidance information.

Review the rest of the MUTCD specifications for changeable message signs.

In Part 2 of our Full-Color Messaging series, we'll discuss the importance and details of the NTCIP v2 protocol for the world of full-color DMS.

Reach Daktronics Transportation Product Manager Mike Wineberg at Mike.Weinberg@daktronics.com or at 605-695-2586.

The new Vanguard® VM-1020 DDMS are flush mounted on static signage to show the status of the off ramps for motorists on I-66.

According to recent estimates, more than 500,000 people commute to and from their jobs in Washington D.C. on any given workday – approximately 75% of the city's entire workforce.

Much of this traffic affects the popular I-66 in Northern Virginia, which serves commuters as well as local non-rush-hour traffic.

In early Spring 2011, VDOT installed four Daktronics dedicated dynamic message signs (DDMS) which are part of a much-anticipated project to mitigate traffic congestion along I-66.

By opening two westbound exit ramps - normally reserved for HOV-2 traffic - to all traffic on weekends and non-peak hours, VDOT gives motorists easier access to two convenient arterial roads.

The Daktronics Vanguard® DDMS are flush mounted on static signage to show the status of the off ramps for motorists on I-66.

At the ribbon cutting ceremony on Feb. 28, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell expressed his support for the project.

Read the rest of this post »

Hello from sunny South Dakota! This is Randy Schilling, your Daktronics Mass Transit Market Manager. I wanted to share this recent project highlight with you. This was an exciting project for our team, and I want to personally thank all of the organizations involved for giving us the opportunity to provide our products for this amazing station in the heart of our nation's capital. As always – feel free to contact me if you'd like to learn more about our products and services. My contact information is at the end of this post.

When the 20-year-old train information board at the 102-year-old Union Station in Washington D.C. finally breathed its last breath, Amtrak and the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) looked to International Display Systems for a replacement. IDS partnered with Daktronics to provide a custom LED message display which now serves as the centerpiece of the Main Hall of Washington Union Station.

Because of the display's prominent location within the historic building, Amtrak and MTA wanted a reliable product which complements the surrounding architecture. Their specifications included a seamless cabinet with no visible hardware and half-inch rounded corners to match other electronic displays within the building. "The display makes a large presentation. You can't miss it when you walk in the front doors," said Rob Keelor, Vice President of IDS. "The Daktronics engineers and project managers did a great job. We all worked hard on this project, and we're very proud of the result."

At the heart of the unibody cabinet is a Daktronics 6mm tri-color message display which is carefully engineered to comply with legibility requirements set up in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The new display is 9'6" tall, 15'5" wide and 8" deep and shows arrival and departure information in six columns: Time, No., Train, Departing To/Arriving From, Status and Gate/Track. The three seperate 6mm display panels (from top to bottom) show the time, train departures and train arrivals.

Keelor also noted that it is important to make the travelers feel at ease within the facility. "In such a large train station with numerous gates, tracks and travelers, giving the passengers the confirming train information the moment they walk through the front doors provides peace of mind and helps them to navigate their way," he said.

The Washington Union Station, home to Amtrak's corporate headquarters, receives more than 4.5 million passengers and 32 million visitors annually.

Reach Daktronics Mass Transit Market Manager Randy Schilling at Randy.Schilling@daktronics.com or at 605-691-9121.