ATAC Newsletter Profile
Ed Ryen, Assistant Maintenance Engineer for NDDOT in Bismarck
Road construction is always a menacing part of summer driving in North Dakota, but for Ed Ryen, Assistant Maintenance Engineer for the North Dakota DOT (NDDOT), keeping construction work as safe and efficient as possible is paramount.
 Ryen oversees the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) program for the NDDOT and works with the Advanced Traffic Analysis Center (ATAC) on how best to use these technologies for improving transportation in North Dakota. ITS refers to the use of advanced sensor, computer, electronics and communication technologies and management strategies to provide traveler information and increase the safety and efficiency of the surface transportation system.
"We work with them (ATAC) for planning ITS technologies, supporting their deployment, and evaluating their performance," Ryen said. Some of the major technologies used in North Dakota include weather stations on the road, dynamic message signs and weigh-in-motion stations. The NDDOT is also increasingly deploying automated roadway and bridge treatment (anti-icing) systems.
First and foremost, the NDDOT seeks to use ITS to increase the safety of highway travel as well as to provide travelers with up-to-date weather and travel information. Several media are available for travelers to access this information, including a Web site with current weather and road conditions, and the "511" number that travelers can call. In fact, today's 511 system is largely based on the late 1990's NDDOT efforts for delivering road and weather information to travelers using cell phones.
Despite the promising future of ITS, its implementation in North Dakota faces several hurdles. "The biggest challenge is funding," Ryen said. Consequently, the NDDOT has set priorities for ITS use and developed an implementation plan based on those priorities. The department's limited ITS budget will be spent based on that plan.
North Dakota's wide open spaces also make ITS implementation difficult. "All ITS devices must be in communication with each other, and in North Dakota there is limited fiber availability," Ryen said. In addition to a fiber-optic cable, ITS devices must be near a power source. Costs for the devices go up substantially if they are placed too far away from these necessities.
This is why partnerships are so important for expediting the use of ITS and making the best of limited resources. North Dakota is a founding member of the North/West Passage Coalition which promotes seamless traveler information along the I-90 and I-94 corridors between Wisconsin and Washington State. As part of this effort, the NDDOT and the Minnesota DOT jointly deployed an automated treatment system for the I-94 Red River Bridge between Fargo and Moorhead. ATAC was an integral part of this project by supporting the development of a concept of operations and communication alternatives to support the system.
In the future, Ryen will be working with ATAC to study work zones on streets and highways to evaluate the safety and efficiency of construction sites. ATAC will conduct a case study in Fargo this summer.
Ryen has been with the NDDOT for more than 25 years. He graduated from NDSU in 1980 with a B.S. degree in civil engineering. He worked in construction for 10 years before moving to bridge inspection. He then spent a year and a half in the planning division involved with the GIS program. He became assistant maintenance engineer, his current position, in 2002.
In the maintenance and engineering services division of the DOT, he monitors the budgets within the division, and coordinates the department on behalf of the Department of Emergency Services for state emergencies and homeland security concerns, Ryen said. In managing ITS activities for the department, he makes sure North Dakota's ITS programs are in compliance with federal requirements, and ensures that activities, studies and plans across the state are coordinated.
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