Castle Rock was originally contracted by the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) to develop a traveler information system to include a web site and traveler information kiosks for the City of Branson. Supplementary contracts enabled Castle Rock to develop an automated interactive voice response (IVR) system and to automate Highway Advisory Radio (HAR).

System Architecture

The initial scope of work involved the deployment of nearly 50 kiosks in high traffic areas. Castle Rock developed the Branson TRIP web page as the source of situation content on each of the kiosks. Admission Ticket Outlets of America, L.L.C. (ATOA) identified the changes to kiosk hardware and software to support an initial deployment of kiosks with Branson TRIP content. Kiosks were outfitted with the following screens:

• Home page;
• Branson TRIP traffic information;
• Branson area construction information; and,
• Branson area weather information.

The IVR system for the Branson TRIP project provides end-users with traffic and tourist attraction information. The real-time route‑specific traffic information includes road construction information, traffic congestion information, and traffic incidents. The tourist attraction information includes event schedule, show schedule, hotel vacancy quantities, restaurant wait times, and special attraction information.

The IVR system obtains nearly all information from the Branson TRIP Traffic Information Center (TIC) database server, with some information manually recorded such as show and event schedules. The IVR system permits users to dial‑in and access information using a touch‑tone telephone. The information is provided in recorded voice and is obtained directly from the TIC database server via periodic database queries. The majority of the data provided via this system is automatically generated from easily quantified data within the database. Under this contract, Castle Rock procured the equipment, designed the overall tree menu structure, scripted and recorded menu messages, developed database queries and data dump methodology, and implemented and networked PCs and expansion cards required to run the IVR system.
 
Castle Rock was later contracted to enhance the IVR system by designing and installing an automated highway advisory radio (HAR), which is used for the broadcast of traffic conditions and other special notices to travelers in and around the Branson area using the same traffic condition reports on the telephone-based system. Castle Rock combined the automated IVR with the HAR to develop a method for programming HAR using existing processes for automating the IVR.
 

For more information on Branson TRIP, please contact: