ITS is not only about the use of telecommunications and information processing in road transport operations. Many of the challenges that accompany the introduction of ITS are not about technology but about different ways of working – especially different organisations working together in new ways. There is now a large body of ITS ‘know-how’ that draws on the practical experience of substantial numbers of ITS projects and case studies.
To properly understand how ITS works, there are a number of issues to take into account:
For ITS to work, a number of technologies are needed.
Collecting accurate information about the status of the transport system is a pre-requisite for almost all ITS applications. The problem needs to be identified before coming up with a solution. The front-line group of enabling technologies are those used for collecting real-time traffic information. Some of these are infrastructure-based and others are vehicle-based.
Infrastructure-based detection technologies include:
Vehicle-based detection technologies include:
(See Data and Information)
Telecommunications may be compared with the nervous system in the human body. Communication networks link the different components of an ITS system together, allowing for the exchange of information and for the implementation of the different traffic management and control strategies. They also link the traveller to the system allowing for the dissemination of useful information. (See Telecommunications)
To be useful, the real-time traffic and environmental data collected from the field must be processed, fused together with different sources and analysed. Data processing and computing technologies refer to the set of computer hardware and software that is needed to make sense out of the data, and convert the data into information that can support decision-making. (See Basic Info-structure)
Effective communication with travellers is an essential component of several, if not all, ITS applications. ITS uses several traffic information dissemination devices to keep travellers informed about current as well as expected travel conditions. These devices include Dynamic Message Signs (DMS), highway advisory radio (HAR), cable TV, traveller information websites, social media (Facebook, Twitter) and the internet, dedicated phone systems, and in-vehicle display devices. (See User Interfaces)
The most common technology currently used for location and navigation are satellite navigation systems for location determination (latitude, longitude, and elevation). These triangulate ground position based on satellites signals – and are known as Global Navigation and Satellite Systems (GNSS). The most well-known is the USA’s military Global Positioning System (GPS). The European Union is developing a compatible civilian system, GALILEO – aimed at providing higher availability and improved positioning accuracy. (See Navigation and Positioning)
Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR), a remote sensing technology, can be used to generate three-dimensional information about different locations and their surface characteristics. LIDAR, either airborne, mobile or terrestrial, has been used in transport for various tasks, such as surveying, highway design and highway safety. With accurate mapping and positioning of roadway infrastructure, LIDAR can support various ITS applications – such as real-time roadway-weather monitoring and real-time evacuation support during emergencies.
Control technologies constitute another group of enabling technologies for ITS applications. They can be divided into two broad categories:
One of the most widely deployed ITS applications is in the area of electronic payment, which:
In terms of hardware, the most common technologies for electronic payment are: smart cards, transponders (such as a toll tag) and more recently, smart phones. (See Electronic Payment)
This group of ITS enabling technologies includes those designed to support Archived Data Management Systems (ADMS) – or what are sometimes also known as ITS Data Warehouses. ADMS offers an opportunity to take full advantage of the data collected by ITS devices in improving transport operations, planning and decision-making – often at a minimal additional cost. The technologies supporting ADMS are designed to archive, bring together (or fuse), organise and analyse ITS data from different sources and can support a wide range of useful ‘intelligent’ applications. (See Data Management and Archiving)
A feature of integrated systems that are designed to serve the mobility needs of people and goods distributed spatially over a large geographic area, almost always requires the collaboration of several stakeholders. (See Stakeholders)
Any ITS deployment generally involves a range of organisations. It is often the case that a champion or client agency will take the lead. This could be a road authority or a department of transport, local government , a public transport operations agency – or a coalition representing all these parties. (See Inter-agency Working)
One method of ITS procurement will involve a specialist consulting firm acquiring a wide range of ITS equipment and technologies from a number of vendors and manufacturers of ITS technologies. The consulting firm would typically act as a system integrator bringing together all the technologies and components so they work as a truly integrated system. (See Managing ITS Implementation)
For ITS to be effective, its different components have to work together as one integrated system. The components have to be able to communicate with one another, and need shared data dictionaries and communications protocols. This underscores the importance of adopting a systems engineering approach to the design, deployment and management of ITS projects. (See Systems Engineering)
A systems approach will consider the context of ITS deployment and how all the component systems fits together. A fundamental aspect of the approach is that User Requirements are defined at the start – and taken into account in the design and development of the system. It is different to a technology led approach. It also explores the various system interfaces, the data that needs to be exchanged, the equipment and communication standards – and the building blocks that need to be in place for effective operations. A systems approach also considers how ITS would fit within the larger regional transport system, and investigates how to maximise the benefits from the system. The approach considers not just the technical challenges, but the institutional ones as well – which are key to integration and collaboration. (See ITS Architecture)
Human factors are of great importance to ITS deployment and effectiveness – from the perspective of infrastructure, operations and vehicles. For vehicles, it is important to ensure that ITS applications do not distract drivers from their primary driving task – or overload them with information. This is particularly the case with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) – which continue to mature and increase in sophistication. Another important area is smart phone usage and “infotainment” applications. Many studies have shown the dangers of using a phone while driving (and worse still – texting while driving), and many countries have issued laws banning the use of cell phones and similar devices whilst driving.
