Kansas City Scout Releases New Enhanced Website

LEE’S SUMMIT, Mo. – Kansas City Scout in an effort to provide Kansas City area commuters the best technology and innovation in real time traffic information released an upgrade to its comprehensive website today and recently added Twitter accounts for instant traveler updates.

The kcscout.net website homepage provides a new traffic dashboard allowing users at-a-glance convenience with real time camera images, dynamic sign snapshots, as well as detailed incident information all located right on the homepage.

The website features Scout's forthcoming Ramp Metering project. The Ramp Meter homepage links to various pages providing in depth information about ramp meters, their designed benefits and regularly updated information with times, dates and locations of public and online meetings hosted by KC Scout to help familiarize the public with the ramp metering process. The main goal of utilizing ramp meters in the Kansas City area is to increase safety. "Even though widely accepted in many cities nationwide, ramp metering is a new concept in the heartland region, so with the new website, Scout wants to provide motorists with as much information as possible. We want motorists to have an opportunity to be involved and provide their input so that this proven, accident reduction strategy is a success," said E. Jason Sims, Manager of the Scout system.

Kansas City Scout currently has 340 followers on two separate Twitter sites. Go to: twitter.com/kansascityscout for the latest in Kansas City area real-time traffic updates and twitter.com/scout70corridor for traffic information along the I-70 Corridor between Kansas City and St. Louis. Also new from KC Scout is a mobile-friendly website tool for viewing highway speeds, incidents and dynamic message sign information. The website upgrade also includes an online customer satisfaction survey that allows motorist to provide input on Kansas City’s traffic management system.

KC Scout Adds New Cameras on East Loop of I-435

LEE’S SUMMIT, Mo. – On April 16th Kansas City Scout brought on-line six new cameras and two new dynamic message signs on the east loop of Interstate 435 on the Missouri side of the Stateline. The cameras and signs fill in the gap between Interstate 70 and 87th St. Three of the cameras are in the southbound lanes of traffic, at Raytown Road, near the Sni-A-Bar Road overpass and just past 63rd St. In the northbound lanes the new cameras are located north of 87th St, near Gregory and at 350 Highway. Both of the new dynamic message signs are on the northbound side and they are positioned near the Oldham Road overpass and Eastwood Trafficway.

The addition of these new cameras completes the first phase of an expansion project that will eventually expand Scout coverage into the northland and brings the Scout system to a total of 135 cameras and 41 dynamic message signs.

Scout Unveils "My KC Scout" Web Alerts

LEE’S SUMMIT, MO - Kansas City area motorists have always turned to Scout, a partnership between the Kansas and Missouri Departments for Transportation, for the latest in real-time traffic and roadwork information. Kansas City Scout today unveiled "My KC Scout" web alerts, a new tool to help them avoid traffic tie ups and delays.

Scout reached into its technological toolbox to offer Kansas City motorists another innovative way to navigate their way around congestion and traffic backups. The free, highly customizable "My KC Scout" service allows motorists to designate routes, day(s) of the week, and times of travel to receive daily text messages and/or email alerts about what to expect on their commute. Users can simply login to the Scout website at www.kcscout.net to subscribe to "My KC Scout" and instantly begin receiving automatic alerts about incidents affecting their routes. Based on this information motorists can select an alternative route or delay departure. With my KC Scout, they can also choose to receive weather, amber, ozone, homeland security and public safety alerts in addition to traffic alerts.

"Scout is Kansas City’s Traffic Management System, a real-time, technology based system which improves the safety and operation of our highways. The launch of "My KC Scout" offers an additional congestion management tool for motorist to make informed decisions on their commute" said E. Jason Sims, Manager of Kansas City Scout. Several new technological advances have been made within Scout in the past few months. From a newly enhanced website with an interactive Google map and streaming video to a recent system expansion which added 20 new cameras and two dynamic message signs on the Kansas side.

A new benefit/cost study just released concluded Kansas City Scout has a very high overall benefit to cost ratio. In a tightening economy Scout is yielding an eight to one ratio. That is for every dollar spent in the Scout system, approximately $8.00 in benefit is returned to transportation users and system management agencies. Both Departments of Transportation are proud to release this information to the public to let them know how their tax dollars are working within the Scout system.