Midwestern Software Solutions

10/17/2023

Record-Breaking Attendance at This Year's MS2 DOT User Conference

MS2 and Tennessee DOT recently co-hosted our 5th bi-annual DOT User Conference with record-breaking attendance. More than 50 people attended the Conference including 43 DOT Staff, from 14 different DOTs and 2 Staff Members from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

The 2-day event was hosted at the renowned Opryland Hotel and Resort in Nashville and concluded with a networking event at the historic Nashville Underground, the largest indoor venue on the famous Broadway strip.

MS2 introduced this direct Peer Exchange in 2015 to allow DOT participants to share best practices and enable them to continue to make advancements in their programs and facilitate relationships amongst their DOT Peers.

A great example of this exchange, was shared by David Freidenfeld, Director of Data Management and Traffic Analysis, at Texas DOT, regarding his case study presentation on MS2’s Publication Database, “Publication Database has completely revolutionized the way we do business..." said Freidenfeld, "...it is a game changer.”

From MS2’s founder, Ben Chen, “We greatly appreciate the DOT and FHWA participation and open dialogue throughout the event. From this, we can use their direct input to continue to make enhancements to our system, so that we provide the best possible user experience.”

This highly valued DOT User Conference is hosted every other year, so as not to interfere with NaTMEC (National Travel Monitoring Exposition and Conference). Would your DOT like to host the next MS2 DOT User Conference with your DOT Peers?

If so, please reach out to MS2!

Thank you to all who attended and participated in this year’s event and thank you for making it the best possible DOT User Conference to date!

09/14/2023

MS2 Thanks Preston Elliott for Keynote at 2023 User Conference

thanks Preston Elliott, Tennessee DOT’s (TDOT) Deputy Commissioner and Chief of Environment and Planning Bureau, for his keynote address at our 2023 DOT User Conference.

In a session attended by peers from state departments of transportation across the USA and the Federal Highway Administration, Preston discussed TDOT’s use of data for interstate corridor studies, urban congestion studies, travel trends, project planning and delivery and other key areas of focus at TDOT.

Preston has over 25 years of community and transportation planning experience within Tennessee and the US Southeast. Prior to his executive roles at TDOT, Preston spent 16 years in the private sector providing professional planning services to communities large and small. In addition to his DOT and private consulting experience, Preston also worked with three metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), and as a community volunteer, served 12 years on a local transit authority board. Preston is a certified planner, and he has worked in every mode of transportation, from walking, biking, transit, and vehicular planning, to truck, freight, rail, and shared mobility.

The 2023 MS2 User Conference continues today with a full day of presentations from state DOTs from across the United States.

09/13/2023

Celebrating Two Decades with MS2: A Journey of Consistent Growth and Evolution

By BJ Tomiko,

Reflecting on my incredible 21-year journey with MS2 (yes, I've been around even before its inception!), I'm awed by the consistent growth we've witnessed. From adding new State DOTs each year to integrating new features into our system, our trajectory has been nothing short of remarkable.

From Core to Contemporary: Having been part of the team that wrote the original core features of our Traffic Count Database System, witnessing the software's evolution and how instrumental it’s become for our clients is deeply fulfilling.

Exponential Growth: As our client base has expanded, so has our database. Handling billions of vehicle counts and ensuring our software scales to serve the ever-growing data is a testament to our commitment to innovation.

The Horizon Beckons: As I ponder about the next two decades, I can't help but wonder about the upcoming trends in traffic data management, technology advancements, and the potential of autonomous vehicles. The future is rife with possibilities and challenges, and MS2 stands tall, ready to embrace it all.

For more insights on our journey, check out my blog post: https://www.ms2soft.com/blog/20th-anniversary-perspective-bj-tomiko-senior-partner-director-of-technical-support/
Let's gear up for the next chapter together!

Looking back on my 21 years with MS2 (technically predating the company itself), the one thing that stands out to me is our consistent and steady growth over time. It seems like almost every year we added 1-2 new State DOTs, a handful of smaller agencies, a new employee, and a batch of new features....

09/05/2023

MS2 Celebrates 20 Years of Transportation Data Management Innovation!

Over the past 20 years, MS2 has established itself as the leading provider of Transportation Data Management Systems (TDMS) in the United States. Today, MS2 is trusted by over 260 agencies in 32 states and Canada to deploy our cloud based TDMS and data analysis tools which includes over 300 standard and customizable reports.

MS2 started in 2003 with a handful of local agency clients in Michigan and now counts 25 State Departments of Transportation among its clients, including the two largest: California and Texas. Our product suite started with one product and has now expanded to nineteen.

A major reason for MS2’s success is engaging our clients in the product development process, enabling them to provide vital feedback on features and enhancements. MS2 completes our customer service offerings with unlimited training, and our unparalleled customer support program with a median resolution time of 24 minutes and 83% resolution within 24 hours.

Learn more about MS2’s history and why the majority of U.S. States have selected MS2’s Transportation Data Management System. https://www.ms2soft.com/about-us/who-we-are/

06/29/2023

MS2 is pleased to announce that Harsh Srivastava has joined MS2 as a Software Engineer. Harsh has over 4 years of software development experience. At MS2 he’ll be working on enhancements to our existing software modules and the development of new features for our Traffic Data Management System.