The likely response of drivers and travellers to an ITS system recommendation is another key area. An ITS system may recommend to drivers, a certain speed or a specific route to arrive at their destination – but there is no guarantee that the driver will follow the system’s recommendation. Building trust in ITS systems is critical for public acceptance.
In terms of future development of ADAS, human-machine interaction is critical in ensuring that the driver interacts safely with the vehicle and the technology on board. The prospect of vehicles with various levels of automation – which may soon lead to partially or fully autonomous (self-driving) vehicles – makes this a more urgent issue. (See Human Factors)
ITS is all about acquiring data and information, the exchange of information, the processing of information, the use of information to support decisions – and the dissemination of information to travellers and other end-users.
It shows ITS using detection and monitoring technologies to collect data in real-time – about the transport system and other external factors (such as the weather). The ITS then uses its communication network to exchange this information between different traffic centres, different agencies, and different regions. The information gathered is then processed and analysed to understand how the transport system is operating – and to identify “optimal” management and control strategies aimed at improving system performance. The information is also disseminated to a wide range of ITS stakeholders – such as traveller information to the transport system users. (See Data and Information)
ITS applications include the information infrastructure that supports the collection, archiving, processing and distribution of a wide variety of data – for example about travel demand, traffic volumes and journey patterns.
Data is collected continuously by different ITS tools with different characteristics – such as quantity, frequency, timing (real-time, near real-time or historical), and reliability. By systematically validating, storing, archiving and fusing data from different sources, the compiled data can be mined and analysed to gain useful insights into how to best plan, operate and manage the transport system.
ITS data provides a very important resource for calculating performance measures to assess the quality of service provided by the road network – and any associated ITS applications, such as automatic incident detection.
Performance measurement is a topic that has received increased attention in recent years. Growth in the data sources for ITS – such as social media, GPS and communication-enabled connected vehicles – are coupled with changing security and privacy concerns. The impact on the planning, design and evaluation of ITS information infrastructure will be in the forefront of any ITS deployment consideration. (See Performance Measures)
The development, deployment and operation of ITS requires coordination and collaboration among a wide range of stakeholders. (See Stakeholders) Those stakeholders typically include (amongst many others):
The deployment of ITS also needs a “champion” – or a strong leader – who believes in the vision and can inspire others. The first step in any ITS planning initiative is to identify the key stakeholders and build local partnerships (with memoranda of understanding if required) to allow for combined action and joint problem-solving. (See Inter-agency Working)
In ITS the term ‘architecture’ describes a structured framework within which the components of ITS systems are brought together so that the whole can function efficiently – much as construction products and services in a building.
ITS architecture is essential for the planning and design of an ITS deployment – that will meet the needs and requirements of users. An understanding of ITS architecture helps to define how the component systems need to interact with each other – and will clarify the roles of individual stakeholders in the implementation process. The analysis should be firmly based on an assessment of the functions and system performance that are necessary to meet user needs. (See What is ITS Architecture?)
