By Melissa Gibbs
It will be easier to get around on the freeways now, thanks to the Utah Department of Transportation.
Last week UDOT launched its new CommuterLink website.
The enhancements include an updated Web site with integrated cameras and monitors, construction updates, congestion and road condition detectors, an alert system and state-wide road weather and speed sensors.
Martin Knopp, director of intelligent transportation systems for UDOT, said the site is designed to help commuters.
'A big part of it is just improving customer satisfaction so they know before they go what are the conditions that they could experience,' Knopp said.
Commuters can log onto the website and see the latest road conditions. People can get traffic and weather condition updates, see any of the camera''s perspectives, or get customized traffic updates sent to their pagers or email boxes.
'Sometime in the future, we may have the technology that they can use CommuterLink to provide them with information while they''re driving,' said Jim McMinimee, UDOT region 2 director.
UDOT has about 100 cameras aimed at the roadways throughout the state. By the end of this year, it hopes to double that amount. UDOT hopes to eventually
have over 400 cameras aimed at Utah roadways.
UDOT is trying to get a better picture of the traffic situation.
'It enables us to see what''s going on at an incident and it enables us to get the right people dispatched to that incident,' McMinimee said.
Knopp said the updates are designed to make CommuterLink an essential tool for commuters.
'We constantly are bringing on additional parts of the system including new cameras, signs, detectors, and traffic signals,' Knopp said. 'We look forward to expanding the information we provide to commuters in helping them make CommuterLink their tool to ''know before you go.'''
UDOT says it hopes the new system will help reduce congestion by 30 percent, and the number of crashes by 20 percent.
'The CommuterLink program is a joint venture with UDOT, Utah Transit Authority, Utah Highway Patrol, Federal Highways Administration, and local agencies,' Knopp said. 'This program combines the best of our agencies to provide a one stop shop for traffic services.'
The CommuterLink program originates from UDOT''s traffic operations center. At the center, Utah Highway Patrol dispatchers are collocated along with UDOT''s traffic operators and incident management teams.
According to McMinimee, the combination of interagency resources has improved incident communications, decreased response times, improved commute time, decreased air pollution and saved fuel and time.
UDOT officials hope this intelligent transportation system technology will get Utahns where they''re going more efficiently regardless of what comes down the road.
To find out road conditions,u log on to www.utahcommuterlink.com.