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April 24, 2015
Jon Nelson, Lake County Division of Transportation’s Traffic
Engineer, has received national recognition from the American Public Works
Association (APWA). The APWA selected Nelson as the Professional Manager of the
Year in Engineering and Technology for 2015.
In the
past five years as Lake County’s Traffic Engineer, Nelson has successfully
taken Lake County’s PASSAGE program from its infancy to a popular,
highly-functioning program recognized both regionally and nationally as a model
of successful application of Intelligent Transportation System (ITS)
technologies to local travel networks. Nelson understands that connecting
motorists with real time travel information will reduce their travel times and
help them navigate local roads more effectively.
Paula Trigg, the Director of Transportation explained, “Those of us that work with Jon every day are continuously impressed by his professional approach and technical vision as he develops, implements and promotes the expanding use of ITS technologies. Jon is very deserving of the APWA Professional Manager of the Year Engineering and Technology Award and we are proud of his achievement.”
Increasing
travel times have been an issue for local residents and motorists in Lake
County – particularly during AM and PM peak travel periods. This is a quality
of life issue for residents, and the region’s future economic growth depends on
an efficient and effective travel network. Projects which add lanes and improve
the highway system’s overall condition are ongoing, but they take time and are
very expensive. Nelson recognizes that Lake County’s PASSAGE program offers a
complementary strategy, making use of information and technology to enable the
existing travel network to work more effectively.
In
addition to developing a robust fiber optic communications network connecting
over 500 signalized intersections in Lake County, Nelson has successfully
integrated the use of Bluetooth technology to measure and report corridor
travel times. He has also added wireless hubs to expand the traffic signal
network, and implemented adaptive signal controls.
PASSAGE
also provides the ability to change signal timings to help alleviate congestion
and assist emergency responders. LCDOT has the technology and the partnerships
in place to use dispatch information from local police departments and cameras
to monitor traffic incidents and adjust signal timings to keep traffic moving.
In January
2015, the PASSAGE website had nearly 12,000 web visits, 760 traffic event
notifications and over 488,000 emails were sent to PASSAGE subscribers. LCDOT
is providing the public with the best information possible to make informed
travel decisions through smartphone applications, email subscription services
for notification of travel events on specific routes, and the Highway Advisory
Radio system. Public information is also shared through the use of social media (Twitter - Facebook) and the deployment of portable changeable message signs throughout the county.
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