An ITS architecture can provide many benefits to a region as it begins to develop and deploy ITS-based systems and services. A properly designed ITS architecture will:
The concept of interoperability is very important in ITS. For example:
To facilitate this kind of interoperability, an ITS architecture (where one has been adopted) will identify the system interfaces or information flows that need to be harmonised – and, if possible, standardised. The ITS architecture is an important tool for the success of this process, since it describes how the different components of a system should interact with one another. (See ITS Architecture)
The real advantage of interoperability becomes more obvious when the different ITS systems share and exchange data and information with each other. For example:
The process of linking the different components of a system is typically referred to as “system integration.” This becomes a major issue as more and more ITS components are deployed. (See Systems Engineering)
Within the context of ITS, the term “user services” is used to describe what ITS does for the users of the transport system – including travellers, transport operators, planning organisations, road authorities, government ministries and departments of transport. The US National Architecture, for example, currently defines 33 ITS user services, grouped into eight major user services bundles as shown here: http://www.iteris.com/itsarch/html/user/userserv.htm.
ITS user services share a number of basic characteristics.
In the US National Architecture, the different user services have been arranged or grouped into eight bundles, which define focus areas for ITS applications: (See Using the US Architecture)
The European Frame architecture adopts a comparable approach based on user needs that are grouped into nine broad areas:
The Frame Architecture also provides for links to other modes of transport – for example, to provide travellers with multi-modal travel information, to manage mixed mode at-grade crossings (where a road or highway meet at a level crossing) and to respond to incidents that take place on other modes. (See. Using the FRAME Architecture)
Evaluation studies and operational tests have shown that ITS applications have provided significant benefits across surface transport modes. In the road transport sector, ITS aims to improve the performance of roads and highways by using real-time and historic information on the status of roads and traffic. ITS applications can enable better road transport operations – more safely, efficiently and in a more sustainable way, with better inter-modal connections. Benefits include safety, journey time, travel reliability, energy consumption, emissions and customer satisfaction. (See Benefits of ITS)
ITS includes diverse stakeholders in terms of disciplines, business areas and ownership:
Traditionally, the public sector has been responsible for the operation and maintenance of roads and highway infrastructure. Public agencies, such as a road or highway authority or a public works department, have had primary responsibility for the planning, design, operations and maintenance. For example, public agencies are usually responsible for ITS enabled services – such as incident management and traffic signal operations.
Similarly, the public sector has, in the past, taken full responsibility for the planning, design, investment, operations and maintenance of the dedicated ITS infrastructure (which includes management centres, field devices and communication infrastructure). Increasingly much is being out-sourced to the private sector under service contracts. Nevertheless the public sector continues to take the lead in long term planning for traffic and highway ITS infrastructure. (See Dimensions of ITS Deployment)
Experience shows that ITS involves an increasing number of organisations – as the full potential of new technology is realised. The table below illustrates this with examples of the more common objectives for investing in ITS – showing the varying degrees of complexity and stakeholder groups. Senior officials of public agencies and chief executives of private sector companies will often have a close involvement because of the level of commitment required.
| Strategic Objective | Stakeholder Groups | Candidate ITS Applications |
|---|---|---|
| Improved urban traffic management |
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| Introduction of new automatic payment systems or access controls | Many of the above, plus:
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| Strategic and tactical management of inter-urban traffic | Many of the above, plus:
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| Better integration of transport modes | Many of the above plus:
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| Added-value services for private motorists and vehicle fleet operators |
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Stakeholders can be categorised into primary and secondary stakeholders. Primary stakeholders are distinguished by the level and nature of their involvement:
For example, in deliveries and commercial vehicle operations, the vehicle owners and delivery services providers and their customers are the primary stakeholders for ITS services to customers. Enforcement bodies such as the police and vehicle examiners are primary stakeholders in relation to weights and permits regulations and enforcement. From the public policy perspective local communities will also have an interest, albeit a secondary one unless there is public concern about the potential impact of operations.
Both primary and secondary stakeholders have roles in the planning, development, operations and maintenance of ITS projects. All stakeholders with a potential interest in the project must be identified and engaged – from planning to operations and maintenance stage of a project. Their input and participation is necessary for the successful realisation of an ITS project.
It is important to be aware of, and sensitive to, possible issues at all times – in what may be an evolving situation, as an ITS project develops. Secondary stakeholders can introduce issues which must be recognised and dealt with. Generally it is better to uncover interests and issues early on in the planning stages – so that proper adjustments can be made. An effective communication strategy with stakeholders provides the opportunity to develop contingency options.
