SmarterRoads makes VDOT's transportation data available to approved users (like programmers and app developers) for free.

Last month Gov. Terry McAuliffe presented the Virginia Department of Transportation with an innovation award for developing the SmarterRoads Open Data Portal. 

You might be asking: What in the world is "Open Data," who would want access, and what would they do with it?

According to the Virginia Open Data Web site, Open Data is defined as any non-sensitive, public data made freely available for public use in an easily readable format. Open data empowers the public to unlock the value of the data. Citizens can develop mobile applications and other tools to use that data in ways that translate into new opportunities. The Commonwealth is committed to continue to grow the number of open datasets on the website as part of a larger trend toward government transparency.

Translation: With VDOT's SmarterRoads portal, "raw data" pertaining to things like Virginia road conditions, incidents, work zones, multi-modal transportation and road signs is now available to the connected and automated vehicle industry, third-party enterprises like mobile app developers, researchers and even the public.

Anyone can Register for an account and once approved will be granted access to the cloud-based portal, where they can currently select from 24 available data sets, which range from real-time sensor streams updated every minute, to road statistic shape files updated annually. Because SmarterRoads continuously connects authorized users to the latest data available via sensors and automated data collection systems across the state, open access could stimulate the development of connected and automated (CAV) technology or related public-private partnerships in Virginia. 

“By encouraging auto and equipment manufacturers, application and business development, we will unleash information for the private sector to provide new and enhanced services,” said VDOT Chief of Innovation Rob Cary. 

Feedback can be submitted through the SmarterRoads portal and VDOT will continue to simplify the process to add new users and expand data offerings to meet development needs. 

If you know an app developer or vendor who might be interested, encourage them to check out the SmarterRoads portal today!

Ken Winter
VDOT Library
434-962-8979

Earlier this week on Oct. 16,  Elsevier launched the all New Knovel interface. 

The brand new redesigned Knovel interface introduced this week allows for faster discovery of answers and insights from the technical reference content you rely on most. It also gives greater prominence and visibility to data discovery capabilities that provide more relevant data. A faster path to results through new search capabilities efficiently narrows broad searches into targeted results. Users can also take advantage of improved abilities to tailor their own experience.

Here's a brief rundown on some of the details:

• Intuitive navigation throughout Knovel with easier access to Knovel’s powerful tools, including interactive equations, tables and graphs.
• Improved search functionality with enhanced auto-suggest and a new “engineering concepts” feature.
• Redesigned My Knovel which now includes your search history and recently viewed items.
• New Browse page feature that lists Knovel’s recently added content.
• New content viewer with note-taking capability.
• Users will be able to access Knovel using their current credentials.  Users will not need to do anything different to access Knovel once the update has occurred.
• My Knovel content will be available immediately with no loss to anything users have saved.

And here's a quick look at some of the new features:

We encourage interested VDOT patrons to jump right in and start checking out the New Knovel interface right away!

For questions or help with Knovel be sure to check out the Elsevier support center. And as always, you can also contact the the library directly. We're here to help!

Gil Kenner

(434) 293-1926

VDOT Research Library

Just in time for the Annual Meeting! This upcoming webinar offers practical advice on becoming a more effective communicator.

TRB Webinar: Practical Techniques for Successfully Communicating Technical Topics

Timed to help you prepare your Annual Meeting presentation, TRB will conduct a webinar on Thursday, November 9, 2017, from 2:00pm to 3:00pm ET about presenting technical information clearly and succinctly when presentation time is short. If you are steeped in technical expertise and presenting in conferences or meetings, you can learn practical techniques that make your hard work meaningful to others.

• Know what you want from the audience and what they want from you.
• Simplify the content to make it clear and understandable.
• Design effective visuals that highlight your content.
• Learn ways to practice so that you arrive prepared to engage the audience.

Webinar Presenter: Shelley Row, P.E., Shelley Row Associates LLC

Moderated by: Elaine Ferrell, Transportation Research Board

This session will be interactive, and attendees are encouraged to email examples of difficult-to-present slides to Shelley Row at shelley@shelleyrow.com by Friday, November 3, 2017. Shelley will use these examples to present solutions during the webinar.
 

Sign into MyTRB.org to view registration information.

This webinar will not be recorded

Registration questions? Contact Reggie Gillum at RGillum@nas.edu.

Need to understand a term used in a standard?  Try ASTM's Terminology Dictionary, shown above.

All ASTM Compass subscribers have access to the ASTM Terminology Dictionary, which includes more than 80,000 relevant engineering terms that have been compiled from all of ASTM’s terminology standards. 

This tool can be used to locate terms contained in terminology standards developed by ASTM technical committees. The tool also facilitates the comparison of definitions created by technical subject experts in many disciplines. Users can search for all definitions or by a specific committee.

Questions? Check out ASTM Compass Support or ask the library. 

We're here to help!

Ken Winter
VDOT Research Library
434-962-8979

Source: https://marketing.astm.org/acton/rif/9652/s-05d1-1709/-/l-24bb:4457/l-24bb/showPreparedMessage?sid=TV2:c7OOT2mW5

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