NTCIP TESTING OF DYNAMIC MESSAGE SIGNS IN FLORIDA

In order to help improve compliance to specifications and the overall quality of deployed Dynamic Message Sign (DMS) systems within Florida, an ongoing manufacturer qualification program was developed and implemented by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Traffic Operations Office's Traffic Engineering Research Lab (TERL). As a part of this qualification program, an NTCIP testing program was developed in order to ensure that manufacturers bidding on jobs within Florida had a suitable understanding of the NTCIP and to ensure that a suitable degree of interchangeability was achieved between systems within the state. Such a program is of particular importance in decentralized agencies such as the FDOT, as it provides a means for forcing interchangeability between the separate FDOT districts within the state. An overview of the motivation, development, and implementation of the DMS NTCIP testing program is presented, along with the general results of the program. Additionally, the conclusion includes a discussion of future related work planned for other types of devices, as well as the effect of recent developments from the NTCIP community on the planned efforts.