ITS investments usually need political and public support. Public agencies must communicate the anticipated benefits of the ITS deployment in terms that policy makers and the public can understand. In the early stages of ITS deployment, a careful assessment of risk is essential covering the technology, market perspective, political and public acceptability. Some aspects may require a regulatory framework to ensure public safety, interoperability and rules for procurement – and where necessary an enforcement policy (such as speed control.) (See Contracts)
A priority for ITS is to consult the widest possible range of interests and to build local partnerships to achieve consensus on objectives and scope of investments in ITS – and joint problem-solving. Stakeholders are impacted by any failure or success of an ITS project. This means there is a need to develop an all-inclusive process to identify and engage all stakeholders from the start of the planning phase of ITS projects. This may lead to the involvement of new stakeholders, such as financial institutions, retailers, broadcasters, telecommunications providers and value-added service providers. Each stakeholder will have their own distinct business practices and goals – and should take ownership of their roles and responsibilities in any ITS project at each stage of the project.
There is often a role for an ‘ITS champion’ to take the initiative, drive forward consultation and keep all partners and stakeholders on board.
A total system approach to ITS deployment means paying attention to both technical concepts and institutional measures needed to integrate key technologies to deliver effective user services.
Successful ITS operations are enabled by a regulatory and institutional framework that is fit for purpose – with cooperative agreements between stakeholders that define clearly each party’s role and responsibilities. An equitable cooperative agreement between stakeholders – guided by suitable risk distribution, cost sharing and revenue or benefit sharing – may solve some of the regulatory and institutional challenges. (See Interagency Working)
A self-contained ‘silo’ mentality within an organisation may frustrate the development of ITS services. A lack of attention to end-user needs and requirements and poor management and project control in a primary stakeholder organisation – may also undermine the planned ITS deployment and incur excessive cost. Deficiencies such as these, may make the ITS service economically unfeasible.
A cooperative agreement can take the form of a ‘Concept of Operations’ – where each stakeholder’s roles and responsibilities are described and each party agrees on the allocation of operational roles and responsibilities.
The agreement should be based on appropriate risk distribution, cost sharing and revenue or benefit sharing – according to the role and level of involvement of each stakeholder. This must be developed at the planning stage of an ITS project and may have an important place in defining any ITS architecture. (See How to Create and ITS Architecture?)
By way of example, the table below summarises a Concept of Operations that was developed for Bloomington/Monroe County in Indiana USA, as a part of the county’s regional ITS architecture. Stakeholders are mapped to different transport services and each stakeholder’s roles and responsibilities are specified.
| Transport Service | Stakeholder | Role/Responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency Management | Public Safety Agencies |
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| Freeway (Motorway) Management | Highway Operator |
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| Incident Management | Highway Operator |
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| Public Safety Agencies |
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| Maintenance and Construction Management | Highway Operator |
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| City/County Authority |
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| Highway Pavement Management | Highway Operator |
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| Surface Street Management | City/County Authority |
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| Public Transport Management | Bus/ Coach Operators |
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| Traveller Information | Highway Operator |
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The leading stakeholders in an ITS deployment may parallel those involved in a construction project: the client, professional consultants, products and service suppliers, contractors and specialist subcontractors:
Transport professionals who are responsible for launching ITS at project or programme level, may be unfamiliar with certain aspects of a deployment – either technical or institutional. (See ITS Technologies and Strategic Planning)
ITS covers a wide range of systems and services. Different players are involved – so stakeholder roles and attitudes and the legal and institutional issues vary for each sector. There will be wide variations between different applications and individual institutions, but there are three broad groups of stakeholders that invest in ITS:
These three groups adopt very different evaluation systems when they consider whether to invest and allocate their budgets to ITS deployments:
The interactions between these very different requirements is illustrated below. For ITS projects to be viable, they will often require justification against at least two, if not all three of the underlying value criteria. Failure to meet one or other of the investment tests will produce a classic “chicken and egg situation” – who goes first, the supplier or the purchaser in making a commitment to the system or product?
