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Press Release Archive:
2006 Press Releases
- 12-28-2006
THE TOP TEN WORST TRAFFIC INCIDENTS OF 2006 -- Experts at the Nation’s Largest Traffic
Gathering Organization Unveil the Ten Worst Traffic Incidents of the Year
New York, NY--December 28, 2006 -- Metro Networks, a Westwood One (NYSE: WON) company and the largest
traffic gathering and reporting operation in America, unveiled today the list of The Top Ten Worst Traffic Incidents of
2006. Compiled by Metro Networks traffic experts from across the country, the list covers incidents from 10 top U.S.
markets.
| NEW YORK: |
Tomahawk test missile ends up on Interstate highway |
| SAN FRANCISCO: |
Meatpacking truck spills cow body parts across freeway |
| HOUSTON: |
Truck containing frozen chickens splits open |
| BOSTON: |
12-ton concrete ceiling panel falls onto car |
| DALLAS: |
Bridge damaged by rig carrying oil refinery equipment |
| DETROIT: |
Two semis collide on Northbound I-75 |
| CHICAGO: |
Summer long repairs on 4 major roads |
| ATLANTA: |
Two cars and a tractor collide backing up traffic for 10 miles |
| LOS ANGELES: |
Crash causes S/B freeway to close for almost 13 hours |
| WASHINGTON DC: |
Two tractor trailers collide on Northbound I-95 |
“Our list shows the incidents that have caused some of the biggest traffic jams this year. American’s are already
struggling with longer rush hours and more challenges to their daily commute. Metro Networks is here to help people
navigate a worsening problem in their lives," said John Frawley, EVP of Operations for Metro’s 70 traffic offices.
Frawley has been a leading traffic expert for the past 20 years. He currently helps oversee Metro’s traffic gathering
infrastructure which is the largest in the world, including more than 70 local traffic operation centers, 1,800 traffic
reporters, producers and broadcasters, over 100 aircraft and agreements with Departments of Transportation for ITS
and 511 service deployment.
THE TEN WORST TRAFFIC INCIDENTS OF 2006
New York City - In July a tractor-trailer hauling a Tomahawk test missile overturned on I-95 SB in the Bronx. The
missile ended up on the Interstate. The highway was closed that morning while ATF officials and NYPD bomb crews
investigated. Metro Network radio and TV helicopters were over the scene all morning as workers carefully removed
the missile from the highway. No serious injuries resulted. There apparently was no triggering device on the missile.
San Francisco – A meatpacking truck traveling along the NB101 in San Mateo got into a messy accident spilling cow
body parts all across the freeway. Commuters experienced heavy delays as workers cleaned up the hundreds of
strewn body parts.
Houston – An accident on the ramp from 610 North loop to the US59 resulted in a truck falling off the ramp and
breaking open. The truck contained frozen chickens which were thrown all over the freeway below.
Boston - In July a 12-ton concrete ceiling panel from a "Big Dig" connector tunnel gave way, dropping onto a passing
car. The tunnel, which connects the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90) to the Ted Williams Tunnel, had to be shut down,
choking traffic between Boston's Metrowest and Logan International Airport. Thousands of commuters spilled into
downtown Boston and South Boston in search of alternate routes in a confusing sea of work crews and detours.
Dallas - A rig carrying oil refinery equipment on northbound Loop 12 in November smacked into an overhead bridge at
the Highway 183 interchange by Texas Stadium. The driver of the massive truck had permission to use Loop 12 and
was told that there would be enough clearance to get under the bridge. The wreck happened one day before a major
bridge demolition along I-30. Unfortunately Highway 183 was the scheduled alternate route for drivers heading back
and forth from Dallas to Tarrant County.
Detroit – In early November two semis collided on Northbound I-75 in Monroe. They caught on fire and flaming debris
was scattered clogging the entire freeway and involving another four semis and about six cars. The heat damage was
severe and the highway was closed for a week to repair the surface.
Chicago- The Summer of 2006 was one long traffic nightmare for commuters from the south suburbs of Chicago and
Northwest Indiana. The Dan Ryan Expressway, Chicago Skyway and I-80/94 were all under construction at the exact
same time leaving them no alternative but to sit in the long delays day in and day out.
Atlanta- Two cars and a tractor trailer collided just before the start of morning rush hour killing two people. The
interstate was closed for the entire rush hour backing up traffic almost 10 miles and clogging many alternate routes.
Los Angeles – In March, on the S/B 710 at Washington, a big rig overturned, caught fire, and burnt to the ground. The
entire S/B freeway was closed for almost 13 hours. As this is the East LA Interchange it affected every major freeway
heading in and out of Downtown Los Angeles from before the morning rush through the evening rush that day.
Washington DC – On a Friday morning in the spring, two tractor trailers collided on I-95 North in Massaponax, VA
(just south of Fredericksburg). The trucks caught fire and damaged the roads so severely that they had to be repaved.
The accident shut down I-95 North late into the night and caused major delays on I-95 South.
About Westwood One:
Westwood One (NYSE: WON) provides over 150 news, sports, music, talk, entertainment programs, features, and live
events including: The NFL and the Super Bowl; NCAA Football; NCAA Basketball and the Final Four; The NHL; The
GRAMMY Awards; the Academy of Country Music Awards; CBS, CNN and NBC News; the Radio Factor with Bill
O’Reilly; Imus in the Morning; and more. Through its subsidiaries, Metro Networks/Shadow Broadcast Services,
Westwood One provides local content to the radio and TV industries including news, sports, weather, traffic, video
news services and other information. SmartRoute Systems manages traffic information centers for state and local
departments of transportation, and markets traffic and travel content to wireless, Internet, in-vehicle navigation systems
and voice portal customers. Westwood One serves more than 5,000 radio stations. Westwood One is managed by
CBS Radio.
Press Contacts:
Peter Sessa
Westwood One
212.641.2053
peter_sessa@westwoodone.com
- 09-18-2006
WESTWOOD ONE CONTINUES FORWARD MOMENTUM IN DIGITAL MEDIA WITH THE APPOINTMENT OF GARY KRANTZ
TO NEWLY CREATED POSITION OF CHIEF DIGITAL MEDIA OFFICER -- Announcement Comes as Westwood One Launches Several Programming Websites Including:
The Osgood File (theosgoodfile.com) Randy Jackson's Hit List (rjhitlistonline.com), Loveline (lovelineshow.com) and Notre Dame Football
(ndfootballradio.com)
New York, NY--September 18, 2006 -- Westwood One (NYSE: WON) announced today that, effective September 25, 2006,
former Air America President Gary Krantz will assume the position of Chief Digital Media Officer at Westwood One. In this newly
created position, Krantz will oversee all aspects of Westwood One's burgeoning digital portfolio including newly launched websites
for The Osgood File (theosgoodfile.com) Randy Jackson's Hit List (rjhitlistonline.com), Loveline (lovelineshow.com) and Notre Dame
Football (ndfootballradio.com). He will be based in New York and report directly to Peter Kosann, Westwood One President and CEO.
"The appointment of Gary Krantz highlights the immediate shift of Westwood One's Digital Media portfolio from the
developmental stage to execution," said Peter Kosann, Westwood One President and CEO. "Destination web sites for key
personalities and programs have been launched and the syndication of local content to broadcast affiliates and non-
broadcast affiliates is rapidly expanding. Gary's unique strengths in programming sales, and marketing will enable our new
platforms to quickly gain traction with consumers, affiliates and advertisers."
"I am thrilled to be joining Westwood One at this perfect time in the company's growth," said Krantz "Radio is re-inventing
itself as the leading provider of audio content in all platforms, and Westwood One is a major player. This is a world class
company, with a 30-year track record in providing compelling content that is perfectly positioned to extend and develop
programming and brands in to new media platforms, and increase our ability to super-serve our advertisers, radio
affiliates, programming partners and listeners."
As President of Air America Radio, Krantz oversaw all operations of the company, including advertising sales, affiliations,
marketing, Air America's flagship station WLIB-AM, and the online web/interactive divisions. Prior to that, Krantz worked
at Premiere Radio Networks a division of Clear Channel Communications, performing in a variety of senior positions
including EVP/Operations, SVP/Music and Entertainment, and SVP/Sales of Mediabase, the leading music airplay monitoring
system in the Country. Krantz also worked directly with Clear Channel radio format directors to identify marketing,
programming and branding opportunities within Premiere and the entire Clear Channel platform. Before joining Premiere, he
served as Senior Vice President of AMFM Radio Networks where helped launch the programming arm of the network. Prior to
AMFM, he was the VP/GM of MJI Broadcasting where he was part of the core team that launched that company in 1981. At MJI he
established and oversaw the first affiliate marketing and international divisions of the company. Krantz sits on the board
of the John Bayliss Foundation, the Emerson College Board of Overseers, and is active in several industry organizations
including N.A.R.A.S, Lifebeat, The Country Music Association, The Country Radio Broadcasters, which he served as President,
and Leadership Music.
Over the past several years, Westwood One has: launched the new www.westwoodone.com, which now offers interactive,
streaming and downloadable content to a worldwide audience; launched SmartRoute System's RealTraffic, to provide real-time
traffic data to the online community; entered into an exclusive agreement with TrafficCast, the leader in predictive and
flow traffic information in the U.S. and China, to deliver integrated real-time traffic information for Yahoo! via Yahoo!
Maps; and developed a strategic relationship with NAVTEQ, a leader in premium quality digital map data, which integrates
Westwood One's traffic incident data into the NAVTEQ Traffic solution for certain navigation enabled devices in North
America.
Westwood One (NYSE: WON) provides over 150 news, sports, music, talk, entertainment programs, features, and live events.
Through its subsidiaries, Metro Networks/Shadow Broadcast Services, Westwood One provides local content to the radio and TV
industries including news, sports, weather, traffic, video news services and other information. SmartRoute Systems manages
traffic information centers for state and local departments of transportation, and markets traffic and travel content to
wireless, Internet, in-vehicle navigation systems and voice portal customers. Westwood One serves more than 5,000 radio
stations. Westwood One is managed by CBS Radio.
For more information please contact:
Peter Sessa
Westwood One
212.641.2053
peter_sessa@westwoodone.com
- 07-20-2006
511 – A Move in the Right Direction -- 511 SmartRoute Systems Moves Operations to SunGuide
Transportation Management Center
Miami, FL--July 20, 2006 -- 511 SmartRoute Systems, one of the SunGuide Intelligent Transportation Systems
partners within Florida, has moved their operations to the SunGuide Transportation
Management Center. This two story 32,000 square foot facility, located at 1001 NW
111th Avenue in Miami serves as the regional command and control facility for Miami-
Dade and Monroe countries. This facility also houses the dispatchers for Troop E of the
Florida Highway Patrol, and South Florida Commuter Services. These groups seamlessly
work together to manage incidents, provide real-time traveler information, provide
commuting options and coordinate with the regional SunGuide Partners.
