| Publisher: Information Station Specialists |
| 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. |
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| 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.” |
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| Please Don't Go! | |
| Kentucky
County Advises Motorists When Not to Enter the Interstate |
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| 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. |
|
 The FCC Wants Your
OpinionWASHINGTON DC: Technology advances have a been responsible for music listeners departing the AM band over the years to listen to FM radio, satellite radio and internet streams. Now, the FCC wants us all to consider what would happen if AM radio stations had the option to broadcast in full digital (M3) technology. Would we buy a $200 receiver to see if our favorite AM station has returned to rock 'n roll? The American Association of Information Radio Operators (AAIRO) is opposed to the FCC’s “Notice of Inquiry” on the matter due to the severe interference digital stations would present to other radio stations that share the band. Read AAIRO’s position here and send along your comments to include with the filing. Or file on your own at this link: Media Bureau Docket RM-11836. The filing deadline is May 13, 2019. |
| See also Radio World's article "FCC Wants Your Input on Digital-Only AM Proposal" by Susan Ashworth, Apr 22, 2019.. |
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| 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: |
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| 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. |
PO Box 51, Zeeland, Michigan, USA, 49464-0051, Phone 616.772.2300, Fax 616.772.2966, Email
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