July 07, 2010

NYSDOT, NYSERDA Fund Research to Improve Transportation Efficiencies in New York State $1.6 Million Invested in Seven Innovative Technology Projects

ALBANY, NY — The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) today jointly announced funding of $1.6 million for seven cost-shared research projects that reduce congestion and petroleum fuel use and increase the efficiency of New York's existing transportation systems.

These funds will support the development and demonstration of advanced technologies to ease traffic congestion while enhancing the State's economy and quality of life. The investment, which includes $800,000 of federal funds, will leverage an additional $1.4 million of private-sector funds to provide a total of $3 million of investments.

“Traffic congestion in critical, high-volume corridors is a serious and growing problem, particularly in major metropolitan areas,” Governor Paterson said. “Reducing congestion is absolutely essential not only to reducing the impact of our transportation system on the environment, but also to attracting new businesses and fostering economic growth.”

In spite of a world-class, energy-efficient downstate transit system, New York State is currently dependent on petroleum for a majority of its transportation needs. In 2008, the State's transportation sector was responsible for 76 percent of petroleum consumption and 39 percent of greenhouse gas production, the single largest sector in either category. View the following document Energy Information [PDF], for more information about NYS Transportation needs.

NYSDOT Acting Commissioner Stanley Gee said, “Advanced traffic technologies, such as our extensive traffic camera network, are utilized by the Department of Transportation to greatly reduce congestion on the State's highways, helping motorists conserve energy, improving mobility and strengthening New York's economic climate by making it faster and less costly to move goods. The technologies being tested as part of this program could further enhance the Department's congestion mitigation efforts and help attain Governor Paterson's goal of making doing business in New York more efficient while reducing carbon emissions and improving highway safety.”

Francis J. Murray, Jr., NYSERDA President and CEO noted that this is the fourth joint solicitation between NYSERDA and NYSDOT, and that the $6 million invested through these initiatives has leveraged a total of $10 million of funding for innovative transportation projects.

”The partnership between NYSDOT and NYSERDA has allowed us to invest significant resources in initiatives that will help reduce the amount of energy we use, decrease our impact on the environment, create jobs, and meet Governor David Paterson's ambitious energy-reduction goals. By leveraging private sector investment, we are maximizing the impact of our investment while building the clean energy economy for the future,” Murray said.

The projects include:

• Real-Time Traffic Monitoring on I-87 Northway (Albany to Clinton Counties) $790,736. Working with a major provider of real-time traffic data, this Traveler Information Project will provide “actionable” information to the travelling public by way of dynamic-message signs and NYSDOT’s award-winning 511 Travel Information Service. The system will analyze traffic congestion and weather information on the I-87 Northway from Albany to the Canadian Border allowing drivers to avoid congestion and minimize the wasteful fuel consumption and associated air emissions. Telvent Farradyne, New York, NY
• Smart Roadside Inspection System (Rensselaer County) $373,490. To reduce tractor trailer idling and good-driver downtime, this Commercial Vehicle Information Systems Project will supply, install and demonstrate a Smart Roadside Inspection System at a westbound rest area on I-90 in Schodack. Identifying trucks with good safety records enables Commercial Vehicle Inspectors to wave through low-risk trucks and concentrate limited inspection resources on a smaller number of vehicles. Intelligent Imaging Systems, Edmonton, AB
• Community-Wide Ride Sharing Program (Tompkins) $179,000. To foster ridesharing, this Transportation Demand Management Project will establish a web-based, community-wide ridesharing program among participants from Ithaca, Tompkins County, Cornell University, Ithaca College, and Tompkins-Cortland Community College.Ithaca-Tompkins County Transportation Council, Ithaca, NY
• Advanced Traffic Control Signals (Nassau County) $325,818. This real-time Adaptive Traffic Signal Control Project will keep rush hour traffic moving by supplying, installing and demonstrating advanced traffic-signal control on a series of nine contiguous arterial intersections on Long Island. Adaptive signal control systems coordinate control of traffic signals based on prevailing traffic conditions. Rhythm Engineering, Lenexa, KS
• Traffic Management Study of I-87 Major Deegan Expressway (Bronx County) $143,722. To ease traffic flow, this Integrated Corridor Management Project will develop a microscopic traffic simulation-based decision-support tool to aid decisions about the best combinations of corridor-level transportation strategies. The 18-month study will focus on the I-87 Major Deegan Expressway, collect data, develop a simulation model, and test various corridor strategies. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
• Increasing Plug-in Hybrid Utilization of Airport Rental Cars (Queens and New York) $765,000. Working with a large rental car company, this Advanced Vehicle Demonstration Project will increase the awareness and utilization of plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles at rental sites in JFK and LaGuardia airports and at additional sites on the Westside of Manhattan, by installing a web-enabled network of 16 power pedestals to support 12 plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles. Green Power Technology, New York, NY
• Power Pedestals for Hybrid-Electric Refrigerated Tractor Trailers (Across New York State) $469,523. Working with two major food distributers/retailers to limit refrigerated trailer diesel engine emissions, this Advanced Vehicle Demonstration Project will supply, install and demonstrate a web-enabled network of 30 power pedestals to support 30 electric and hybrid-electric refrigerated tractor trailers at 12 distribution centers and retail food locations throughout New York State. New West Technologies, Utica, NY

Each of the projects were selected competitively through NYSERDA's Program Opportunity Notice process and are funded with federal and state DOT funding and NYSERDA Transportation R&D Funds. More information is available at NYSERDA Funding Information [PDF]

NYSDOT seeks to ensure that their customers - those who live, work and travel in New York State -- have a safe, efficient, balanced and environmentally sound transportation system. For more information, please go to NYSDOT.

NYSERDA uses innovation and technology to solve some of New York's most difficult energy and environmental problems in ways that improve the State's economy. To learn more ways to save energy, visit NYSERDA or call 1-866-NYSERDA.

Contact:

Jeffrey Gordon, NYSERDA
518-862-1090 ext. 3544
jrg@nyserda.ny.gov