Jesus Martinez, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Administrator, District 6 said:
“We’re excited about having the Smart Route 511 operations here with us at FDOT
District VI headquarters. We’ll work together to provide timely traveler information
regarding accidents, traffic congestion and construction delays. It’s all designed to ease
and lessen the time a motorist has to spend on the highways. Just like Miami traffic, it’s a
24/7 operation.”
511 telephone and Internet systems use the information gathered through the utilization
of cameras and detectors monitoring traffic flow. When a motorist dials 511, the
Interactive Voice Response System (IVR) provides clear, accurate, up-to-the minute
traffic information in both an English and Spanish format. And for repeat users, there’s
no need to wait for the System’s questions or prompts if you’re looking for information
in a specific area. As soon as the 511 connection is made, even during the system’s
welcoming speech, just name the highway or road you want information for. Say,
’95…Miami’ or ‘Turnpike…Broward’ or ‘US 1…Palm Beach’. For roads with unique
names like ‘Dolphin Expressway’, ‘State Road 60’, ‘Southern Boulevard’, or ‘University
Drive’, there’s no need to add a county name. And the best part, it’s another free FDOT
service.
This same information is also available at the web site www.southflorida511.com. At
the web site, one is able to create a specific route and view any traffic problems that may
affect the route, view traffic from live cameras, and set up their own custom traffic alerts.
There is even a “511 Frequently Asked Questions” section available to guide one through
the process.
FDOT continually works to improve its current programs as well as develop new ways to
ease traffic problems and concerns within Southeast Florida. Relocating SmartRoute 511
in FDOT’s District VI SunGuide Transportation Management Center is another move in
the right direction.
For additional Information, contact:
Jonathan Fricke
Marketing Manager
SmartRoute 511 · SunGuide Transportation Management Center
1001 NW 111 Avenue · Miami, FL 33172
305.914.3900
- 05-08-2006
SMARTROUTE SYSTEMS LANDS HELICOPTER AT ITS AMERICA
PHILADELPHIA, PA--Monday, May 08, 2006 - Jim O'Neill, vice president/general manager of
SmartRoute Systems shows off a Westwood One / SmartRoute Systems helicopter at ITS America. Delegates to the annual meeting
were invited to come and visit the SmartRoute stand, check out the firm's products and have the chance to be photographed
inside the cockpit.
SmartRoute operates a network of fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, plus camera networks, road
sensors and works with state DOTs to help build up its traveler information services, including live traffic incidents
reporting, congestion and flow reports and travel times.
The company reported more than six million traffic incidents last year and provided data, audio and video proudcts in the
100-plus cities it covers nationwide, gathering theinformation in more than 70 local operation centers. For more
information visit www.smartroute.com.
View Press Release & Photo
- 01-26-2006
WESTWOOD ONE'S METRO NETWORKS DRIVES OVER 110 MILLION WEBSITE
HITS WITH REALTRAFFIC -- Radio and TV Stations; Newspapers and State
Departments of Transportation nationwide that integrated Metro
Networks RealTraffic into their websites experienced A surge in page
views
New York, NY- Thursday, Jan 26, 2006 -- Metro Networks,
with its subsidiary, SmartRoute Systems, both Westwood One (NYSE:WON)
companies, together with Maptuit® Corporation, announced today that
their RealTraffic" web service drove a total of 110 million website
page views to affiliated websites since it's launch in January 2004.
More than 85 million of the total number of page views came in the
2005 calendar year. Seamlessly integrated into the websites of Radio
and TV stations; Newspapers and State Departments of Transportation
across the country, RealTraffic is the only on-line traffic
information service powered by Metro Networks, the largest traffic
gathering and reporting operation in the world.
RealTraffic partners currently include: WINS-AM, WNBC-TV (New York),
KTTV-TV (Los Angeles) WUSA-TV and WRC-TV (Washington, DC), The
Washington Post and numerous others.
"The RealTraffic interactive feature on 1010wins.com has certainly
helped to power its growth," said Mark Mason, VP News CBS Radio
Stations / Executive Editor 1010 WINS. "We exceeded 10,500,000 page
views during December and there's little doubt that this very
helpful little widget is a magnet for visitors who want to check
their route before hitting the road. I've recommended it to all of
our stations for use on their sites. It's also a perfect compliment
to our on-air Shadow traffic reports."
"The station's assignment desk uses Navigation 4 to determine where
to send Chopper 4 for the 5:00 PM newscast," said Steve Frank,
Managing Editor WNBC.com New York. "In addition, since the launch of
Navigation 4, it has averaged over 450,000 page views per month."
"After more than 30 years of helping drive rating increases for
radio stations with innovative, enthralling programming, Westwood
One has taken that drive to the interactive level with RealTraffic,"
said Chuck Bortnick, Westwood One Co-COO. "The integration of
RealTraffic turns any website into a total traffic solution, making
RealTraffic affiliated sites a "must-visit" for millions of
commuters nationwide."
"Maptuit is very proud of the close relationship we've developed
with Westwood One and we look forward to reaching many more people
in 2006 with RealTraffic alerts," stated Jeff Papows, Chairman and
CEO of Maptuit Corporation.
Westwood One and Maptuit have developed the RealTraffic service by
leveraging the core strengths of both companies. Built on Westwood
One's up-to-date traffic information, along with Maptuit's
sophisticated database of the North American road network,
RealTraffic offers personalized traffic content to ease the driving
experience for commuters, travelers, and professional drivers. With
street-level directions integrated with traffic incident
information, RealTraffic also allows drivers to choose alternate
routes and avoid problem traffic thereby making the commuting
experience less painful. Together, Westwood One and Maptuit have
developed RealTraffic as a "must have" traffic service to ease the
commuting experience and aid in trip planning for the professional
driver.
By using RealTraffic, commuters who subscribe to the service are
able to set up personalized accounts where they can enter locations
such as "work" and "home", as well as define trips between them such
as "home to the gym on weekdays at 7:30AM", or "work to home,
weekdays between 5:30PM and 7PM". At the specified time intervals,
the RealTraffic service checks each trip for traffic incidents and
notifies the commuter of any traffic advisory that will impact their
trip using a SMS (Short Message Service) or e-mail alert. Using the
website, the commuter will have the ability to request an alternate
route that avoids congestion.
Founded in 1999, Maptuit is the leading provider of location
information web services for consumer and transportation markets.
Built around the industry's most sophisticated model of the North
American road network, Maptuit has developed its services to support
the transportation, tracking and traffic markets. For more
information please visit www.maptuit.com. Maptuit is a registered
trademark in the United States, and Maptuit, RealTraffic and other
names or logos identifying the services are trademarks or service
marks of Maptuit Corporation.
Westwood One (NYSE: WON) provides over 150 news, sports, music,
talk, entertainment programs, features, live events and 24/7
formats. Through its subsidiaries, Metro Networks/Shadow Broadcast
Services, Westwood One provides local content to the radio and TV
industries including news, sports, weather, traffic, video news
services and other information. SmartRoute Systems manages traffic
information centers for state and local departments of
transportation, and markets traffic and travel content to wireless,
Internet, in-vehicle navigation systems and voice portal customers.
Westwood One serves more than 5,000 radio stations. Westwood One is
managed by CBS Radio.
Press Contacts:
Peter Sessa
Westwood One
212.641.2053
peter_sessa@westwoodone.com
Carlos Bernal
Maptuit
781.685.4693
carlos.bernal@maptuit.com
2005 Press Releases
- 11-30-2005
WESTWOOD ONE’S SMARTROUTE SYSTEMS AND TRAFFICCAST ANNOUNCE
AGREEMENT -- The Agreement Creates The Nation’s Largest Database Of Real-Time
Traffic Incident, Enhanced Flow And Predictive Data, Which Is Now
Available To All Metro Networks and SmartRoute Systems Broadcast and
Data Customers
New York, NY - November 30, 2005 - SmartRoute Systems
(SRS), a Westwood One (NYSE: WON) company, and TrafficCast, the
leader in predictive and flow traffic information in the U.S. and
China, announced today an agreement to create largest traffic
incident, enhanced flow, and predictive traffic services in North
America.
Combining the resources of SmartRoute Systems’ and TrafficCast’s
patented systems, technologies and ITS operational expertise,
creates the nation’s largest database of real-time traffic incident
and flow data. Flow data is now integrated into SmartRoute Systems’
340,000 locations and managed through its patented data
architecture. SmartRoute Systems historical traffic data is now
analyzed by TrafficCast’s systems, allowing SmartRoute Systems to
offer predictive traffic information to its clients. In addition,
the companies are working closely together to add more speed and
flow markets nationwide.
“This new agreement with TrafficCast enables customers of all
platforms to do ‘one-stop shopping’ for all their traffic
information needs”, said Gary Worobow, Westwood One EVP Business
Affairs. “The incorporation of actual traffic speed and predictive
traffic services into Westwood One’s massive traffic information
gathering and reporting operation further enhances the breadth and
accuracy of all of our traffic services, as well as growing our
portfolio of traffic information and content for emerging markets.”
"TrafficCast is delighted and excited to announce this association
with Westwood One," said Dr. Connie Li, President/CEO of TrafficCast.
"Westwood One has established the gold standard in traffic reporting
and we're confident that TrafficCast technology and predictive
models will combine to significantly improve traffic information and
travel advisories for clients of both companies, and ultimately
drivers across the country."
SmartRoute Systems provides local traffic, news, sports and weather
information to wireless, Internet, in-vehicle navigation systems and
voice portal customers. SRS reports include: traffic incidents, road
and lane closures, construction delays, scheduled roadwork, event
delays, travel times and alternate routes. SRS also manages traffic
information centers for state and local departments of
transportation. SmartRoute Systems is part of Metro Networks, whose
traffic gathering infrastructure includes more than 70 local traffic
operation centers, 1800 traffic reporters, producers and
broadcasters, over 100 aircraft and multiple engagements with
Departments of Transportation for ITS and 511 service deployment.
For more information please visit www.smartroute.com.
Combined incident, flow & predictive services, and products are
available now to existing and emerging markets - including
broadcast, Departments of Transportation, telematics & automotive
navigation systems, internet, wireless, fleet, and personal
navigation device markets.
TrafficCast is a leading provider of digital traffic data. The
company has developed and patented software platforms and predictive
models to produce route-specific travel time estimates and forecasts
for traditional and emerging traffic information markets.
