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Houston TranStar Wins National Awards for its Traffic Management Website
Dec 3rd, 2001

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 3, 2001

Contact: Artee T. Jones – Executive Public Information Officer, Houston TranStar
713-881-3244 or ajones3@houstontranstar.org

HOUSTON TRANSTAR WINS NATIONAL AWARD
FOR ITS TRAVELER INFORMATION WEBSITE

“Recognized as one of the top traffic information websites in the nation by the FHWA”

(Houston, Texas) ----- On Sunday, December 2, 2001, Houston TranStar’s freeway traffic management website (http://traffic.tamu.edu) was formally recognized as one of the top traffic websites in the nation by the United States Department of Transportation - Federal Highway Administration at the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Board of Director meeting in Fort Worth, Texas.

The freeway traffic management website (http://traffic.tamu.edu) is sponsored by one of Houston TranStar’s valued partner agencies the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) in cooperation with the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI). The site features snap shots of Houston area freeways, real-time travel information, text reports, speed charts, historical data, route builder, emergency road and construction closures. Houston TranStar plans to make information from the site available on cell phones and personal digital assistants (PDA’s).

Houston TranStar is one of first winners of the USDOT Federal Highway Administrations new national award for traveler information websites. The selections were made following a national review of 103 traveler information websites, covering both content and usability of the sites.

The content was evaluated on whether sites presented information on current conditions, incidents, construction notices, HOV lanes, tolls, and the extent to which other useful information and links were provided. Usability criteria addressed such things as organization of information on the site, navigation of the site and how well information is described to the users.

According to USDOT Federal Highway Administrator Mary E. Peters, “ The World Wide Web is an important means of providing traveler information. These outstanding sites were chosen because of their user-friendliness, comprehensiveness of information and real-time reporting. Reliable, accessible traveler information websites saves travelers and shippers time, lives and money by giving them choices of time, route and even mode of transportation”.

Jack Whaley, Director of Houston TranStar states, “The Houston TranStar partnership is excited about the website being recognized as one of the best traveler information sites in the nation. Our goal with this site has always been to provide the most up to date and accurate information to travelers in a very user-friendly fashion. With Houston TranStar serving as a model for other TMC’s, it is incumbent upon us to be a leader in the industry, but, more importantly to provide an unprecedented level of service to the citizens of this region”.

Others sites recognized by the FHWA include CHART (www.chart.state.md.us/travinfo/travinfoasp), developed by the Maryland State Highway Administration and the Virginia Department of Transportation (www.vdot.state.va.us/traf/traf.html).

For more information on this national recognition, please contact Artee T. Jones, Executive Public Information Officer for Houston TranStar at 713-881-3244 or ajones3@houstontranstar.org. You may also contact Susan Slye with the United States Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration at 202-366-0660 or www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov.
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Houston TranStar is a partnership formed by the Transportation and Emergency Management agencies in the greater Houston region. The partnership is comprised of the City of Houston, Harris County, METRO and the Texas Department of Transportation. For more information about Houston TranStar website, please visit www.houstontranstar.org.

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TranStar Press Release	Close Window
Houston TranStar Wins National Awards for its Traffic Management Website	Dec 3rd, 2001

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 3, 2001 Contact: Artee T. Jones – Executive Public Information Officer, Houston TranStar 713-881-3244 or ajones3@houstontranstar.org HOUSTON TRANSTAR WINS NATIONAL AWARD FOR ITS TRAVELER INFORMATION WEBSITE “Recognized as one of the top traffic information websites in the nation by the FHWA” (Houston, Texas) ----- On Sunday, December 2, 2001, Houston TranStar’s freeway traffic management website (http://traffic.tamu.edu) was formally recognized as one of the top traffic websites in the nation by the United States Department of Transportation - Federal Highway Administration at the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Board of Director meeting in Fort Worth, Texas. The freeway traffic management website (http://traffic.tamu.edu) is sponsored by one of Houston TranStar’s valued partner agencies the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) in cooperation with the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI). The site features snap shots of Houston area freeways, real-time travel information, text reports, speed charts, historical data, route builder, emergency road and construction closures. Houston TranStar plans to make information from the site available on cell phones and personal digital assistants (PDA’s). Houston TranStar is one of first winners of the USDOT Federal Highway Administrations new national award for traveler information websites. The selections were made following a national review of 103 traveler information websites, covering both content and usability of the sites. The content was evaluated on whether sites presented information on current conditions, incidents, construction notices, HOV lanes, tolls, and the extent to which other useful information and links were provided. Usability criteria addressed such things as organization of information on the site, navigation of the site and how well information is described to the users. According to USDOT Federal Highway Administrator Mary E. Peters, “ The World Wide Web is an important means of providing traveler information. These outstanding sites were chosen because of their user-friendliness, comprehensiveness of information and real-time reporting. Reliable, accessible traveler information websites saves travelers and shippers time, lives and money by giving them choices of time, route and even mode of transportation”. Jack Whaley, Director of Houston TranStar states, “The Houston TranStar partnership is excited about the website being recognized as one of the best traveler information sites in the nation. Our goal with this site has always been to provide the most up to date and accurate information to travelers in a very user-friendly fashion. With Houston TranStar serving as a model for other TMC’s, it is incumbent upon us to be a leader in the industry, but, more importantly to provide an unprecedented level of service to the citizens of this region”. Others sites recognized by the FHWA include CHART (www.chart.state.md.us/travinfo/travinfoasp), developed by the Maryland State Highway Administration and the Virginia Department of Transportation (www.vdot.state.va.us/traf/traf.html). For more information on this national recognition, please contact Artee T. Jones, Executive Public Information Officer for Houston TranStar at 713-881-3244 or ajones3@houstontranstar.org. You may also contact Susan Slye with the United States Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration at 202-366-0660 or www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov. -30- _____________________________________________________________________________________ Houston TranStar is a partnership formed by the Transportation and Emergency Management agencies in the greater Houston region. The partnership is comprised of the City of Houston, Harris County, METRO and the Texas Department of Transportation. For more information about Houston TranStar website, please visit www.houstontranstar.org.
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