2025 ITS Midwest Awards
Posted by Outreach on Oct. 14, 2025 / ITS Project of the Year, Member News, Annual Meeting, Conference & Expo / Subscribe 0
Annual awards were presented at this year’s ITS Midwest Conference & Expo on September 24, 2025. Awards included Project of the Year, Special Recognition for Excellence in Service and Agency of the Year. Nomination for the Special Recognition for Excellence in Service was put forth by the President (Nick Hegemier) and voted on by the Executive Board and Board of Directors. Nominees for Project of the Year and Agency of the Year were solicited and collected from ITS Midwest members and voted on by the Executive Board and Board of Directors.
- Project of the Year – Short-Term Work Zone Safety (Kentucky Transportation Cabinet)
- Agency of the Year – Illinois Tollway (Illinois State Toll Highway Authority)
- Special Recognition for Excellence in Service – Vice President Ohio, Darlene Magold (Etch, LTD)
2025 ITS Project of the Year
The winner of the 2025 ITS Project of the Year is “Short-Term Work Zone Safety” by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Congratulations!
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) has introduced a new real-time alert system designed to improve safety and awareness in highway work zones. Through integration with Waze, the system provides motorists with timely notifications about nearby short-term and mobile work zones, allowing drivers to adjust speed and driving behavior before entering active work areas. Using existing connected vehicle data (AVL) and advanced Big Data analytics, Phase 1 focused on multi-lane routes such as Interstates and Parkways where work zone safety is most critical. This initiative represents KYTC’s ongoing commitment to leveraging innovative technologies to reduce crashes, protect highway workers, and enhance safety for all road users.
Technical implementation details
The core of KYTC's solution lies in its intelligent use of telematics data.
- Speed and location data
The system continuously monitors the speeds and locations of work vehicles equipped with Geotab devices, also capturing vehicles fleetwide that are stopped for any events. - Peer speed comparison
The system compares work vehicles' speeds to surrounding traffic to improve accuracy and reduce false positives. - Proactive driver alerts
Drivers approaching the identified work zone receive real-time alerts through these platforms, allowing them to adjust their driving behavior accordingly. - Alert triggering
When a significant speed differential is detected, combined with other criteria such as location and time of day, the system identifies a potential mobile work zone. - Integration with Waze and GOKY
Once a mobile work zone is identified, the information is automatically integrated with Waze and KYTC's GOKY app.
Identifying mobile work zones
The system's ability to accurately identify mobile work zones is crucial to its success. Key factors in this process include:
- Analysis of speed differentials between work vehicles and regular traffic
- Cross-referencing with long-term construction projects to avoid duplication
- Consideration of location data to confirm work zone presence
- Time-based filters to align with typical work schedules
Sometimes the best innovations come from using what you already have in new ways. We've created a cost-effective, easily repeatable approach to work zone safety by tapping into existing telematics data and fostering team collaboration. This is a prime example of how we can drive significant improvements in transportation safety and efficiency through creative thinking and strategic use of data.
OTHER FINALIST PROJECTS:
- "Illinois Tollway Traffic Operations Center Expansion"
by the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority; Illinois - "Weigh-in-Motion Installation"
by the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority; Illinois
2024 ITS Agency of the Year
The Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (ISTHA) has been selected as the 2025 ITS Agency of the Year, and we couldn't be happier to share the news. This prestigious honor is a testament to the ISTHA team's dedication and their use of innovative strategies, which have led to remarkable success. Congratulations to ISTHA for this significant and well-earned industry recognition.
Steve Mednis (ISTHA, 2nd from left), Rob Glaz (ISTHA, 3rd from left) and Khalid Menawi (ISTHA, far right) receive, on behalf of the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority, the 2025 ITS Agency award from Tom Szabo (ITS Midwest's Nominations and Awards Committee Chair, far left). Image credits: ITS Midwest.
2025 Excellence in Service
Big cheers and thanks go out to Darlene Magold, ITS Midwest Vice President - Ohio! Her indispensable assistance and pledge to the ITS Midwest team have earned her the coveted 2025 Excellence in Service Award.
Congrats and thank you, Darlene!
Darlene Magold, ITS Midwest Vice President – Ohio (right), receives the 2025 ITS Midwest “Excellence in Service” award from Tom Szabo (ITS Midwest's Nominations and Awards Committee Chair, left). Image credits: ITS Midwest.
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