"Transportation is undoubtedly one of the modern-day backbones of the American economy. To my amazement, MS2 makes meaningful sense out of traffic data collected every day, every moment - all using a wide set of technologies in a highly accessible way!"

Harsh holds a Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science and Engineering from the Manipal Institute of Technology and a Master of Science in Computer Science from Indiana University.

Welcome to the MS2 team, Harsh!

https://www.ms2soft.com/blog/

04/14/2023

MS2 recently hosted our 2nd DOT Peer Exchange in Concord, New Hampshire, which was attended by 25 transportation professionals from 7 different Departments of Transportation and 3 different vendors.

As the market leader for Transportation Data Management Systems in the US, MS2 created the DOT Peer Exchange to bring together neighboring Traffic Data Management experts to share information with their regional Peers.

The topics for this 2-day roundtable-style exchange included:
• Advancements in Data Collection
• Coordination with Other Agencies in Your State
• Data Sharing
• Nonmotorized – Bike & Ped Data / Micromobility
• Real-World Experiences with Counters
• Ask Your Peers

The event included presentations from each DOT, demonstrations of AI Cameras for Data Collection, and Advancements in Weigh in Motion from vendors.

“This event brought together transportation professionals from across the region to discuss advancements in data collection, contract options, networking, and traffic data management systems. The peer exchange provided an opportunity for participants to share their real-world experiences and best practices for monitoring traffic and non-motorized roadway users, and to explore the latest technologies and techniques for collecting and analyzing traffic data.
"The peer exchange also provided an opportunity for participants to receive training on traffic data management systems, including turning movement counts, traffic database systems, and highway performance management systems. Participants shared their experiences with these systems and discussed best practices for training staff, and we are integrating these processes into our operation.”
Stuart Thompson, P.E.
Traffic Monitoring & Research Engineer
NHDOT Bureau of Traffic

We concluded with a half-day MS2 User Training covering Transportation Data Management software modules, building ad hoc reports and MS2 Autopolling for streamlined data integration.

We look forward to hosting these peer-driven DOT exchanges in different regions to bring more Traffic Data Experts together to share Best Practices!

Would your DOT like to co-host and bring peers from other DOTs to your city? Just let us know and we’ll make it happen.

04/05/2023

thanks the Southern District ITE and all the attendees who visited the MS2 booth at the 2023 Conference in Savannah, Georgia recently. We also congratulate Brandy Ezelle from the City of Auburn, Alabama, who won our TV raffle. We look forward to seeing all of you again in 2024.

Meanwhile, let’s keep the conversation going! Learn how MS2 has helped 270+ agencies succeed, and how we can help your agency exceed its traffic data management goals at https://ms2soft.com

03/15/2023

thanks the Louisiana Transportation Research Center and all the attendees who visited the MS2 booth at the 2023 Louisiana Transportation Conference in Baton Rouge this week.

We also congratulate Sheri Hughes from LTRC, who won our TV raffle. We look forward to seeing all of you again in 2024.

Until then, let’s keep the conversation going! Learn how MS2 has helped 270+ agencies succeed, and how we can help your agency exceed its traffic data management goals at https://ms2soft.com

01/19/2023

MS2 is pleased to announce the promotion of Christine Hamill, PMP and Jeffrey Rice to Partners.

Christine joined MS2 in 2019 and serves as Program Manager. She has over 25 years of project and program management experience and knowledge. One of her current projects is the MS2 TDMS implementation for Caltrans.

With MS2 since early 2022, Jeffrey serves as Director of Sales and brings over 25 years of sales leadership experience. He is leading the effort to grow MS2’s client base both in the US and internationally.

Congratulations, Jeffrey and Christine!

01/05/2023

Attending the TRB Annual Meeting in DC, January 8 - 12? Visit the MS2® booth and let’s discuss your and programs. And don’t forget to enter our drawing to win an ultra-high-definition TV.

Not attending the ? Learn more about MS2 Transportation Data Management System here: MS2 - Products Overview (ms2soft.com) and let’s schedule a meeting to discuss your traffic data program.

11/17/2022

Thank you to the 36 Attendees from 7 different Departments of Transportation who participated in the ODOT / MS2 Peer Exchange!

The 2-day event brought together neighboring DOTs for roundtable-style discussions on topics covering: Traffic Data Details & Data Sharing, Real-World Experiences with Short-term Counters and Counts, and Data…Data…Data from where?

And the event concluded with a ½ day MS2 User Training, covering various software modules, building ad hoc reports and Tips and Tricks!

We look forward to hosting this same event in a different region of the U.S. this Spring and bringing more Traffic Data Experts together to exchange Best Practices!

Would your DOT like to co-host and bring peers from other DOTs to your city? Just let us know and we’ll make it happen.

11/15/2022

congratulates Randell Iwasaki on being named International Road Federation (IRF Global) 2022 Man of the Year! Mr. Iwasaki has dedicated his career to developing and implementing state of the art transportation solutions that improve safety and save lives. As an Amazon Web Services partner, MS2 is honored to work with Randy on a regular basis, and we look forward to blazing new trails in transportation data management together.

Press Release: Randell H. Iwasaki Named 2022 IRF “Man of the Year” 01 November 2022   Press Release: Randell H. Iwasaki Named 2022 IRF "Man of the Year" Washington DC, November 1, 2022 – Randell H. Iwasaki P.E., M. ASCE, an internationally recognized transportation policy-maker and industry l...