TrafficCast's product and delivery focus is personalized travel
information via interactive platforms and wireless devices. Founded
by experts in traffic engineering and data analysis, TrafficCast
technology fuses historic traffic patterns of the national roadway
network with "live" traffic incident and flow data, weather
forecasts, construction and event schedules to deliver meaningful,
actionable travel advice. TrafficCast China, an affiliate of
TrafficCast, is currently testing its technology in Shanghai for
deployment in a national traffic system in China. TrafficCast is
based in Madison, WI. For more: www.trafficcast.com
Westwood One (NYSE: WON) provides over 150 news, sports, music,
talk, entertainment programs, features, live events and 24/7
formats. Through its subsidiaries, Metro Networks/Shadow Broadcast
Services, Westwood One provides local content to the radio and TV
industries including news, sports, weather, traffic, video news
services and other information. Westwood One serves more than 5,000
radio stations. Westwood One is managed by Infinity Broadcasting
Corporation.
For more information on these exciting new products please contact:
Bill Martin
Westwood One
617-588-3716
bill_martin@metronetworks.com
Press Contacts :
Peter Sessa
Westwood One
212.641.2053
peter_sessa@westwoodone.com
- 11-09-2005
SMARTROUTE SYSTEM’S SMARTRAVELER BECOMES FIRST TRAVELER
INFORMATION SYSTEM TO RECEIVE OVER 50 MILLION CALLS:
New York, NY - November 9, 2005
SmarTraveler provides eastern Massachusetts drivers with the timely,
accurate, and route-specific information needed navigate the busy
transportation system in and around Boston. Travelers get real-time
traffic and transit information with a toll-free call to *1 on their
cellular phone or by dialing 617-374-1234 from a land-based phone.
The information is also available at smartraveler.com. Calls to the
service are on the rise, with a five-year average growth-rate of
over 10 percent. Last year, SmarTraveler received 6.7 million calls
and is expected to surpass seven million this year.
“By giving motorists up-to-the-minute traffic conditions, we afford
them basic information that creates smarter and better commuters,”
said Massachusetts Transportation Secretary John Cogliano.
“While 50 million calls is a milestone we’re proud of, it’s really
just a waypost on the road to an exciting future,” added Jim
O’Neill, the Vice President and General Manager of SmartRoute
Systems.
SmartRoute Systems provides local traffic, news, sports and weather
information to wireless, Internet, in-vehicle navigation systems and
voice portal customers. SRS reports include: traffic incidents, road
and lane closures, construction delays, scheduled roadwork, event
delays, travel times and alternate routes. SRS also manages traffic
information centers for state and local departments of
transportation. SmartRoute Systems was acquired by Westwood One in
November 2000 and now has traffic incident data from Metro Networks,
in addition to news and other local content from Metro Source.
Westwood One provides over 150 news, sports, music, talk,
entertainment programs, features, live events and 24/7 formats.
Through its subsidiaries, Metro Networks/Shadow Broadcast Services,
Westwood One provides local content to the radio and TV industries
including news, sports, weather, traffic, video news services and
other information. Westwood One serves more than 5,000 radio
stations. Westwood One is managed by Infinity Broadcasting
Corporation.
Press Contact
Peter Sessa
Westwood One
212.641.2053
peter_sessa@westwoodone.com
- 06-02-2005
SUNGUIDE 511 HITS 5 MILLION TRAVELER INFO CALLS:
New York, NY – June 2, 2005 – SmartRoute Systems
(SRS), a Westwood One (NYSE: WON) company, and The Florida
Department of Transportation (FDOT), announced today that their
SUNGUIDE 511 joint venture in South Florida recorded a new high,
receiving its five millionth call in April 2005. The National 511
Deployment Coalition now ranks SUNGUIDE 511 South Florida second
only to San Francisco’s 511 service. Launched in July 2002, the
SUNGUIDE 511 partnership has emerged as one of the nation’s premier
traveler information systems. Prompted by a strong marketing
campaign and increased consumer awareness, SUNGUIDE 511 has become a
cornerstone of the daily commute for thousands of southeast Florida
residents. The SUNGUIDE 511 traffic information system processed
more than 292,000 calls in the month of March, surpassing its
previous high of 244,000 set only one month earlier. While usage
numbers continue to rise, customer satisfaction remains high.
According to customer surveys, the SUNGUIDE 511 system has one of
the highest customer satisfaction ratings in the country. Jesus
Martinez, ITS Administrator for the Florida Department of
Transportation District 6, states, “We are excited that our
customers have embraced this valuable service. We look forward to
rolling out enhancements later this summer.” Together, SUNGUIDE 511
and the Smart Traveler Website www.511southflorida.com provide
comprehensive and timely tracking of traffic conditions in the Palm
Beach, Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe County areas. In March 2005,
the Smart Traveler Website received more than 395,000 hits. SUNGUIDE
511 has recorded several usage peaks in its lifespan. After
replacing its original standard phone number to 511, the system
experienced a 500% surge in caller volume. As consumer awareness has
grown, the system has experienced a significant rise in call volume.
During the 2004 hurricanes, call count and Web hits also rose
significantly as 511 provided valuable traffic information for those
travelers evacuating the area. With the 2005 hurricane season
approaching, SUNGUIDE 511 may once again play a critical role.
SmartRoute Systems provides local traffic, news, sports and weather
information to wireless, Internet, in-vehicle navigation systems and
voice portal customers. SRS reports include: traffic incidents, road
and lane closures, construction delays, scheduled roadwork, event
delays, travel times and alternate routes. SmartRoute Systems was
acquired by Westwood One in November of 2000 and now has available
traffic incident data from Metro Networks, in addition to news and
other local content from Metro Source. Westwood One (NYSE: WON)
provides over 150 news, sports, music, talk, entertainment programs,
features, live events and 24/7 Formats. Through its subsidiaries,
Metro Networks/Shadow Broadcast Services, Westwood One provides
local content to the radio and TV industries including news, sports,
weather, traffic, video news services and other information.
SmartRoute Systems manages traffic information centers for state and
local departments of transportation, and markets traffic and travel
content to wireless, Internet, in-vehicle navigation systems and
voice portal customers. Westwood One serves more than 7,700 radio
stations. Westwood One is managed by Infinity Broadcasting
Corporation. For more information visit
www.westwoodone.com.
- 06-02-2005
Mobile Phones Steer Listeners Clear Of LA Traffic -- KFWB Radio
Station Launches Mobile Traffic Alert Service
VIENNA, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 2, 2005--KFWB
(http://www.kfwb.com), Los Angeles' station for news, traffic and
weather, The Mobile Media Company (www.mobilemedia.com), Westwood
One and 3United Mobile Solutions (www.3united.com), today announced
the launch of the KFWB Traffic On Demand service that will help
listeners dodge the infamous Los Angeles traffic by receiving
customized traffic text messages on their cell phones.
KFWB's Traffic on Demand goes live just as the 2005 Urban Mobility
Report(http://mobility.tamu.edu/ums/media_information/news_release.stm),
published by the Texas Transportation Institute, announced that
North America's traffic troubles are growing worse, costing
Americans $63.1 billion a year. "For years, KFWB has been known as
the station for `Traffic On The Ones,' traffic reports every ten
minutes. Now we're excited to offer up to date traffic information
whenever someone needs it," explains David Hall, VP of AM
Programming from KFWB.
Available to the majority of Los Angeles mobile phone subscribers,
KFWB Traffic On Demand can be easily accessed by sending a chosen
route number via text message to telephone number 98011. The traffic
status of that highway is then sent via return text message, at a
cost of $0.75 per message(1).
In addition to KFWB's own traffic reports, further traffic
information is supplied by Westwood One with 3United providing the
application that enables the information to be used on mobile
phones. Mobile Media is providing the connectivity to the mobile
network operators and manages the mobile messaging platform.
"KFWB Traffic on Demand requires no initial subscriptions, no up
front fees or complicated sign up
procedure," explained Steinar Svalesen, EVP and General Manager of
Mobile Media North America. "Being so easy to use, we expect to see
LA drivers use the service on a very regular basis."
KFWB is the source for news in Southern California, with traffic on
"the ones" -- traffic updates every ten minutes. Owned by Infinity
Broadcasting Corporation, the station recognized a high demand for
live traffic news that could be accessed anytime, from anywhere by
their listeners.
"When Southern California listens for Traffic news, they listen to
KFWB," explained David Hall of KFWB. "Commuters in L.A. are stuck in
traffic 93 hours a year! The beauty of our mobile traffic alert
service is that it will actually save people time and money by
helping them to avoid jams."
For more information about the KFWB Mobile Traffic Information
services, visit www.kfwb.com
About KFWB:
KFWB News 980 is the place for Traffic On The Ones, breaking news,
and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
About Infinity Broadcasting Infinity Broadcasting Corporation
("Infinity") is one of the largest radio broadcasting companies in
the United States, and is a division of Viacom Corporation. The
company, headquartered in New York City, owns approximately 180
radio stations located in 22 states in the nation's largest markets.
About Westwood One:
Westwood One (NYSE:WON) provides over 150 news, sports, music, talk,
entertainment programs, features, live events and 24/7 Formats.
SmartRoute Systems manages traffic information centers for state and
local departments of transportation, and markets traffic and travel
content to wireless, Internet, in -vehicle navigation systems and
voice portal customers.
About 3united:
3united Mobile Solutions AG is a market leader in premium SMS,
m-commerce and mobile content solutions and serves as an
international hub for all Central and Eastern Europe in the field of
Premium SMS connectivity. For more information, please visit
www.3united.com or mail
a.wiesmueller@3united.com.
About Mobile Media:
The Mobile Media Company is the leading producer and global
distributor of branded, made -for-mobile entertainment, interactive
TV formats and mobile marketing concepts. Mobile Media is
headquartered in Oslo, Norway. For more information, please visit:
www.mobilemedia.com or send
an e-mail to info@mobilemedia.com.
(1) $0.75 does not include standard text message costs, charged by
operators.
Contacts:
KFWB
David G. Hall, 323-871-4625
DGHall@cbs.com
2004 Press Releases
- 11-11-2004
Maptuit and SmartRoute Systems Provide Up-to-the-Minute
Traffic Information to WNBC-TV New York. RealTraffic Powers WNBC-TV's
Navigation 4 to Help Commuters Navigate Around New York City:
Burlington, Mass. (November 11, 2004) -- Maptuit®
Corporation, the leading provider of trucking, tracking and traffic
services, together with Smart Route Systems, Inc. (SmartRoute), a
Westwood (NYSE:WON) company, today announced New York's WNBC4 has
licensed the companies' RealTraffic™ service and rebranded it as
Navigation 4. RealTraffic now powers WNBC-TV's online traffic
information service, at www.WNBC.com, to help commuters make
better-informed travel decisions as they navigate through traffic
around New York City on a daily basis.
