Statewide Deployment of Colorado's Mayday System

Virginia Cash

Abstract:	The catalyst behind the Colorado MAYDAY trial and deployment was the passage by Congress, in 1991, of the Intelligent Vehicle-Highway Systems Act. This act directed the U.S. Department of Transporation (DOT) to research, develop and test “smart car and highway” technology. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) identified three geographically diverse ares of the country as representative test sites to support the goals of the act, and Colorado was chosen as one of the three. In support of this initiative, the Colorado MAYDAY trial was launched in 1995. The project is comprised of a team which includes the following participants: The FHWA, The Enterprise Group (consisting of seven (7) state DOTS, as well as the Dutch and Ontario Ministries of Transport), NAVSYS Corporation, various providers of wireless services within the trial area, ESRI, and Castle Rock Consultants: serving as evaluators of the project. This Mayday test is evaluating use of Global Positioning System (GPS) location and Geographic Information System (GIS) display technology with cellular phone two-way communications to provide assistance to travelers in an emergency dispatch area of more than 12,000 square miles in central Colorado. The Fully Operational Test (FOT) will implement 2,000 in-vehicle units (IVUs), utilizing the system for actual emergency notification. The major objectives of the Colorado test are: (1) to evaluate the impact of the system and response network on emergency response activities, time, and public safety; (2) to evaluate a low cost system that allows users to request roadside assistance; and (3) to identity the necessary structure, responsibilities, and service levels of a Travel Assistance Center for commercial operation of the system. The results of this emergency location project are anticipated to make a significant contribution to increased highway traveler safety and reduced emergency response time.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 9th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 1996) September 17 - 20, 1996 Kansas City, MO
Pages:	519 - 525
Cite this article:	Cash, Virginia, "Statewide Deployment of Colorado's Mayday System," Proceedings of the 9th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 1996), Kansas City, MO, September 1996, pp. 519-525.
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