MEETING MINUTES
SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION OPERATIONS
PLANNING SUBCOMMITTEE
Date: May 23, 2013
Time: 8:30 AM
Meeting Held: GM OnStar, Detroit, MI
Present:
Representing
Phone No.
E-Mail
Dayo Akinyemi ................. MDOT - SEMTOC ...... (313) 256-9802 .................. AkinyemiO@michigan.gov
Tom Bruff
………… SEMCOG……
.(313) 324-3340 ……………………bruff@semcog.org
Sarah Gill ........................... MDOT-SEMTOC ....... (248) 867-6841 .............................. gills@michigan.gov
Craig Shackelford…… Bloomfield Twp. Police (248) 433-7749 …….cshackelford@bloomfiedtwp.org
Phil Wagner……………..Westshore Fire .. ……. (734) 476-2360 …….……….pwwagner@charter.net
Richard Beaubien ................. Beaubien Engr .......... (248) 515-3628 ..................... rfbeaubienpe@gmail.com
GM OnStar Tour
At the January Coordinating Committee meeting George Baker from GM OnStar provided a summary of
the technologies available to assist first responders. He invited our group to hold a future meeting at the
OnStar headquarters in Detroit. On May 23 Planning Committee members joined with the 2013 ITS
World Congress Technology Showcase committee for a tour of the OnStar Command Center.
In most crashes, built in sensors in the vehicle can automatically send an alert on OnStar. A live advisor
is immediately connected into the vehicle to see if the occupants are okay. Injury severity prediction
helps to predict if there is a high probability of severe injury. Even if the occupants are hurt and cannot
respond, an advisor can request emergency help be sent to the vehicle location using GPS technology.
The advisor can relay critical crash data to emergency dispatchers and help determine the appropriate
resources to send to the scene. The advisor stays on the line with occupants until emergency help arrives
at the scene. A certified EMD advisor provides MPDS protocol instructions to occupants in the critical
first minutes after a crash. The advisor can send a remote signal to sound the horn and flash the lights in
order to locate the vehicle. To provide this service, the vehicle must have battery power, cellular
connectivity, and an active subscription.
The automatic crash response algorithm records location, vehicle information, VIN, whether the air bag
was deployed, maximum change in velocity, direction of impact, whether there were multiple impacts,
and whether there was a rollover. An urgency algorithm indicates whether there is a high probability of
injury. Emergency medical dispatch provides step by step advice. OnStar public safety information is
available via email at emergencyservices@onstar.com or by telephone at 866-866-5006. The website is
onstar.com/publicsafety.
1685 Ross Drive
Troy, Michigan 48084
Telephone 248 515-3628
www.beaubienengineering.com
Southeast Michigan Regional Transportation Operations
May 23, 2013
Page 2 of 2
Review of Meeting Agenda for the Southeast Michigan Regional Transportation Operations Coordinating
Committee Meeting
The July 12, 2013 Regional Transportation Operations Coordinating Committee meeting will be held at
the new Southeast Michigan Transportation Operations Center (SEMTOC), 1060 West Fort Street, ,
Detroit, Michigan 48226. Potential topics include a presentation on 2014 ITS World Congress in Detroit,
best practices for towing and recovery traffic planning for the Detroit Auto Show, Lifesavers Conference
Highlights, and a review of statewide traffic incident management activities. It will also include a review
of freeway operations issues.
Arterial Traffic Management
We should encourage this group to meet regularly, and MDOT’s Eric Mueller could lead this
group. Washtenaw County’s Brent Schlack could be a Co-Chair. They should start with a high
level brain storming session and then prioritize the list of ideas and develop a plan and schedule
for addressing them. Some things to consider are connectivity of the Traffic Operations Centers,
integrated corridor management, data collection, software, hardware, timing across systems
(MDOT and locals, cycle lengths), priority corridors (congestion, freight, volumes, transit),
policies (signal priority, pre-emption, EMS, buses). This group may be interested in the
Connected Vehicle training available from ITS America.
Hold Harmless Legislation
MDOT has prepared a “white paper” to explain the need for this legislation and what other states have
done in this area. This white paper has been approved, and MDOT is drafting a bill to be considered by
the legislature. The draft bill will be reviewed by the Towing Association. MDOT is identifying a
sponsor for the legislation.
Next Planning Subcommittee Meeting
The next meeting for the Planning Subcommittee has been scheduled for 9:00 AM on June 20, 2013.
It will be held at the offices of Carrier & Gable, 24100 Research Drive, Farmington Hills, MI 48335.
These minutes are intended to be a summary of those items discussed. Any corrections and/or
comments should be noted to the writer as soon as possible.
Respectfully submitted,
BEAUBIEN ENGINEERING
Richard F. Beaubien, P.E., PTOE
Chair-Southeast Michigan Regional Transportation Operations Coordinating Committee
pc: All present
1685 Ross Drive
Troy, Michigan 48084
Telephone 248 515-3628
www.beaubienengineering.com