NEWS RELEASE

JEFFERSON PARISH, LOUISIANA

May 29, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JEFFERSON PARISH EARNS NATIONAL ENGINEERING
EXCELLENCE AWARD FOR ‘MOVE METAIRIE TRACKING FORWARD’ APP

JEFFERSON, LA – The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) recognized Jefferson Parish with an Honor Award for the “Move Metairie Tracking Forward” app. The first-of-its-kind app earned a National Recognition Award in the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) 2024 Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) competition—the “world’s greatest celebration of engineering excellence.”

The coveted national distinction was presented to Gresham Smith Engineering and Councilwoman At-Large Jennifer Van Vrancken (Division A) this past week in Washington, D.C.

For decades, residents in Metairie have been impacted by heavy train traffic and delays at the busy Norfolk Southern railroad crossing on Metairie Road — one of the busiest two-lane highways in Louisiana. To tackle this problem, Councilwoman Van Vrancken tasked Gresham Smith to develop “Move Metairie Tracking Forward,” a first-of-its-kind patented technology available to all residents via a free download.

To design the technology, Gresham Smith worked with Jefferson Parish Engineering and Electronic Information Systems departments to install detectors and cameras just outside the train’s right-of-way. These detectors triangulate the path of a train, continually transmitting its presence and speed, as well as directional information to alert motorists ahead of time about when a train will block the crossing. The app collects this information and estimates when the train will arrive and how long it will block the track, sharing that information with the public via an Android or Apple iOS mobile app.

“I am thankful to the engineers who could take my idea and turn it into a reality,” said Councilwoman Van Vrancken. “The innovation saves our residents time and spares them frustration daily! I am eager to bring it now to other crossings.”

“Move Metairie Tracking Forward” brings new technology to the railroad via a user-friendly mobile app that allows motorists to use the information in real time to determine their best route.

“Our app provides users with quick notice of train traffic to help people plan ahead, avoid delays and enjoy a better quality of life,” said Bert Moore of Gresham Smith.

Gresham Smith is currently working with the city of Birmingham, Alabama and several other municipalities to bring this Jefferson Parish-developed technology to other parts of the country.

For more information about Jefferson Parish, visit www.JeffParish.net. Residents can also receive regular updates by following the Parish on social media (@JeffParishGov) or by texting JPALERT or JPNOTICIAS to 888-777.

###

Jefferson Parish Public Information Office 1221 Elmwood Park Boulevard, Suite 1002 Jefferson, LA 70123

JPALERT – SIGN UP TO RECEIVE EMERGENCY ALERTS

Gretchen Hirt Gendron, PIO