PDOT staff receives award from transportation professional society
July 2005
The Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) has selected Bill Kloos, PDOT Signals & St. Lighting Division Manager, to receive their 2005 Innovative Intermodal Solutions for Urban Transportation Best Paper award. The title of Bill’s paper is “Developing Intermodal Traffic Signal Solutions for Portland.” The award is based on reporting activities and programs that have been effective in addressing urban transportation needs through the development of innovative, practical and balanced intermodal solutions.
Portland traffic signal activities worthy of this award include:
· Full preemption at most signals for light rail transit;
· Bus priority provided at over 1/3 of the City’s signalized intersections;
· Passive detection of pedestrians to activate warning lights;
· Passive detection of slow pedestrians to increase flashing don’t walk time as needed;
· Accessible pedestrian signals at 70 intersections;
· A special bike traffic signal for East Bank Esplanade bike traffic at the Steel Bridge;
· Special bike markings on signal approaches so cyclists know where to stand to be detected by the traffic signal; and
· Developing a new method to provide signalized for bike/pedestrian crossings on arterials.
While Mr. Kloos is noted as the award recipient, the award is really based on the excellent work performed by all members of the Signals and St. Lighting Division in designing, constructing, and operating these innovative solutions.
This award further enhances Portland’s national reputation for its growth management and livability. Part of the livability equation is providing a variety of transportation options to the single occupant vehicle. The City of Portland is providing traffic signal control that promotes and enables all modes of travel.
Information on the Institute of Transportation Engineers
The Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), an international individual member educational and scientific association, is one of the largest and fastest-growing multimodal professional transportation organizations in the world. ITE members are traffic engineers, transportation planners and other professionals who are responsible for meeting society's needs for safe and efficient surface transportation through planning, designing, implementing, operating and maintaining surface transportation systems worldwide. ITE has more than 16,000 members in more than 90 countries.