What We Are Doing

The TOC provides motorists and businesses with real-time traffic information and partners with emergency response agencies to provide better response services to traffic crashes, thus saving lives, time, and money.

A fiber-optic based communications system incorporates the camera video, message signs, and vehicle detector data and transmits the data back to the control room at the TOC. Wireless and cellular communications are in place to communicate to devices located outside the fiber network. The West Michigan TOC is connected to the City of Grand Rapids Traffic Safety Department and the Grand Rapids Fire & Police Dispatch Center to facilitate area-wide traffic operations and incident management. The TOC provides traffic video access to the Michigan State Police District dispatch office and other local police departments.

The TOC control room was renovated in 2010 to provide a comprehensive center for collecting data and disseminating traffic and travel information to our stakeholders. The ITS equipment room was relocated to provide backup power and a secure, climate controlled room for protection and extended equipment life.

The West Michigan TOC's traffic video images and data are available to the public online at MDOT's MiDrive site: http://www.michigan.gov/drive. MDOT also provides live video feeds of traffic surveillance cameras to local media outlets, as part of MDOT's effort to provide the public with current traffic conditions on Grand Rapids metropolitan area freeways.

In 2010, the West Michigan TOC began providing real-time travel times on six of the area dynamic message signs. These signs provide travel times for one or two segments following the sign, from 5:00am to 11:00pm, seven days per week. Also in 2010, traffic surveillance cameras and a dynamic message sign were added in the Grand Haven area for traffic management on US-31.

In 2009, a vehicle detection system came online which covers several segments of the core freeways in Grand Rapids (primarily US-131 and I-196). This system provides traffic counts and speeds for the freeways to provide congestion, incident, and travel time information to the TOC and to the MiDrive site.

ITS planning in the Region is coordinated with the local Metropolitan Planning Organizations. In the Grand Rapids metropolitan area, the Grand Valley Metro Council maintains the ITS regional architecture and facilitates coordination of interagency planning efforts. An expansion of the area's ITS system, including state and local routes, is underway, to be completed in 2011.

For further information call 616-451-8448, or peplinskis@michigan.gov