SCOUT should use Twitter

I'm the Idea Guy

Perhaps the title of this post should have been "Local IT guy spearheads implementation" but, unless the fine folks at KDOT and MoDOT actually decide to implement my suggestion….well, there's only so much that one person can do.

As an avid Twitter user, I thought about an idea for our regional traffic monitoring system (called SCOUT). They should use the Twitter service as an additional method of alerting citizens to their collection of alerts such as freeway traffic, weather, amber alerts, ozone, and public safety.

What is Kansas City Scout?

Kansas City Scout is Kansas City's bi-state traffic management system. The Kansas and Missouri departments of transportation (KDOT, MoDOT) designed Scout to lessen traffic jams by improving rush-hour speeds, to increase safety by decreasing the number of rush-hour accidents, and to improve emergency response to traffic situations.

Scout manages traffic on more than 90 miles of continuous freeways in the greater Kansas City metropolitan area. Scout uses cameras to monitor the highways from its operations center in Lee's Summit, relies on sensors to gage traffic flow, uses large electronic message boards to send urgent traffic notices to drivers along the freeways, and activates a Highway Advisory Radio system that motorists in Missouri can tune to in the event of a freeway incident.

 

Generation Y-Fi

I had a discussion yesterday and we were talking about the mobile generation.

This new mobility is starting to change the types of applications which are becoming available.

For personal usage, items such as the printer are being bundled with package deals, and many times they are even given away.

Who prints anything anymore? With the exception of invoices, which are quickly giving way to online bill paying, and perhaps a resume or two, I don't need a printer at all.

The laptop of today, being much more powerful, lighter, and longer lasting battery life is definitely something to be included in the arsenal of the upwardly mobile professional.

Smaller devices, such as cell phones and digital cameras are also rapidly changing in order to tap into market created by the needs and desires of the new tech generation.

The next 10 years are surely to be watched. The wrist-watch 2-way communication device from the Dick Tracy days are almost here.