Frequently Asked Questions

Question: What is Hudson Valley Traveler?

Answer: For an overview of what Hudson Valley Traveler is, please refer to the "About Hudson Valley Traveler" page.

Question: Who is the contracting agency for Hudson Valley Traveler?

Answer: Responsibility for Hudson Valley Traveler rests with the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) in association with the New York State Police (NYSP).

Question: Who controls the program?

Answer: The NYSDOT and NYSP control the Hudson Valley Traveler program. They take guidance from federal policy, local political and emergency service leaders and the public. Comments sent to this web site go to the policy makers.

Question: How is Hudson Valley Traveler funded?

Answer: The program is funded by the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) and New York State Police (NYSP).

Question: What are the hours of operation for Hudson Valley Traveler?

Answer: The operating hours for the control center are 24/7 (7 days a week/24 hours a day).

Question: What is the policy for putting messages on the big, overhead, electronic message signs?

Answer: The signs are to provide motorists with information regarding traffic conditions. Generally, public service messages are not accepted for display. If such requests are received, the Policy Team reviews them.

Question: Are the cameras and radars used to catch speeders?

Answer: No - it is difficult to monitor a single vehicle. The cameras are used to monitor the roadways and verify incidents. The Radars are used to monitor traffic flow and identify incidents. Our job is the macro, not micro-management of traffic - we are not an enforcement organization.

Question: Do you record the video from your cameras?

Answer: No - the Policy Team has made the decision that we will not record camera images.

Question: What computer and/or software specifications are required to view the traffic camera pictures?

Answer: This web site has been tested for use with Netscape 6.0+ and Internet Explorer 5.0+ web browsers. You will need a computer and monitor that can display 256 colors or more. Also you should be aware that an Microsoft' Windows' Media Player ActiveX components will be downloaded to all Windows based computers using Netscape Navigator in order to view video from our traffic cameras. These components are provided with the Internet Explorer browser software. If this is not working on your computer, try lowering your browser security settings. If you are still having problems, try manually downloading the control.

• Select this link to manually download and install the Microsoft' Windows' Media Player ActiveX components for the video from the traffic cameras.

Question: Why does the video from the traffic cameras seem to be "frozen" or is "buffering"?

Answer: When Windows Media Player starts to receive a stream, Windows Media Player fills a data buffer on your computer before rendering the video. Filling a data buffer provides a surplus amount of data for rendering during brief periods of network congestion. When network congestion occurs, causing bandwidth to fall bellow the bit rate of a stream, data in the buffer ensures continuous playback. If network bandwidth improves and is greater than the bit rate of the content, the buffer refills. If network congestion is heavy and the buffer becomes depleted, the player enters a "buffering" state, and rendering stops until the buffer refills.

An end user can change the amount of time that Windows Media Player buffers by selecting BUFFER and entering a different value in seconds of data. A higher value increases the tolerance to network slow downs. A lower value decreases the time it takes to begin rendering content. The default buffering time of three seconds is suitable for most situations, and end users should not have to change it unless frequent re-buffering occurs during playback, in which case the value should be increased by a few seconds.

Question: Can the traffic cameras be individually accessed?

Answer: Yes, select the "Interactive Map" button from the home page or "Interactive Map" tab from any of the other web pages, then select the "Camera Snapshots" box on the right side of the page and press the "Select Layers" button.

Question: Why doesn't Hudson Valley Traveler have cameras, detectors and signs in more locations, like on I-87 and the parkways?

Answer: The Hudson Valley Traveler system is being built and installed incrementally. As funding becomes available the folks that control the Hudson Valley Traveler program will assess traffic patterns and expand the Hudson Valley Traveler project accordingly.

Question: What is Hudson Valley Traveler's role in AMBER Alerts?

Answer: Hudson Valley Traveler is actively working with the New York State Police who have the primary responsibility for implementing the "AMBER" Child Abduction Alert program statewide. Hudson Valley Traveler operates under the direction of the New York State Department of Transportation in association with the New York State Police and New York State Thruway Authority, and local public safety agencies. Hudson Valley Traveler will provide any and all assistance requested by these agencies to promote the safety of the community.