Information technology for alternative vehicles

639306438PDFResearch PaperKLK360-02-ADTFH61-01-X-00101National parksInformation technologyBusesTrolley carsVirtual realityPrototype testsMontanaWestern Transportation InstituteKelly, Michael J.Western Transportation InstituteUniversity of IdahoUnited States. Federal Highway AdministrationNTL-INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS-INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMSAGR-PUBLIC AND TRIBAL LANDS-PUBLIC AND TRIBAL LANDSAGR-OTHER TOPICS-TourismUS Transportation CollectionBecause of crowding, overuse, and pollution, the National Park Service is conducting a major effort to develop alternative forms of transportation in the national parks. A new generation of busses and trams will provide features that motivate visitors to leave their private automobiles in favor of public transportation. One such feature might be an interactive computer-based information system that would provide riders with various kinds of interpretive and visit planning information.A series of surveys and focus groups explored visitors' motivations and expectations when visiting Yellowstone National Park. They also documented the features and the kinds of information visitors would like to have available during a trip through the park using an alternative vehicle system. These studies culminated in the functional design of a prototype visit enhancement system.Using the findings of the surveys and focus groups in the requirements development phase, a simulation of the visit enhancement system was developed. The simulation, in the form of an interactive website, includes sections containing maps; current and forecast weather; interpretive information on animals, vegetation, and thermal features; park regulations; and upcoming events of interest to the visitor. The simulation is designed in a modular structure to allow easy addition of new information pages within these basic sections.This report summarizes the user requirements analysis that led to the basic functional design of the prototype information system and then describes in detail the information structure and content of the simulation. Future efforts will evaluate the acceptance, usability of the prototype, expand the information content of the prototype, and port the user interface to a touch monitor computer system