"We are thrilled to help take NBC4's Web and wireless traffic
reporting to the next level with the incorporation of RealTraffic,"
said Pat LaPlatney, Executive Vice President, Westwood One.
"Bringing this unprecedented service to the No.1 market in the
country, on a station as powerful as WNBC-TV, is sure to be a model
for the future of online traffic reporting across America."
"We are impressed with the accuracy in which Navigation 4 is able to
calculate the best driving directions given real-time traffic and
construction conditions." said WNBC-TV. "By leveraging RealTraffic,
we are able to provide commuters with the necessary information and
tools to beat the congested New York City traffic."
"Maptuit and SmartRoute Systems have designed RealTraffic to meet
the needs of drivers who want to make their daily commute as
efficient as possible," stated Bill Tapscott, SVP Corporate
Development. "With the live traffic reports and helpful alerts we
are providing, commuters are able to avoid traffic incidents and get
clear directions of the shortest route to get to where they need to
go."
WNBC's Navigation 4 service, powered by RealTraffic, provides
accurate online real-time traffic and construction information
content. With street-level directions integrated with traffic
incident information, WNBC-TV will be able to provide drivers with
the ability to see conditions that will affect their daily commute
or travels. Drivers can use the system to proactively search for
exceptional traffic on their morning and evening commutes, and have
personalized alerts sent to their cell phone or email if there are
any problems. Additional alerts can made available that include
weather conditions, and other important broadcast messages to the
community such as Amber Alerts.
Maptuit and Westwood One have developed the RealTraffic service by
leveraging the core strengths of both companies. Together,
RealTraffic is becoming a "must have" traffic service to ease the
commuting experience and aid in trip planning for the professional
driver.
SmartRoute's national traffic database offers traffic and
transportation information for over 100 US cities, using the largest
private traffic-gathering infrastructure in the world. More than
1900 employees in 76 separate operational facilities report on
accidents, breakdowns, construction and other events and their
impact on traffic flow. SmartRoute's relationships with numerous
departments of transportation provide access to speed and flow data
where available, while SmartRoute's 150 aircraft, hundreds of camera
images and mobile units visually confirm all information before it
is reported, making possible the most accurate traffic information
anywhere.
About Westwood One
Westwood One (NYSE: WON) provides over 150 news, sports, music,
talk, entertainment programs, features, live events and 24/7
Formats. Through its subsidiaries, Metro Networks/Shadow Broadcast
Services, Westwood One provides local content to the radio and TV
industries including news, sports, weather, traffic, video news
services and other information. SmartRoute Systems manages traffic
information centers for state and local departments of
transportation, provides 511 services, Websites, and markets traffic
and travel content to wireless, Internet, automotive, and media
customers. Westwood One serves more than 7,700 radio stations.
Westwood One is managed by Infinity Broadcasting Corporation. For
more information visit www.westwoodone.com.
About Maptuit Corporation
Founded in 1999, Maptuit provides the most comprehensive road and
location information service for the consumer and transportation
markets. With Maptuit's advanced Web services, companies benefit
from the ability to easily look up addresses, create maps, perform
proximity searches, generate optimized routes and provide
directions. For more information please visit www.maptuit.com.
Media contact:
Noreen Vincent
Maptuit Corporation
781.685.4693
(Noreen.Vincent@maptuit.com)
- 08-25-2004
NAVTEQ and SmartRoute Systems Collaborate to Enable North
American Traffic Applications:
August 25, 2004
Company: NAVTEQ
Industry: Wireless / Navigation
Location: Chicago, IL, United States of America
Real-Time Traffic Data Linked to NAVTEQ Maps Now Available to Both
Westwood One and NAVTEQ Customers
CHICAGO,IL-- NAVTEQ (NYSE: NVT) and SmartRoute Systems, Inc. (SmartRoute),
a Westwood One company (NYSE: WON), announced today a multi-year
cross-licensing agreement to integrate SmartRoute's traffic incident
data into the NAVTEQ Traffic(TM) solution for certain navigation
enabled devices in North America. The agreement also enables
SmartRoute to offer its customers traffic data and other information
geocoded to NAVTEQ(TM) maps.
The agreement will help bring real-time traffic information to a
broad range of navigation-enabled devices including in-vehicle
navigation systems. With real-time traffic information linked to
accurate map data, navigation device users will be able to make
informed routing and re-routing decisions.
SmartRoute's national traffic database offers traffic and
transportation information for over 100 US cities, using the largest
private traffic- gathering infrastructure in the world. More than
1900 employees in 76 separate operational facilities report on
accidents, breakdowns, construction and other events and their
impact on traffic flow. SmartRoute's relationships with numerous
departments of transportation provide access to speed and flow data
where available, while SmartRoute's 150 aircraft, hundreds of camera
images and mobile units visually confirm all information before it
is reported.
NAVTEQ Traffic provides traffic flow rates, planned incident and
unplanned incident data to enable personalized, real-time
information to navigation systems. NAVTEQ Traffic quality checks and
aggregates traffic data from multiple sources to provide a solution
that links up-to-the minute traffic information to map data and
enables wireless transmission direct to location- enabled devices
such as in-vehicle navigation systems and cellular phones.
"We are thrilled to be working together with Westwood One and
SmartRoute to make real-time traffic information accessible and
drive the industry's newly traffic-enabled navigation applications,"
commented John MacLeod, Executive Vice President - Global Marketing
& Strategy for NAVTEQ. "Westwood One has revolutionized traffic
information gathering and broadcasting and we're pleased to link our
map data with Westwood One's high quality traffic data."
"We are excited about the agreement with NAVTEQ," said Richard
Marks, Executive Vice President of SmartRoute. "NAVTEQ plays a very
important role in the traffic information industry, using their
expertise in digital mapping and the in-vehicle navigation industry
to create a national traffic product that works with map-based
applications. Formalizing this important relationship with NAVTEQ
helps us fill an immediate need for our client base by providing our
traffic information referenced to NAVTEQ maps."
About Westwood One
Westwood One (NYSE: WON) provides over 150 news, sports, music,
talk, entertainment programs, features, live events and 24/7
Formats. Through its subsidiaries, Metro Networks/Shadow Broadcast
Services, Westwood One provides local content to the radio and TV
industries including news, sports, weather, traffic, video news
services and other information. SmartRoute Systems manages traffic
information centers for state and local departments of
transportation, provides 511 services, Websites, and markets traffic
and travel content to wireless, Internet, automotive, and media
customers. Westwood One serves more than 7,700 radio stations.
Westwood One is managed by Infinity Broadcasting Corporation. For
more information visit www.westwoodone.com .
About NAVTEQ
NAVTEQ is a leading provider of comprehensive digital map
information for automotive navigation systems, mobile navigation
devices and Internet-based mapping applications. NAVTEQ creates the
digital maps and map content that power navigation and
location-based services solutions around the world. The
Chicago-based company was founded in 1985 and has approximately
1,400 employees located in over 100 offices in 20 countries.
NAVTEQ is a trademark in the US. and other countries.
This document may include certain "forward-looking statements"
within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, but are not
limited to our plans, objectives, expectations and intentions and
other statements contained in this report that are not historical
facts as well as statements identified by words such as "expects,"
"anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates"
or words of similar meaning. These statements are based on our
current beliefs or expectations and are inherently subject to
significant uncertainties and changes in circumstances, many of
which are beyond our control. Actual results may differ materially
from these expectations due to changes in global political,
economic, business, competitive, market and regulatory factors.
NAVTEQ CONTACT:
Laura Richey of NAVTEQ
+1-312-894-7127
laura.richey@navteq.com
Bob Richter for NAVTEQ
+1-212-802-8588
bob@richtermedia.com
- 08-03-2004
Boston IVR calls hit record highs due to DNC:
BOSTON, MA - August 3, 2004 - Last week’s Democratic National Convention focused the eyes of a
nation on Boston. Hosting the DNC also had on impact on the city’s traveler information interactive voice response
(IVR) telephone system, with calls hitting an all-time high of 752,785 for the month of July.
During the 13-day period of July 19-31, the Boston system exceeded 20,000 calls per day with a weekday average for the
month of 27,855. There were two days during the month that the system took more than 40,000 calls in one day.
“We exceeded our previous record month by nearly 100,000 calls,” said Jeff Larson, project manager for SmartRoute Systems,
which operates the system under contract to the Massachusetts Highway Department.
SmartRoute Systems and the Massachusetts Highway Department worked closely with DNC organizers to provide detailed travel
information on the SRS website and IVR system.
The DNC information was accessed 29,813 times during the month of July.
“At the request of the DNC organizers, SRS acted as the real-time information conduit for closings and road restrictions to
all the Boston area traffic reporting media,” said Larson. “We developed communications protocols with the other traffic
reporting companies to insure that the traveling public had access to the best, most accurate and up-to-date information
available,” he added.
SRS also served as a media resource during the convention, providing interviews and information to ABC News, CNBC, CSPAN,
BBC, Associated Press, New York Times, Washington Post and a number of Boston-based media outlets.
“The DNC in Boston was a huge event, politically for the nation, and for commuters locally. Forty miles of major highways
were closed through Boston,” said Larson. “This was a great opportunity to demonstrate how Intelligent Transportation
Systems (ITS) can help manage the associated congestion and disruption to the transportation system. A lot of commuters in
the Boston area were able to deal with hosting the convention by having accurate and reliable advanced and real-time
information,” he added.
CONTACT:
Jeff Larson
SmartRoute Systems
(617) 588-3703
- 04-22-2004
Maptuit and SmartRoute Systems Deliver RealTraffic™ to Ease
Commuter Experience:
April 22, 2004
Company: Maptuit
Industry: Location-based Services (LBS), Location Technology
Location: San Jose, CA, United States of America
Personalized Web-based Application Alerts Commuters to
Up-to-the-Minute Traffic Events
Burlington, MA – Maptuit® Corporation, one of the nation’s leading
street and location information service providers and SmartRoute
Systems, a Westwood One Company, today announce the availability of
RealTraffic. Together, Maptuit and SmartRoute Systems deliver
RealTraffic as a Web-based service that offers personalized traffic
information and alerts to ease the driving experience for commuters,
travelers, and professional drivers. RealTraffic already boasts a
strong customer base that includes State DOTs and media portals.
"Surveys of mobile subscribers consistently indicate traffic as one
of the most sought after services," said Jeff Papows, CEO for
Maptuit. “No one wants to be stuck in traffic that they could have
avoided through an alert on their cell phone or through an email.
