IVHS Institutional Issues And Case Studies: Westchester Commuter Central Case Study

1994PDFTech ReportDOT-VNTSC-FHWA-94-13;FHWA-SA-94-058Case studiesCommunication systemsInstitutional issuesIntelligent transportation systemsPublic private partnershipsReal time controlADVANCED TRAVELER INFORMATION SYSTEMS OR ATISINSTITUTIONAL ISSUESREGIONAL MULTIMODAL TRAVELER INFORMATIONUnited States. Joint Program Office for Intelligent Transportation SystemsDeBlasio, Allan J.John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (U.S.)Science Applications International CorporationIntelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office;Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, Technical Reference Center;Federal Highway AdministrationThe County of Westchester, located immediately North of New York City, covers a land area of approximately 450 square miles with a resident population of approximately 875,000. Travellers to, from, and within the County have available within the County four major interstate highways, seven limited access parkways, and an extensive system of state, county, city, town, and village roads and streets. In March 1991, the Westchester County Department of Public Works submitted a Traffic Safety Board Feasibility Study to the County Executive for the establishment of a public/private sector, county-wide communications center. The study proposed a solution to a perceived transportation problem - the lack of a broadly ranged, centralized communication of real-time road conditions and transportation information in Westchester County and neighboring communities. The study envisioned a communication center that would coordinate and interact with existing services while gathering previously untapped real-time traffic and transit data. The information would then be disseminated to users, both public and private, using available technology. Furthermore, the communications center would be managed within a fee structure to generate operating funds for the center