Long Range Development of ITS Strategies: Concept Definition

Abstract

This report deals with the issue of how ITS (Intelligent Transportation Systems) strategies and technologies should be implemented over a long period of time (e.g., 10 to 20 years). Many strategies can be identified that have long-range implications, and a few of these strategies are particularly relevant to deployments in the US Midwest. Described are eight classes of traffic engineering and transportation planning software that show at least some promise for forecasting the benefits of ITS deployments. Reviews are given for four exemplary packages so that an assessment can be made about the advantages and disadvantages of existing analytical tools. The state of the practice of strategic (short-range) ITS deployment is also reviewed. Information drawn from a variety of agency reports reveals that a unified procedure for strategic ITS planning can be developed and may be amended for long-range ITS planning. However, to properly amend strategic ITS planning for long-range deployments, it is necessary to have substantially upgraded analysis tools. This report recommends the development of a dynamic travel forecasting model (DTFM) for this purpose. A prototype DTFM is shown to be able to optimize the long-range deployment of incident management. Factors needing special consideration when performing long-range ITS deployments include (1) developing appropriate scenarios and alternatives; (2) establishing a good staging process; (3) optimizing the use of assets; (4) involving stakeholder input at the appropriate times in the process; (5) recognizing randomness in the traffic system; and (6) properly accounting for changing technology.