Our relationship with Westwood One allows us to deliver this
valuable service to make life easier for commuters, professional
drivers, or anyone on the go."
“With RealTraffic, we are able to provide our customers with a
traffic reporting service to integrate into their Web site, to help
their subscribers make the most of their commute.” said Richard
Marks, SVP, Westwood One. “We chose to work with Maptuit to develop
the RealTraffic services, as they exceeded our criteria for superior
technology, data, processes, and service records.”
RealTraffic is a Web service that allows DOTs and media portals to
provide accurate real-time traffic and construction information
content on their site. With street-level directions integrated with
traffic incident information, RealTraffic allows drivers to see
conditions that will affect their daily commute or travels.
RealTraffic will proactively search for exceptional traffic on each
commuter’s route, and will send personalized alerts to their cell
phone or email if there are any problems. Additional alerts made
available through RealTraffic include weather conditions, and other
important broadcast messages to the community such as Amber Alerts.
Maptuit and Westwood One have developed the RealTraffic service by
leveraging the core strengths of both companies. Together,
RealTraffic is becoming a “must have” traffic service to ease the
commuting experience and aid in trip planning for the professional
driver, and is projected to exceed a million subscribers to the
service by 2005.
RealTraffic is currently being used by the New Jersey Department of
Transportation for its statewide traveler information Website.
RealTraffic is also under development for South Florida’s SunGuide
traveler information service.
About Westwood One
Westwood One (NYSE: WON) provides local content to the radio and TV
industries including news, sports, weather, traffic, video news
services and other information. SmartRoute Systems manages traffic
information centers for state and local departments of
transportation, and markets traffic and travel content to wireless,
Internet, in-vehicle navigation systems and voice portal customers.
Westwood One serves more than 7,700 radio stations. Westwood One is
managed by Infinity Broadcasting Corporation. For more information
visit www.westwoodone.com.
About Maptuit Corporation
Founded in 1999, Maptuit provides the most comprehensive road and
location information service for the consumer and transportation
markets. With Maptuit’s advanced Web services, companies benefit
from the ability to easily look up addresses, create maps, perform
proximity searches, generate optimized routes and provide
directions. For more information please visit www.maptuit.com.
To unsubscribe from this list, please hit reply to this email and
type unsubscribe in the subject line. Thank you.
Maptuit is a registered trademark in the United States, and Maptuit,
RealTraffic and other names or logos identifying the services are
trademarks or service marks of Maptuit Corporation.
Noreen Vincent
(Noreen.Vincent@maptuit.com)
Phone: 781.685.4693
- 01-16-2004
NCDOT selects PBS&J and the National 511 Alliance to provide
statewide travel information service:
Orlando, FL
– The North Carolina
Department of Transportation (NCDOT) announced today that it has
selected the National 511 Alliance to provide real-time travel
information to the commuters and travelers of North Carolina via a
simple, easy-to-use telephone system. Starting in the summer of
2004, travelers in North Carolina will be able to access statewide
information about traffic, construction zones, road conditions, and
more by dialing 5-1-1 on a wireless or landline phone.
“We are very excited about providing this new service to the
travelers of North Carolina. 511 will allow NCDOT and our partners
to put information about current travel conditions where it is
needed most – in the hands of those using the roads,” said Jo Ann
Oerter, NCDOT project manager. The voice-activated 511 system will
also connect users to information about train service, ferries, and
buses, allowing riders to get useful information for trip planning
purposes. The 511 system will build upon the information already
available to the public at www.ncsmartlink.org and www.511nc.org.
In the western portion of neighboring Virginia, the easy-to-remember
travel information system has enjoyed success with travelers since
its launch in February 2002. Todd Kell, formerly the DOT project
manager for Virginia’s 511 system and now with PBS&J, will lead the
efforts of the “511 Alliance” to implement 511 in North Carolina.
According to Kell, “NCDOT and its partners put a lot of time and
effort into planning their 511 system. They clearly did their
homework and have included some nice features that no other service
in the country has.” He added, “Our job is to make it happen.”
The National 511 Alliance, led by PBS&J, will build, operate, and
maintain the 511 service under a $2.48-million contract for a
minimum of two years and up to five years should NCDOT exercise all
available optional years. Other members of the Alliance include
SmartRoute Systems/Westwood One (SRS), Tele Atlas North America,
Inc. (Tele Atlas), and Meteorlogix, each providing specialized
content or delivery services for the system.
The roles each firm plays in the Alliance are:
• PBS&J – Coordination, Project Management, Project Design and
Documentation
• SRS/Westwood One – Traffic Content, Operations and 511 Interactive
Voice Response (IVR) telephone system implementation
• Tele Atlas – Map Databases, Interface Development, Traffic
Workstations, and Traveler Information Servers.
• Meteorlogix – Travel-related weather information, the projected
impact of weather on travel times, and real-time alerting
capabilities.
About the National 511 Alliance (www.511alliance.com)
In May 2003, PBS&J, SmartRoute Systems/Westwood One (SRS), Tele
Atlas, and Meteorlogix combined their talents to form the National
511 Alliance with the goal of providing advanced 511 capabilities
for local and state agencies that would meet and surpass the
industry guidelines.
The Alliance's goal is to assist in taking 511 from a "nice-to-have"
option to a necessity with demonstrated value for the traveling
public, policy makers, and the transportation community.
For more information, please contact the National 511 Alliance at
(800) 284-5182 extension 600 or info@511alliance.com.
About PBS&J (www.pbsj.com)
PBS&J is a leading provider of infrastructure planning, engineering,
construction management, and program management services. The
employee-owned firm is ranked by Engineering News-Record as 25th
among the nation's top 500 consulting firms and 9th among the
nation’s 50 largest transportation firms. The firm is also ranked
2nd in CE News' list of "Best Civil Engineering Firms to Work For."
PBS&J has more than 3,300 employees and 60 offices located
throughout the US. and abroad.
About SmartRoute Systems/Westwood One (www.smartroute.com)
SRS/Westwood One is a national leader in traffic information in the
United States. In existence for 25 years, Westwood One operates 71
traffic operations centers in the US., delivering traffic
information in 97 cities. SmartRoute Systems, established in 1988,
provides local traffic, news, sports and weather information to
wireless, Internet, in-vehicle navigation systems, and voice portal
customers. SmartRoute was acquired by Westwood One in November of
2000 and now has available traffic incident data from Metro
Networks, in addition to news and other local content.
About Tele Atlas (www.na.teleatlas.com)
Founded in 1984, Tele Atlas is a worldwide leading provider of
digital maps and dynamic location content for a variety of
navigation, location-based services and geospatial products and
database solutions. Tele Atlas’ database is a highly accurate
reproduction of today's street network, enabling turn-by-turn route
guidance on a high percentage of European, US. and Canadian roads.
Tele Atlas’ compatibility with major navigation systems and its open
system design have placed the company’s technology at the heart of
both consumer and business-to-business applications worldwide. From
logistics to marketing to traffic and fleet management, in almost
every sector of today's business and consumer world, Tele Atlas has
built a reputation as an acknowledged pioneer and leader in the
digital map industry.
About Meteorlogix (www.meteorlogix.com)
Meteorlogix is an institutionally-owned private company. Based in
Minneapolis, Meteorlogix delivers industry-specific weather
management capabilities for its customers to manage weather-related
business risks, maximize personal safety and minimize financial
loss. Meteorlogix serves more than 20,000 customers with a focus on
public safety, broadcast media, transportation, energy and aviation
industries. Its client roster includes the Federal Emergency
Management Agency, Reuters, Bloomberg, Union Pacific Railroad,
Tennessee Valley Authority, US Airways, City of Orlando, and
Travelocity.
Contact:
Kathe Riley Jackson
Corporate Communications Manager
800-284-5182 (ext 331)
krjackson@pbsj.com
Mailing Address:
PBS&J
482 S. Keller Road
Orlando, Florida 32810
North Carolina DOT Contact:
Jo Ann Oerter
511 Project Manager
NCDOT
919-233-9331 (ext 233)
joerter@dot.state.nc.us
2000 Press Releases
- 06-12-2000
WESTWOOD ONE, INC. TO ACQUIRE SMARTROUTE SYSTEMS, INC. -- WESTWOOD ONE EXPANDS TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES
TO FOCUS ON INTERNET, WIRELESS AND IN-VEHICLE MARKETS:
CAMBRIDGE, MA--(PRNewswire)--June 12, 2000 -- Westwood One, Inc. (NYSE: WON) and
affiliates of Sandler Capital Management today announced a definitive agreement by which Westwood One will acquire the operating assets
of SmartRoute Systems.
The acquisition will allow Westwood One to utilize the technology developed by SmartRoute to expand its delivery of local traffic and
other related content via new and emerging technologies, as well as to enhance the services currently provided by SmartRoute to various
government agencies. SmartRoute's technology, combined with Westwood One's traffic content available through its Metro Networks/Shadow
Broadcast Services subsidiaries, will enable Westwood One to provide its content to new media outlets including the Internet, wireless
and in-vehicle markets. The completion of the transaction is subject to certain closing conditions, including the expiration of the
Hart-Scott-Rodino waiting period.
Arnold Sheiffer, Chief Executive Officer, SmartRoute Systems stated: "The agreement with Westwood represents the best opportunity for both
companies to continue to develop new products and services for our public and private clients."
Joel Hollander, Westwood One President and Chief Executive Officer stated: "Westwood's extensive information databases and sales organization
combined with SmartRoute's WINGS delivery system will strategically position the company as the preeminent supplier of local traffic content
and information to the Internet and other wireless technologies."
SmartRoute, Systems, headquartered in Cambridge, MA, provides traffic and travel information services to consumers in the home, office and
vehicle. The Company disseminates a range of multimedia traveler information services to the wireless, online, interactive voice response,
in-vehicle navigation device and broadcast media markets under the brand name SmarTraveler.. SmartRoute will continue to provide these
services to the public, private and emerging business sectors. For more information about SmartRoute Systems, log onto the Company's website
at www.smartraveler.com.
Westwood One provides over 150 news, sports, music, talk, entertainment programs, features, live events and 24-hour Formats. Through its
subsidiaries, Metro Networks/Shadow Broadcast Services, Westwood One provides local content to the radio and TV industries including news,
sports, weather, traffic video news services and other information. Westwood One serves more than 7500 radio stations. Westwood One, Inc. is
managed by Infinity Broadcasting.
