With just eleven days until opening ceremonies for the 18th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems, Orange County, FL Mayor Teresa Jacobs officially welcomed transportation leaders to their largest gathering in 2011 by installing one of the final components of an intelligent transportation test bed being created for the exhibition that will showcase “Connected Vehicle” technologies.

At the event today, Mayor Jacobs and World Congress Chairman Patrick McGowan rode a lift to connect an overhead traffic detection camera that will be used by exhibitors during the meeting which will be held at the Orange County Convention Center on October 16-20, 2011. The camera, which was contributed by the Econolite Group, Inc. and will work in conjunction with Road Side Equipment (RSE) devices offered by DENSO International America, is part of an extensive network of traffic sensors and monitors built into three traffic loops around the city to showcase the latest intelligent transportation technologies from around the world.

The 18th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems is shaping up to be the most important transportation meeting of 2011 featuring 250 exhibitors, more than 25 live demonstrations and top caliber speakers, among them U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, Ford Motor Company Executive Chairman Bill Ford Jr., as well as National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Deborah Hersman.

Held once every three years in the United States, this international exhibition will feature cutting-edge transportation solutions and is expected to draw more than 8,000 delegates from more than 65 countries, including legislators, ministers of transportation, transportation officials, international standards experts, engineers, manufacturers, and other ITS stakeholders. They will all gather with the goal of bringing greater levels of safety, reliability and accessibility to transportation systems worldwide.

Media wishing to register for the World Congress may do so at: http://www.itsworldcongress.org/pressregistration.html