Mainstreaming ITS within the transportation planning process : a summary of strategies in ten metropolitan areas.

16377922000PDFTech ReportAcceptanceState departments of transportationMetropolitan planning organizationsIntelligent transportation systemsITS program technologiesTransportation planningChicago Metropolitan Area;Dallas (Texas);Los Angeles Metropolitan Area;Miami (Florida);Denver (Colorado);Seattle (Washington);Washington (District of Columbia);New York;North Carolina;WisconsinUnited States. Dept. of Transportation. Research and Special Programs AdministrationJackson, DavidDeysher, ElizabethDeBlasio, Allan JJohn A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (U.S.)United States. Federal Highway Administration. Office of Metropolitan Planning and ProgramsNTL-INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS-INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMSNTL-PLANNING AND POLICY-PLANNING AND POLICYVolpe National Transportation Systems Center, Technical Reference Center;Federal Highway AdministrationTransportation professional consider intelligent transportation system (ITS) products and service more often now than ever before as tools to manage travel and congestion. In some area, however, ITS solutions are not routinely considered as part of the metropolitan transportation planning process. Part of the reason is that decision-makers do not readily endorse ITS projects because they are unfamiliar with ITS technologies and can be skeptical of the benefits. In addition, officials perceive that it is more difficult to implement ITS solutions than traditional capital project because ITS solutions are regional by nature, requiring multi-jurisdictional and multi-agency coordination.These obstacles have not deterred transportation professional and elected officials in several metropolitan areas from considering ITS solutions as part of the metropolitan transportation planning process. As study of ten metropolitan areas, Albany, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, Milwaukee, Seattle, Washington, D.C., and Winston-Salem reveal three conditions that help incorporate ITS solutions into the process: 1) endorsement of ITS by elected official and transportation managers 2) Improved communication and coordination across geographical boundaries and between agencies and 3) Collection of data and use of information