Contact:
Beth Bower
617-494-8100
bbower@smartroute.com
- 04-25-2000
New Jersey DOT adds SmarTraveler Information Service to South Jersey/Camden Area :
MOUNT LAUREL, N.J.--April 25, 2000 -- Southern New Jersey commuters now have access to real-time traffic information as part
of an expansion of SmarTraveler services provided by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) and SmartRoute Systems Inc. of
Cambridge, MA. SmartRoute has been providing similar services in southeastern Pennsylvania under an agreement with the Pennsylvania Department
of Transportation since 1997.
Starting this week, South Jersey/Camden area commuters have access to up-to-the-minute, route-specific traffic and transit information via mobile
and landline telephone as well as the Internet. Commuters can reach the service by dialing (856) 795-9400. Mobile phone users can reach the service
with a call by dialing Cellular #211 from most mobile phones (a free call from CellularOne and SprintPCS). Online traffic information is available
at www.SmarTraveler.com.
The coverage area for the service includes roadways and major thoroughfares from Trenton to the Delaware Memorial Bridge in southwestern New Jersey.
Highways covered include: Interstate 76/NJ 42, I-95 and I-295; US 1, 30 and 322; NJ 38, 70, and 90; all of the Delaware River bridges and the New
Jersey Turnpike. The service also includes information on current transit conditions on PATCO, NJ Transit and Mercer Metro buses. SmartRoute Systems
has established a workstation at the New Jersey Department of Transportation Traffic Operations Center in Mount Laurel, staffed by a Traffic Information
Manager.
Headquartered in Cambridge, MA, SmartRoute Systems provides traffic and related travel information services to consumers under the brand name
SmarTraveler in metropolitan regions across the country.
For more information or to schedule a photo opportunity at the NJDOT Traffic Operations Center, please contact Bob Murphy at 215-567-0100.
Contact:
Bob Murphy
215-567-0100
David Fierro
352-258-2791
NJDOT Contact:
Jim Berzok
609-530-2034
- 03-20-2000
Point, Click and Move-on! SmarTraveler.com Launches in the Denver Metropolitan Area -- National Expansion Continues
With Online Traffic Information Now Available in 13 Markets:
Denver, CO.--March 20, 2000 -- SmartRoute Systems announces the availability of up-to-the-minute, route-specific traffic
information for the Denver metropolitan area on the Internet at www.smartraveler.com.
The addition of Denver to the family of SmarTraveler cities marks the continuation of an aggressive national expansion effort in the year 2000.
"Adding Denver to our deployed city list is an important step towards our company's stronghold on a national footprint for SmarTraveler
traffic information services," stated Arnie Sheiffer, chairman and CEO of SmartRoute Systems. Internet users can now access the Denver area's latest
traffic and transit conditions for their commutes by simply clicking on the SmarTraveler.com route map. Statewide road and weather condition
information can also be accessed. Helpful features of the site include:
- Icons - which are color-coded for the user to quickly see whether a route is "ok", "slow" or experiencing delays.
- Text Reports - details of any incidents on the roadways.
- Travel Times - that tell the user exactly how long a drive
will take along a specific road segment.
- Construction/Event Information - that is displayed on appropriate route pages to notify users of construction and events that may affect
traffic
- Statewide Road and Weather Conditions - updated throughout the day.
SmartRoute Systems is under contract to Lockheed Martin to provide the SmarTraveler.com service as part of the Colorado Department
of Transportation's Colorado Statewide Transportation Management System. Data collection resources for the service include: CCTV cameras, road
sensors, fixed-wing aircraft, SmartRoute Systems Road Reporters, CDOT road maintenance crews, the Colorado State Patrol, the Regional Transportation
District (RTD), Mile High Courtesy Patrol, greater Denver police and other emergency service agencies. Headquartered in Cambridge, MA, SmartRoute Systems provides
traffic and related traveler information services to consumers in the home, office, and vehicle. The company currently disseminates a range
of multimedia traveler information services to the wireless, online, interactive voice response, in-vehicle navigation device and broadcast
media markets under the brand name SmarTraveler in metropolitan regions across the country. For more information on SmartRoute Systems, log
on to the company's website at www.smartraveler.com.
Contact:
Brad Patterson
(303) 512-5824
Katy Wallace
617-494-8100
- 03-13-2000
Audiopoint Teams with SmarTraveler® to Provide On-Demand Web Traffic Updates by Phone -- Now Mobile Consumers in Nation's
Capital Can Get Road-Specific Traffic Information When They Need It :
WASHINGTON, DC--March 13, 2000 -- Audiopoint, America's free interactive voice connection to the Web, and SmarTraveler®, the nation's premier
provider of traffic and related travel information, have joined forces to provide mobile consumers in the Greater WASHINGTON, DC area with on-demand traffic
updates over any phone. SmarTraveler is a service of SmartRoute Systems, Inc.
Audiopoint combines SmarTraveler content with leading-edge speech recognition technology to give callers free access to real-time traffic information. With the
D.C. metro area rated second-worst in the nation for traffic congestion (behind Los Angeles), and recent surveys showing Beltway tie-ups worsening, the
Audiopoint/SmarTraveler "traffic team" gives Washingtonians more traffic information options than ever before.
"Audiopoint and SmarTraveler pick up where traditional traffic reports leave off," said Nick Unger, president and CEO of Audiopoint. "We provide road-specific
traffic information when, where and how you want it. Our on-demand delivery over any phone means our callers can check their route before they get stuck in traffic,
saving valuable time."
"As a working parent, I'm always running from one commitment to another, " said Audrey Schaefer of Derwood, Md. "With Audiopoint, I can check road traffic conditions
real-time, so I don't hit unexpected traffic jams which could throw off my tight schedule. "
"Wireless information services are fast becoming integral to people's daily lives," said Arnold Sheiffer, chairman and CEO of SmartRoute Systems. "We view our
partnership with Audiopoint as an important way to further advance our company's position as the dominant traffic content provider to this explosive market."
Accessing traffic information on Audiopoint is as quick and easy as talking on the phone, says Unger. First, dial 888-38-AUDIO (888-382-8346) from any wireless or
landline phone or #AUDIO on select wireless carriers. After the voice prompt, say "Traffic Report." Then, say your particular route and Audiopoint and SmarTraveler
will do the rest.
For example, say "Interstate 66 " and the service will tell you how traffic is running on I-66 both eastbound and westbound between Centreville, Va. and the Theodore
Roosevelt Bridge. Thanks to SmarTraveler, Audiopoint gives commuters added benefits of traffic volume reports and causes of tie-ups.
Over the next few months, Audiopoint plans to expand the voice portal menu to include movie listings, restaurants, airline schedules and customized information.
Through the new myAudiopoint feature - to be added in the second quarter of calendar year 2000 - Web users will be able to pre-select and customize information
through http://www.myaudiopoint.com.
About Audiopoint
Based in Fairfax, Va., Audiopoint is a fast, free interactive service that combines the information-on-demand capabilities of the Web with advanced speech recognition
technology and the convenience of the telephone. Audiopoint gives people on-the-go instant access to stock quotes, weather reports, sports scores and traffic updates
- precisely the information they specify. The privately held firm was founded in June 1999 in partnership with Reston-based PriceInteractive. For more information,
call (703) 279-3410 or visit www.myaudiopoint.com.
About SmartRoute Systems
Headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., SmartRoute Systems provides traffic and related travel information services to consumers in the home, office and vehicle. The
Company currently disseminates a range of multimedia traveler information services to the wireless, online, interactive voice response, in-vehicle navigation device
and broadcast media markets under the brand name SmarTraveler® in metropolitan regions across the country. For more information about SmartRoute Systems, log onto
the Company's Web site at www.smartraveler.com.
Contact:
Katy Wallace
617-494-8100
kwallace@smartroute.com
Bill Holleran or Chris Lee
Boscobel Communications for Audiopoint
301.588.2900
estn@boscobel.com
clee@boscobel.com
- 03-10-2000
SmarTraveler.com and GiantBear.com Enter Agreement to Deliver Traffic Information Content for New Wireless Applications:
Cambridge, MA--March 10, 2000 -- SmarTraveler.com, providing access to real-time, route-specific traffic and related travel information, has
partnered with GiantBear.com to provide content distribution through new web-to-wireless devices. The GiantBear.com system allows wireless users to access websites
or web-based information on portable phones, pagers and other pervasive computing devices.
"We are pleased to offer our subscribers mobile access to SmarTraveler.com information. This robust and accurate local content will prove to be invaluable to their
busy daily lives", stated Steven Price, chief executive officer of GiantBear.com.
Headquartered in White Plains, N.Y., GiantBear.com was founded by Steven Price and Stuart Rosenstein, seasoned wireless industry executives who ran PriCellular
Corporation, a rural wireless carrier -- and created LiveWire --a diversified software and Internet company focused on business-to-business and mission critical
software products and services for media, telecom and new media companies. The management team includes numerous wireless and Internet industry professionals with
extensive wireless carrier as well as web development and back-end integration experience.
"The explosive growth of wireless information devices has created an ideal market for SmarTraveler real-time, traffic information," stated Arnold Sheiffer, SmartRoute
Systems' chairman and CEO. "Our partnership with GiantBear.com strengthens our position as the dominant traffic information provider to the wireless community."
Headquartered in Cambridge, MA, SmartRoute Systems provides traffic and related travel information services to consumers in the home, office and vehicle. The
Company currently disseminates a range of multimedia traveler information services to the wireless, online, interactive voice response, in-vehicle navigation device
and broadcast media markets under the brand name SmarTraveler in metropolitan regions across the country. For more information about SmartRoute Systems, log onto
the Company's website at www.smartraveler.com.
Contact:
Katy Wallace
617-494-8100
kwallace@smartroute.com
- 02-22-2000
ORACLEMOBILE AND SMARTRAVELER.COM CLEAR THE ROAD FOR WIRELESS ACCESS TO UP-TO-THE-MINUTE TRAFFIC CONDITIONS:
NEW YORK, NY--February 22, 2000 -- SmartRoute Systems, Inc., the nation's premier provider of traffic and related travel information, today
announced they are working with OracleMobile, a subsidiary of Oracle Corp to provide SmarTraveler.com traffic content and services to wireless devices. OracleMobile
customers will have the ability to access real-time traffic information that is customized to the routes they travel. OracleMobile's service is immediately available
at http://www.oramobile.com/.
"With OracleMobile, SmarTraveler.com customers will be able to take advantage of accessing the latest, route-specific traffic conditions for their area from mobile
devices for the first time," said Denise Lahey, CEO of OracleMobile. "At the touch of a button, OracleMobile gets you from where you are to where you want to be."
OracleMobile was formed by Oracle Corp. to focus on the rapidly emerging wireless Internet market. OracleMobile is effectively mobilizing the Web with initial access
to content and services from 20 leading Internet sites. OracleMobile's service is free of charge to consumers and supports wireless devices with Web or messaging
capabilities.
