New gate wait app for MacDill

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jenay Randolph
  • 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Team MacDill, want a better way to plan your daily commute to work?

There is an app for that!

The Via511 app is now available to all MacDill personnel.

On the app, each gate is listed with an estimated travel time from Gandy Boulevard to each gate and the amount of time passed since the last vehicle entered each gate using the app.

The app is used to collect accurate data needed to assess the wait times for each of the gates at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, for a MacDill gate queue study being conducted by the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority.

"Via511 does not collect any of the users' personal information," said Dick Kane, founder of Via Traffic Insight. "It doesn't collect the users' cellular phone number or require any other personal information in order to download."

How does it work?

According to Kane, the app uses a cryptographic algorithm locally on each device to create a random unique identifier for each device to track the location of the user once in a certain geographical range. The random unique identifier is meaningless should it be obtained in the event of unauthorized access to the data.

"This study is looking at a variety of traffic management options to reduce wait times at the gates, as well as, improve mobility in the south Tampa area in general," said Fred Fallman, the Deputy Director of the 6th Mission Support Group. "It is also an opportunity to continue providing this real-time gate queue information to the MacDill community after completion of the study."

Before today, the app was tested by a small beta test group of IOS and Android users. MacDill has been collecting feedback from the beta test group throughout January to weed out any technological glitches.

Widespread use of the app should provide data to the traffic study and potentially lead to improved mobility for the whole community. Potential benefits to the MacDill community include: reduced queue wait times; ability to pre-plan commute routes based on the app's sophisticated predictive algorithm, and alter commute routes based on real-time updates of current conditions.

According to Fallman, the Via511 app also may assist in reducing fuel costs and environmental emissions due to reduced "idle time."

"This effort has been a great example of the ongoing community partnerships we have here at MacDill," expressed Fallman. "We'll continue to work with Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority and other public/private entities to improve the commuting experience for MacDill personnel."

For more information and updates visit www.via511.com.