When Ice Cometh |
Motorist Advisories
Are Triggered Instantly when Conditions Get Dicey |
KINGMAN, AZ:
When Hualapai Mountain Road near Kingman, Arizona,
becomes treacherous due to ice, county officials don’t
need to concern themselves with changing the messages
being broadcast on the County’s Highway Advisory Radio
Station. It all happens automatically. |
 |
 |
Conditions
on roads near Kingman, AZ, change rapidly. Above are
images of the same road on two consecutive days in February 2019. |
Conditions on the
steep, two-lane road often change without warning. When
ice is detected, pavement sensors trigger a paging burst
that is relayed to an
ALERT
AM Advisory Radio Station on the mountaintop that
instantly switches its broadcast to exclusively air
warning messages to motorists. When conditions improve,
the station’s broadcast goes back to normal, all without
operator intervention. The same wireless cue has the
capability of triggering other devices such as flashing
beacons/LED signs in concert with the radio station’s
message change.
The Information Radio service was installed by Mohave
County’s Public Works Department in 2017 to advise
commuters who use the steep mountain road that dangerous ice is present on
the pavement. A secondary goal is to enhance safety for
visitors approaching or leaving the popular Mohave
County Regional Park, which sits atop the mountain, some
3000 feet above the city. Hualapai Mountain Road is the
sole means of getting to the park – and often more
importantly - back down the mountain.
States Mohave County’s Traffic Control Supervisor Gregg
Whaley, “This radio application proves a successful
addition to the County’s motorist information
network, in the observation of Public Works, road users
and citizens served.” |
|
 |
 |
Please
Don't Go! |
Kentucky
County Advises Motorists
When Not to Enter
the
Interstate |
LA
GRANGE, KY: Ramp metering controls the rate at
which drivers merge onto a busy thoroughfare. But Oldham
County Kentucky is going one step farther by advising
motorists when not to enter their busy highway – at all!
The County, adjacent to Louisville, is bisected by
Interstate 71, a major commute route into and out of the
city. When a major incident backs up I-71 traffic,
unaware drivers often inadvertently add to the
congestion and cost themselves time by entering the fray
at one of the County’s four interstate interchanges.
Now, eight wirelessly controlled, solar-powered signs
have been installed in advance of the associated
entrance ramps to tell people to stay on the surface
streets when interstate gridlock sets in.
When activated, the signs’ 12” amber beacons flash to
attract attention, while
“Stealth Sign” LED displays can be independently
selected to advise against going north, south or both
north and south.
Designed in coordination with the Kentucky
Transportation Cabinet, the unique system is controlled
on a VHF frequency from Oldham County Emergency
Management’s 911 Center at La Grange, Kentucky. |
|
 |
DelDOT's Innovative
Highway Radio Service Featured in National Article |
DOVER. DE: This state’s
Department of Transportation continues to build a
Highway Advisory Radio (HAR) system that stands apart
from similar systems in the other 49 states. Due to its
limited geography and high population density, Delaware
has been able to accomplish something not possible
elsewhere: virtual statewide signal coverage that
reaches millions of motorists.
Recently, Radio World magazine featured DelDOT
in a national article, which put the spotlight on their system’s unique character,
i.e.,
"DelDOT
Believes in the Power of Radio" by James Careless, Apr 9, 2019.
Today, Delaware is the only state that: |
- Purchased and operates a
former AM broadcast station – rebranded “WTMC -
1380” operating at 250 watts in Wilmington, Delaware
- as the centerpiece of their HAR network.
- Blankets the state with a
single highway radio information program on
synchronized 10-watt “repeater” stations, to create
border-to-border service on the 1380 AM frequency.
- Operates within the
conventional AM band on Frequency 1380. (Most HAR
stations are at the ends of the band (530 kHz or
1610-1700 kHz).
- Also simulcasts on an FM
translator. The WTMC programming is also heard on 98.5 FM in
the Wilmington area.
|
Radio That's
Borderline |
North Dakota DOT's New
US/Canada
Highway Advisory Radio Service Is on the Air! |
PEMBINA, ND:
Motorists on I-29 entering the US from Canada will now
receive information via car radio as they come across
the border utilizing an
ITS.6000 Highway Advisory Radio System.
The plan is to get motorists better informed about
procedures and documents before they arrive.
Additionally, I-29 traffic lines into the US can be
lengthy at times. Helping drivers avoid delays is
another goal of the service. This new station joins
others on the Canadian border and a half dozen operated
by Customs and Border Patrol on the US / Mexican border |
See "Radio
Crosses the Line" in The Source.
|
Reagan National
Re-Adds Airport Radio Service |
Replaces Legacy
Service with
21st-Century System |
WASHINGTON, DC:
National Airport was one of the early adopters of the
TIS/HAR service in the 1970s. After an absence of a
number of years, the Airport is back on a new frequeancy
and with new technology. Its new
Information Station IP station boasts full 5000 Hz
bandwidth and is operated via wireless IP from the
Airport’s offices, allowing Airport officials to update
ground travelers on construction projects underway and
to issue safety advisories immediately when required. |
|
Information Radio Stations is a generic term
synonymous with Travelers Information Stations (TIS), Highway
Advisory Radio Stations (HAR) / Highway Information Systems &
Low Power Radio Stations (LPR). Operation of the stations is
governed by FCC Part 90.242 Rules. A FCC license is required.
Information Radio Stations may be fixed or portable.
Subcomponents may include transmitter, antenna and ground
system, digital voice player, wattmeter, cabinet with
conventional or Corbin locks, lightning arrestors for RF, power
and telephone lines, coaxial cable. Most stations employ black
maximized antennas to discourage ice accumulation and security
measures to prevent unauthorized program access. Options include
synchronization, battery backup, solar power, remote programming
by local, network or telco, multi-station audio distribution via
RF or LAN / WAN or wireless network. |