Scenic Byways ATIS Kiosks

Project Description

The objective of the Scenic Byways project was to provide Minnesota travelers with updated traveler information via kiosks in highway rest stops. The information that could be obtained at the kiosks included weather updates, pavement conditions, scenic byways routes and maps, and tourism information. 

This project was a partnership between Mn/DOT and the Minnesota Office of Tourism.  The technologies used to supply information to the kiosks converted existing routing and mapping features to Geographic Information System (GIS) based data, and therefore allowed users to choose the shortest route to destination with an emphasis on routes that included Minnesota Scenic Byways. 

At the kiosks, requests for information were made via phone lines. The information was transferred back to the kiosk using satellite communications in order to handle the large size of the detailed maps and data bases provided.