The Federal Highway Administration, through Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PADOT), has launched a program to implement a Traffic and Incident Management System (TIMS) in the Philadelphia area. A unique part of the system is the Mobile Satellite Communications Platform utilizing a Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) Ku band satellite system. The platform is envisaged to provide extended coverage of the existing CCTV surveillance network; restore and re-establish failed communication links within the TIMS network; and transmit data and video from an incident site to the Traffic Control Center (TCC), enhancing PADOT's incident management capabilities. Brief details of the system design, equipment and operation are provided. Incident management enhancement strategies are also presented briefly. (A)
Samenvatting