"OracleMobile is poised to change the way people access the Internet," said Arnie Sheiffer, Chairman and CEO of SmartRoute Systems. "We are excited to offer
SmarTraveler.com traffic information through this groundbreaking dissemination platform."
About SmartRoute Systems
Headquartered in Cambridge, MA, SmartRoute Systems provides traffic and related travel information services to consumers in the home, office and vehicle. The
Company currently disseminates a range of multimedia traveler information services to the wireless, online, interactive voice response, in-vehicle navigation device
and broadcast media markets under the brand name SmarTraveler in metropolitan regions across the country. For more information about SmartRoute Systems, log onto
the Company's website at www.smartraveler.com.
*Trademarks Oracle is a registered trademark and OracleMobile is a trademark or registered trademark of Oracle Corporation. SmarTraveler is a registered trademark
of SmartRoute Systems, Inc.
Contact:
Katy Wallace
617-494-8100
kwallace@smartroute.com
- 01-25-2000
SmartRoute Systems Now Providing Traffic Information to Detroit's Top Rated Radio Station, WWJ-AM 950 and Top Rated Television
Station, WXYZ-TV -- Company continues to expand list of television and radio media clients:
Detroit, MI--January 25, 2000 -- SmartRoute Systems now provides traffic information to the Detroit metropolitan area's #1 radio station,
WWJ News Radio 950 (CBS Radio), and #1 television station, WXYZ-TV(ABC/Disney Affiliate).
WWJ News Radio 950
SmartRoute Systems provides WWJ radio with traffic reports broadcast live from the SmartRoute Systems Operations Center. The reports air every 10 minutes on WWJ,
and include accurate, high quality details on current traffic conditions in the region.
WXYZ-TV
SmartRoute Systems began providing WXYZ-TV with traffic information this past November. WXYZ broadcasts real-time video from 158 of the Michigan Department of
Transportation's highway cameras located at the SmartRoute Systems Operations Center. SmartRoute Systems also provides the station with traffic information on
all major interstate freeways and state trunkline highways for incorporation into their traffic reports. WXYZ gained #1 rating status in the adult 25-54
demographic for their morning news broadcasts this past fall -- which coincides with the premier of SmarTraveler traffic reports.
WWJ and WXYZ join other major media outlets on SmartRoute Systems' growing client list including: WCVB-TV, Boston; WPVI-TV Philadelphia; WCPO-TV Cincinnati;
Jacor Broadcasting, Cablevision, Media One, Cox Communications, and Jones Cable.
"We are thrilled to be servicing high caliber media outlets such as WWJ radio and WXYZ-TV", stated Arnie Sheiffer, Chairman and CEO of SmartRoute Systems.
"The addition of these stations to our client roster further secures SmartRoute Systems position as a major player in the TV and radio traffic business."
SmartRoute Systems operates in the Detroit area out of the Michigan Department of Transportation's Intelligent Transportation Systems Center under a unique
public-private partnership agreement. This high-tech Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) collects and disseminates the region's most accurate travel
information. Data collection resources include: 158 CCTV cameras, 2,600 mainline loop sensors, the Michigan State Police; 7 County Sheriffs; 250 local police
agencies; MDOT; 9 County Road Commissions; numerous EMS companies, fire departments, emergency management agencies; over 440 mobile probes, the Michigan
Emergency Patrol, various towing companies, trucking companies, and media partners.
Headquartered in Cambridge, MA, SmartRoute Systems provides traffic and related travel information services to consumers in the home, office and vehicle.
The Company currently disseminates a range of multimedia traveler information services to the wireless, online, interactive voice response, in-vehicle
navigation device and broadcast media markets under the brand name SmarTraveler in metropolitan regions across the country. For more information about
SmartRoute Systems, log onto the Company's website at www.smartraveler.com.
Contact:
Jeff Bauer
(313) 964-8490
Katy Wallace
(617) 494-8100
- 01-19-2000
SmartRoute Systems Appoints Kate Adams as Chief Operating Officer:
Cambridge, MA--January 19, 2000 -- SmartRoute Systems' Board of Directors announces the appointment of Kate Adams as Chief Operating
Officer effective today. Ms. Adams will oversee the company's engineering, sales and operations functions
as SmartRoute continues to expand into new regions and increases its market penetration.
"We are pleased to announce the appointment of Kate Adams to this key senior management position", stated Arnie Sheiffer,
Chairman and CEO of SmartRoute Systems. "Her extensive leadership experience in product development and operations will
greatly benefit the company as we increase our product offerings and our geographic expansion."
Ms. Adams comes to SmartRoute Systems from CableSoft Incorporated (recently purchased by Motorola Corporation) where she
served as Executive Vice President. In this position, she was instrumental in the development and launch of a successful
interactive local information product for cable viewers. Prior to joining CableSoft, Ms. Adams was Vice President/General
Manager for Bell Atlantic Video Services.
Ms. Adams also brings over 15 years of management, marketing, operations and product development experience in the
cable/broadband industry to her new position at SmartRoute Systems. She held various management positions at both
Cablevision Systems and Viacom Cablevision, most notably as General Manager of Cablevision's largest system serving over
400,000 customers in New York. Ms. Adams has an MBA from The Wharton School and a BA from Wheaton College.
Headquartered in Cambridge, MA, SmartRoute Systems provides traffic and related travel information services to consumers in
the home, office and vehicle. The Company currently disseminates a range of multimedia traveler information services to the
wireless, online, interactive voice response, in-vehicle navigation device and broadcast media markets under the brand name
SmarTraveler in metropolitan regions across the country. For more information about SmartRoute Systems, log onto the
Company's website at www.smartraveler.com.
Contact:
Katy Wallace
617-494-8100
- 01-11-2000
SmartRoute Systems Debuts "SmarTravelerTV" on MediaOne -- Cable Television Program Now
Providing Continuous Traffic, Transit, and Weather for the Morning Rush Hour Commute to 575,000 MediaOne Customers:
Cambridge, MA--January 11, 2000 -- SmartRoute Systems, the leading high-tech content provider of continuous traffic and related traveler information,
announces the premier of its live, continuous rush-hour cable television program SmarTravelerTV to 575,000 of MediaOne's
cable customers in Eastern Massachusetts.
The first and only program of its kind in the country, SmarTravelerTV provides an invaluable information service a cable
television program containing accurate, route-specific traffic, transit, and weather information broadcast continuously to
keep morning rush hour travelers up-to-date about their commutes. Broadcast live from the high-tech SmarTraveler Control
Center in Cambridge, MA, SmarTravelerTV anchor reporters are aided by live highway cameras and sophisticated maps to report
the latest commuter news to viewers. This fast-paced, advertiser-sponsored program was launched nationally in the
Washington, DC metropolitan area in 1998, and is also carried locally by Cablevision, Boston/Brookline.
"MediaOne is pleased to bring SmarTravelerTV's up to the minute commuter information to our Eastern Massachusetts
customers. The launch of this informative program, which is exclusive to MediaOne in its franchise communities, is part of
MediaOne's ongoing commitment to provide more local, community-focused programming to our customers," said R.B. Lerch,
vice-president of original programming for MediaOne's Northeast Region.
The show will be available initially to approximately 575,000 of Media-One's subscribers and will provide new traffic,
transit and weather and updates every five minutes from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. [Editor's Note: A complete listing of
communities and channel access information is attached.]
MediaOne Group (NYSE: UMG) is one of the world's largest Broadband communications companies, bringing the power of
Broadband and the Internet to customers in the United States, Europe and Asia. The company also has interests in some of
the fastest-growing wireless communications businesses outside the U.S. For 1998, the businesses that comprise MediaOne
Group produced $7.1 billion in proportionate revenue. On May 6, 1999, the company entered into an agreement to merge with
AT&T.
Headquartered in Cambridge, MA, SmartRoute Systems provides traffic and related travel information services to consumers in
the home, office and vehicle. The Company currently disseminates a range of multimedia traveler information services to the
wireless, online, interactive voice response, in-vehicle navigation device and broadcast media markets under the brand name
SmarTraveler in metropolitan regions across the country. For more information about SmartRoute Systems, log onto the
Company's website at www.smartraveler.com.
SmarTravelerTV Media One Access Listing
| Town |
Channel
|
|
Town |
Channel
|
| Andover |
8
|
|
Needham |
8
|
| Arlington |
8
|
|
Newburyport |
8
|
| Attleboro |
9
|
|
Newburyport |
8
|
| Avon |
9
|
|
Newton |
8
|
| Beverly |
8
|
|
North Andover |
8
|
| Billerica |
8
|
|
North Reading |
8
|
| Bolton |
8
|
|
Norwell |
8
|
| Boxford |
9
|
|
Quincy |
8
|
| Brockton |
9
|
|
Randolph |
8
|
| Burlington |
8
|
|
Raynham |
9
|
| Cambridge |
8
|
|
Reading |
8
|
| Chemlsford |
8
|
|
Rehoboth |
9
|
| Clinton |
8
|
|
Revere |
8
|
| Cohassett |
8
|
|
Rowley |
8
|
| Dedham |
8
|
|
Saugus |
8
|
| Dracut |
8
|
|
Scituate |
8
|
| E. Bridgewater |
9
|
|
Sherborn |
8
|
| Easton |
9
|
|
Sterling |
8
|
| Hamilton |
8
|
|
Stoneham |
8
|
| Hanover |
8
|
|
Stoughton |
9
|
| Hanson |
9
|
|
Tewksbury |
8
|
| Hingham |
8
|
|
Topsfield |
8
|
| Holbrook |
9
|
|
Waltham |
8
|
| Hopkinton |
8
|
|
Watertown |
8
|
| Hull |
8
|
|
Wayland |
8
|
| Ipswich |
8
|
|
Wellesley |
8
|
| Lancaster |
8
|
|
Wenham |
8
|
| Lawrence |
8
|
|
W. Bridgewater |
9
|
| Lowell |
8
|
|
West Newbury |
8
|
| Marblehead |
8
|
|
Weston |
8
|
| Marlboro |
8
|
|
Weymouth |
8
|
| Methuen |
8
|
|
Whitman |
8
|
| Middleton |
8
|
|
Wilmington |
9
|
| Milford |
8
|
|
Winchester |
8
|
| Milton |
8
|
|
Woburn |
8
|
| Nahant |
8
|
|
|
|
| Natick |
8
|
|
|
|
Contact:
Jeff Larson
Katy Wallace
617-494-8100
1999 Press Releases
- 12-21-1999
Smartraveler.com Launches in the Detroit Metropolitan Area --
Up-to-the-minute, route-specific traffic information available 24-Hours a Day/7-Days a Week:
CAMBRIDGE, MA--December 21, 1999 -- SmartRoute Systems and the Michigan Department of Transportation
announce the availability of up-to-the-minute, route-specific traffic information for the Detroit metropolitan area
on the Internet at www.smartraveler.com.
