Kapsch to provide management and staffing services for Louisiana’s TMCs

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) has selected Kapsch TrafficCom to provide management and staffing services for its Traffic Management Centers (TMCs), each with varying levels of support and staffing appropriate for daily operations.

DOTD currently operates five TMCs and provides Motorist Assistance Patrol (MAP) services in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, and Lake Charles areas, as well as MAP services for various construction projects statewide. The contract, valued at US$8m for the operations scope of work, will be carried out over three years, with an option to extend for up to 24 months.

Kapsch will deliver traveler-focused and performance-driven TMC operations services that facilitate reliable and safe movement of people and goods in designated areas of the state, which will maximize roadway throughput and minimize the impacts of roadway incidents. The company will proactively support traffic management, incident response, special events, and emergencies during expected, planned, and unplanned events.

As part of the contract, trained and qualified staff will be provided, including additional staffing beyond normal day-to-day requirements during times of severe weather, special events, and emergencies. The TMC staff use a variety of ITS measures to monitor the highways and prevent potential incidents before they occur, as well as manage an incident once it begins. The staff monitor traffic flow, identify incidents, dispatch MAP units, inform motorists of lane/roads closures and congestion, update the ITS maintenance department and other transportation resources, and coordinate with other organizations such as Louisiana State Police or local law enforcement.

Staff also operate systems such as the ATMS, 511 systems, social media, mobile applications, and other related systems. Kapsch currently manages two statewide TMC operations in Iowa, bi-state Kansas/Missouri, and four regional TMC operations in New York State.

Chris Murray, president of Kapsch North America, said, “In partnership with DOTD, we are providing the right people with world-class transportation operations expertise to keep the state’s transportation systems safe, efficient and sustainable. This project award is key to our position as a provider of end-to-end solutions in transportation systems management and operations (TSM&O).”

Stephen Glascock, director of ITS for DOTD, commented, “The work product coming out of the state’s Traffic Management Centers has greatly improved our department’s ability to deliver quality traffic-incident management services to the public. We look forward to working with Kapsch to continue and improve upon this effort as we strive to deliver value-added TSM&O services to our citizens.”