Racing around Atlanta - the high-tech way.

• Position: New transportation technologies

"The technology will blow your socks off," says former Federal Transit Administration official Lawrence Schulman when he talks about how visitors to the Olympic Games will get around Atlanta this summer.

Federal, state and local agencies teamed with private industry to create the Traveler Information Showcase which provides an incredible array of information about events, transit, traffic conditions and parking to visitors and commuters. The Olympics offer an opportunity to demonstrate new technologies at a time when the city's transportation system will be stretched to the limit by the arrival of an estimated 3 million visitors over a 17-day period.

The city has placed more than 130 touch-screen kiosks in bus and rail stations, airports, hotels, office buildings, visitor centers, rest areas and shopping centers. The kiosks provide travelers with current traffic data, vehicle routes and public transportation schedules in multiple languages as well as tourist information, Olympic schedules and weather forecasts. The colorful screen displays include maps of the area.

Similar information will be available through hand-held computers and display screens inside some rental cars. These systems help drivers find the best route to their destinations and give...