Internet users can now access the area's latest traffic and weather conditions for their commutes by simply clicking on the
smartraveler.com route map. Helpful features of the site include:
- Icons - which are color-coded for the user to quickly see whether a
route is "ok", "slow" or experiencing delays
- Text Reports - details of any incidents on the roadways
- Travel Times - that tell the user exactly how long a drive will take
along a specific road segment
- Construction/Event Information - that is displayed on appropriate route
pages to notify users of construction and events that may affect traffic
- Weather - extraordinary weather events forecast or occurring in the
area
In addition to this website, SmartRoute Systems provides traffic information to Detroit's top-rated WXYZ-TV, and plans to
launch other wireless, broadcast, in-vehicle and interactive voice-response traveler information products in the coming
year.
SmartRoute Systems operates in the Detroit area out of the Michigan Department of Transportation's Intelligent
Transportation Systems Center under a unique public-private partnership agreement. This high-tech Advanced Traffic
Management System (ATMS) collects and disseminates the region's most accurate travel information. Data collection resources
include: 158 CCTV cameras, 2,600 mainline loop sensors, the Michigan State Police; 7 County Sheriffs; 250 local police
agencies; MDOT; 9 County Road Commissions; numerous EMS companies, fire departments, emergency management agencies; over
440 mobile probes, the Michigan Emergency Patrol, various towing companies, trucking companies, and media partners.
The coverage area for this system includes 180 miles of expressways in Oakland, Macomb, and Wayne Counties. The system
allows for information to be disseminated 24-hours per day, 7-days a week.
"We are very pleased to partner with SmartRoute Systems to expand our real-time traffic information available via the
Internet," said State Transportation Director, James DeSana. "This is just one of the many exciting enhancements planned to
improve the safety and efficiency of our transportation system."
Headquartered in Cambridge, MA, SmartRoute Systems provides traffic and related traveler information services to consumers
in the home, office, and vehicle. The company currently disseminates a range of multimedia traveler information services to
the wireless, online, interactive voice response, in-vehicle navigation device and broadcast media markets under the brand
name SmarTraveler in metropolitan regions across the country. For more information on SmartRoute Systems, log on to the
company's website at www.smartroute.com.
Contact:
Katy Wallace
(617) 494-8100
Jeff Bauer
(313) 964-8490
- 12-15-1999
SUNGUIDE Agencies Select SmartRoute Systems for Public-Private Partnership To Deliver
Advanced Traveler Information Services (ATIS) To South Florida -- Deployment to Begin 1st Quarter 2000, with System Available
to the Public by End of Year 2000.:
CAMBRIDGE, MA--December 15, 1999 -- The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) announced today that the
SUNGUIDE partners, consisting of transportation agencies in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, have selected SmartRoute
Systems to design, deploy and operate Advanced Traveler Information Services in South Florida.
SmartRoute Systems' selection was made following a competitive public bid process for this five-year, $4 million contract.
Under the contract, SmartRoute Systems will provide an interactive voice response (IVR) telephone system and a web site -
both free to the public. The IVR system will provide landline and mobile callers with up-to-the-minute, route specific
traffic and transit information on demand. The web site will allow users to simply point and click on a regional map to
access the latest route-specific travel conditions for the area. The company plans to launch other enhanced wireless, in-
vehicle, cable and broadcast products in the region. SmartRoute Systems will begin the design and deployment process early
in 2000, with services available to the traveling public by end of year 2000.
These services are components of the regional SUNGUIDE program for South Florida. SUNGUIDE is a comprehensive Intelligent
Transportation Systems (ITS) initiative provided by FDOT's District 4 (Broward and Palm Beach Counties), District 6 (Miami-
Dade County), Florida's Turnpike, as well as regional transit agencies and Metropolitan Planning Organizations.
In addition, SmartRoute Systems has selected a handful of prominent local southern Florida companies to serve as sub-
contractors on this project. They are Frederick R. Harris, Kimley- Horn, David Fierro & Associates and the Center for Urban
Transportation Research.
Headquartered in Cambridge, MA, SmartRoute Systems provides traffic and related traveler information services to consumers
in the home, office, and vehicle. The company currently provides a range of multimedia traveler information services to the
wireless, online, interactive voice response, in-vehicle navigation device and broadcast media markets under the brand name
SmarTraveler in metropolitan regions across the country. For more information on SmartRoute Systems, log on to the
company's website at www.smartroute.com.
Contact:
Katy Wallace
(617) 494-8100
David Fierro
(305) 245-9267
- 11-04-1999
SmartRoute Systems to Provide WPVI-TV Philadelphia with Live Traffic Reports -- Deployment
to Begin 1st Quarter 2000, with System Available -- Company Now Services Four Network TV Affiliates, Radio Stations and Three
Cable TV Providers.:
CAMBRIDGE, MA--November 04, 1999 -- SmartRoute Systems, Inc. has announced that it will provide WPVI-TV,
Channel 6 - the number one rated station in the Philadelphia market - with live traffic reports beginning November 8, 1999.
Broadcast live from the SmarTraveler® Operations Center in Philadelphia, these traffic reports will provide viewers with high
quality and informative traffic reports using high-tech mapping and graphics, as well as a look at live traffic cameras throughout
the area. Veteran Philadelphia area traffic reporter, John Valerio will serve as the live anchor.
WPVI-TV joins WCVB-TV Boston, WXYZ-TV Detroit and WCPO-TV Cincinnati in the list of major network affiliate stations that
recognize the depth and breadth of traffic information that only SmartRoute Systems is capable of providing. SmartRoutes
also services several radio stations with traffic information and three cable TV providers with the unique and popular
SmarTravelerTV™ morning traffic show.
"We are pleased and privileged to add powerhouse WPVI-TV to our fast growing list of broadcast clients", stated SmartRoute
Systems' CEO Arnie Sheiffer. "This deal represents a major step towards securing SmartRoutes as a significant player in the
broadcast traffic report business".
Headquartered in Cambridge, MA, SmartRoute Systems provides traffic and related traveler information services to consumers
in the home, office, and vehicle.. The company currently provides a range of multimedia traveler information services to
the wireless, online, interactive voice response, in-vehicle navigation device and broadcast media markets under the brand
name SmarTraveler® in metropolitan regions across the country. For more information on SmartRoute Systems, log on to the
company's website at www.smartroute.com.
Contact:
Katy Wallace
SmartRoute Systems
(617) 494-8100
- 11-01-1999
SmartRoute Systems Selected to Operate Two Major ITS Operation Centers - Boston's Central
Artery/Tunnel Project Interim Operations Center and the Central Indiana Advanced Traffic Management System:
CAMBRIDGE, MA--November 01, 1999 -- SmartRoute Systems, Inc. has been recently selected to operate two major
metropolitan ITS Operations Centers.
The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority has selected SmartRoute Systems to negotiate a three year contract (with a two year
renewal option) to continue to operate the Central Artery/Tunnel Project's Interim Operation Center. This high-tech nerve
center for the nation's largest public works project uses a sophisticated system including cameras, electronic message
signs and direct communications with construction and project personnel to collect and disseminate project information to
residents, businesses and public agencies. SmartRoute Systems has been operating this center since 1995.
The Indiana Department of Transportation (InDOT) is in the process of deploying a statewide traffic management/advanced
traveler information system called ATIS. SmartRoute Systems (under a 2 year sub-contract with HNTB) has been chosen to
provide operation support for InDOT's Traffic Management Center which includes the collection and dissemination of incident
data through Changeable Message Signs, Highway Advisory Radio, pagers, and the internet.
Arnie Sheiffer, CEO of SmartRoute Systems states that, "we are pleased to continue our strong and important partnership
with the Central Artery Tunnel Project, and the management of InDOT's traffic management center is a welcome addition to
our public sector project list."
With the continuation of the Central Artery / Tunnel Project's Interim Operations Center contract, and the addition of the
Central Indiana Traffic Management Center, SmartRoute Systems is now
operating high tech ITS operations facilities for five jurisdictions. In addition to the above mentioned facilities the
company operates traffic management centers in Cincinnati, Detroit and Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Headquartered in Cambridge, MA, SmartRoute Systems provides traffic and related traveler information services to consumers
in the home, office and vehicle. Information is delivered via the Internet, wireless devices, in-vehicle computers,
interactive voice response systems and broadcast media under the SmarTraveler® brand name in metropolitan areas across the
country, including Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, DC, the Twin Cities, Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, Cincinnati, Los
Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego. For more information about SmartRoute Systems, visit the company's website at
www.smartroute.com.
Contact:
Katy Wallace
SmartRoute Systems
(617) 494-8100
- 10-21-1999
Philly.com and SmarTraveler Announce New Traffic Information Service On www.philly.com:
Philadelphia, PA--October 21, 1999 -- A new service providing up-to-the-minute information on traffic and
commuter conditions has launched on philly.com, the online service of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News.
This new service, called SmarTraveler, gives commuters up-to-the-minute, route-specific information about the highways
they travel each day, including current travel times, construction information and incident reports of accidents or
breakdowns.
The SmarTraveler service uses information and technology developed by SmartRoute Systems, Inc., in cooperation with the
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and it is designed to take some of the uncertainty and frustration out of
everyday travel.
The new SmarTraveler service on philly.com gives customers up-to-the-minute traffic conditions and expected travel times
and speeds on 40 major highways segments in the region; updates on SEPTA and New Jersey transit lines; and information on
regional special events and construction projects. SmarTraveler's coverage area includes major highways in Philadelphia,
Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties; the urbanized area of New Jersey adjacent to Philadelphia; and northern
Delaware.
The new service can be found by logging onto www.philly.com/traffic. In addition, there will be links to the service from
the home page of philly.com.
"SmarTraveler is another example of philly.com's commitment to expanding its local content and providing our users with
timely, useful information," said philly.com Managing Editor, John McQuiggan.
"We are very excited about this new partnership with philly.com that brings the SmarTraveler information service to more
and more Philadelphia area residents and visitors," said Bob Murphy, general manager of SmartRoute Systems' Philadelphia
operation.
The SmarTraveler traffic information service is also available free via touch-tone phone at 215-567-5678 or by dialing #211
from most wireless phones (a free call for Sprint PCS and Cellular One customers).
Headquartered in Cambridge, MA, SmartRoute Systems provides traffic and related traveler information services to consumers
in the home, office and vehicle. The company prov | | |
