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Show The Salt Lake Tribune UTAH/NATION Sunday,April27,1997 _ Highways planes,” says Christine Johnson. an intelligent-transportation systems expert for the U.S. Department of Transportation. In Utah to Go High-Tech E Continued from A-1 “There is a finite amountofairspace around an airport that has to be managed, and our highways are the same,” she says. “You can’t manufacture more airspace the way people think they can manufacture moreroads.” Traffic lights — or “ramp ymeters” — that control vehicles entering the freeways. These will peoperated from the control cenThree ramp meters now are op- erating on a limited basis along I15 in Davis County, and three ‘more are under construction there. Eighteen are planned By managing airspace, Johnson says, “we have doubled takeoffs and landings.” And by managing traffic flow on existing highways, she reasons, “we can smooth out congestion and makeroom for morecars. Insteadofair-traffic control. wecall it ground teaneportation control.” The kindof freeway technology Utahwill install is only the tip of what planners envision. Someday Utah and other places may: @ Use satellites to keep track of fleet vehicles, buses and inter- state trucks. Johnson says these eyes in space “could help manage the bunching of busesin a city.” @Have cars with computer chips that record toll-road use. This would accelerate commutes, becausedrivers would nothave to stop at toll booths. @ Have sensors in vehicles that warn drivers about obstacles in blind spots. This hardware, now under study, would emit a signal if a car merging into traffic were too close to a vehicle already in that lane. The feds believe such ‘crash-avoidance systems” could reduce accidents by 17 percent. “Every component of these real and experimental systems yields a AQ ArmyRapeTrial Recesses for the Weekend THE ASSOCIATEDPRE: ately available, so the judge recessed the proceedings. Simpson, 32, is charged with tremendous benefit,’’ Johnson says. For now, Wasatch Front motorists will have to be satisfied with ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. — militaryjury the technology at hand. “You create, particularly during the Olympics, a virtual management team of city, county and state traffic officials by linking traffic signals, ramp meters, over- a verdict in the court-martialof a if convicted of even one former Army drill instructor charged with raping recruits. The five-man, one-woman jury recessed after 1 p.m. after delib- charge. He also is charged wit! other offenses, most involving head electronic signs and video cameras with control centers,” Johnson says. “Each team membersees what each other is seeing, andis acting as a team, not as individual agen- cies.” deliberated for more than five hours Saturday without reaching erating about 16 hours over three days in the court-martial of Staff Sgt. Delmar Simpson. They were to resume deliberations Monday The panel broke off deliberations after asking to have some testimony re-read. The transcript of that testimony was not immedi- raping six women total of 19 times and could get life in prison sexual harassment. He alreadyfaces up to 32 years in prison for admitting to consen- sual sex with 11 trainees —a violation of Armyrules — and to five other charges. The scandal at Aberdeen Proving Ground has resulted in criminal charges against 11 othersol- diersat the base. throughout Salt Lake County during the next five years and anoth- Pees Now er 65 within 10 years. + By 2007, ramp meterswill control freeway entrances throughout the Salt Lake City metropoli- tan area. Chicago, Chicago:Suchtraf- 90 tg Melatis ae fie technology is revolutionary in Utah. Other metropolitan areas have experimented with various high-tech helps. Variable-mes- sage signs are common along Interstate 80 from the San Francisco Bay Area to Reno, Nev. In Chicago and Phoenix, sensors, signs, video cameras and ramp meters have beenused for several years along expressways. “Chicago-area motorists are dependent on data from these sys- tems,” says Joe Ligas, managerof “Call if you need cash for home improvements, payoff bills, or any purpose!” Yn oe on Quality Fabric maTMags Meu arene CEMaici ete _Loan Amount | $ 25,000 10_Year Written bethhit | it-comes back to you better than new! receCeeCeACC CLOSE rem,rf Oat71 RAFT eee ee ere | 360 mos. **APR 946. | 180 mos. APR 990 | 120 mos. APR10:36 $ 19489 $ 24839 $ 311.97 $311.83 $ 39742 | $ 499.16 $ 506.72 | $§ 64581 | $ 811.13 quaiified applicants frst mortgage rates as of 3/14/97 and are subject to change - Charles Philips, [*For Chief Executive Officer “APR subject to change based on pre-paid finance charges arate orem tacoeteoemaT $ 40,000 $ 65,000 AABCO Mortgage Loans & Investments, Inc. Serving since 1976...Now with 40 offices Lao See | NOWSERVING: TOOELE, PARK CITY & OGDEN 1-800-450-7336 intelligent-transportation systems for the Illinois Department of ‘Transportation (IDOT). Commuters get their information from radio and TV stations that, in turn, get their information from IDOT contro! centers. “The public easily becomes aware, for example, that current traffic conditions allow, say, a 32- minute travel time from O'Hare International Airport to downtown Chicago,” Ligas says. “The information relayed from us to radiostations is ‘real time’ and accurate.” The devices have helped Phoenix transportation engineers im- prove response time for emergeney vehicles, and have helped motorists find alternate routes during rush hour, says Matt Bur- dick, spokesman for the Arizona Department of Transportation. UDOTtraffie-management engineer Dave Kinnecom hopes the freeway data will be just as help- ful to Utah commuters. Around-the-clock control of these systems, hesays, gives oper- ators the ability to anticipate problems, adjust ramp meters or traffic lights accordingly and prevent, or at least lessen, traffic jams. Operators could, for example, anticipate crowds leaving a Utah Jazz playoff gameor the Olympic ice-skating finals at the Delta Center in downtown Salt Lake City. They could order traffic lights leading to I-15’s 500 South *80 "124 Anodized flat bottom wok Anodized 8-qt. stockpot '92 Anodized chef's pan Professional quality. Style #G808HCB. Professionalquality. Professional quality. Style #GA155HC. Gift with purchase Anodized 4-qt.casserole with spoon and dish towel onrampto remain green for long- er periods, moving traffic more quickly off city streets and onto the freeway. “You are in the best of all worlds in getting this technology With the purchase of 250.00 or more of Caiphalon cookware, installed,” says IDOT engineerLi- gas. “The federal government is willing to pay for most of it because the 2002 Olympics are coming, and you are completely re- bakewareor other regularpriced merchandise, building I-15. This allows you to install everything without additional disruption.” Utah Republican Sen. Bob Bennett has announced thefirst federal contribution toward the smart-roads technology. The Federal Highway Administration has awarded $5 million for the project. Bennett hopes Washington eventually will pick up 80 percent of the $70 million tab. The balance of the moneywill come from state coffers, ‘Plane’ Smart: The feds are fans of smart-road technology. In receive a 4- qt. casserole with *50 Pots and Pans* 2-qt. saucepan Style #P8702. spoon andtowel "175 Non-stick 5-qt. sauté pan *160 Professional quality. Style #N5005, Professional quality. Style #N68165. as your gift Does notinclude the purchase of sets, Try Me's or reduced merchandise. ‘85 Pots and Pan s* 5-qt. saucier Style #P8785 an era when spending billions to build roads is nearing an end, they see such helps as a solution to traffic gridlock. “We have to think of traffic management the same way we view air-traffic control for air- Need # Friend? Buy a Peti WORLDS OF PETS 675 E. 2100 South 467-6478 fan unanticipated delay In veneershipment,the SON | SLV6G5HF shown in today’s per customer, "112 Non-stick 3% -qt. saucepan Professionalquality. Style #N87035, honored | upon Ue arrival of the shipment, in aproximately 2 weeks. 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