Inter-dependencies between the public sector, the private sector and consumers (© World Road Association)
Private sector involvement is generally motivated by the opportunity to generate revenue and/or make a profit. Commercial businesses must be able to generate a profit through their activities to survive in a competitive market place. The continuing development of technology and advances in user needs and expectations means that the potential for new products and services is always there. The private sector can provide these new products and services, as and when time demands. Increasingly, the public sector is looking to the private sector, for the investment in ITS infrastructure and the delivery of certain ITS services – such as providing travel data. The private sector business case will largely depend on risk assessment of several factors. (See Formulating a Programme)
It is likely that the private sector will wish to develop market opportunities for new service needs arising from public sector investments in ITS. For example, a company might make use of traffic data (advisory and predictive) collected by public agencies to develop customised, real time travel information as a value added service for its customers. Arrangements of this kind – if they are exclusive to one provider – can become problematic unless they have been awarded on the basis of fair and open competition.
Private investment in road infrastructure and traffic services is growing as many public agencies struggle to meet increased travel demand within limited budgets. For example, toll roads and traffic control centres are often implemented through a partnership contract or franchise (See Contracts and Toll Collection). Private sector participation offers new opportunities and challenges to the transport industry.
The challenge in a public private partnership lies in how to achieve a balance between the policies and objectives of public agencies – while satisfying the business goals of private companies. To achieve a successful public private partnership, various issues need to be addressed:
In preparation for negotiations with private industry, public agencies need to determine their requirements – which may be encapsulated in an ITS regional architecture. By defining requirements before entering into a resource sharing agreement the stakeholders will be in a stronger position to conduct the negotiations.
Motivating factors for public private partnerships in ITS include:
Examples of viable partnerships which benefit both sectors include:
ERTICO – ITS Europe represents the interests and expertise of around 100 public and private partners involved in providing Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) services. It facilitates the safe, secure, clean, efficient and comfortable mobility of people and goods in Europe and beyond through activities supporting the development and deployment of ITS.
Specifically, ERTICO:
ERTICO’s public private partners include mobile network operators, public authorities, academic and research institutions, service providers, suppliers, traffic and transport industry, users and vehicle manufacturers.
Source: http://www.ertico.com/assets/Partners-List/Partner-listJune-142013.pdf
ITS works when the supporting infrastructure – which includes roads, ITS devices, vehicles, terminals, management centres – communicate with each other and with users. For a road authority, the ITS infrastructure components can be divided into four different categories: field, centre, vehicle and telecommunications.
The diagram below shows how field, centre and vehicle infrastructures connect to each other. Centres may communicate with each other and with field devices through wired or wireless technology. Vehicles communicate with centres and field devices through wireless infrastructure.
Figure 1: ITS Infrastructure Components
ITS Architecture plays an important part in Road Network Operations. The ITS architecture is a primary element in ITS planning. Two types of ITS architecture are typically defined:
A high level ITS architecture provides the framework for the deployment of ITS across a wide geographical area with multiple jurisdictions and different stakeholders participating in common or inter-dependant operations. The architecture specifies how the various ITS components interact with each other to address the transport problems. It provides the basis for planning, designing, deploying, maintaining and integrating systems to realise transport objectives.
An ITS architecture does not specify the ITS scheme design in detail. Nor does it require a particular design approach. Instead it does the important job of specifying the performance criteria that the system components must satisfy – and defines a general framework from which several alternative designs or design options may be developed. These distinct designs will conform to the common ITS architecture. (See What is ITS Architecture?)
An ITS architecture should define the following:
Maximum benefit from ITS requires interoperability and interchangeability of systems between regions and within a region. Interoperability refers to the condition where different types of systems can interface with each other to meet the system’s functional requirements. Multiple brands of a device on the same communications channel is an example of interchangeability. One of the primary goals of ITS is to integrate a variety of previously independent systems to minimize redundancy and maximize efficiency – so adhering to ITS and other industry standards will satisfy the interoperability and interchangeability requirements and support future efficient system expansion. Legislative requirements to comply with industry and ITS standards in any ITS project will support interoperability, interchangeability and future cost-effective expandability of the system. (See ITS Standards)
Technology is changing at a rapid pace and this trend is expected to continue indefinitely. ITS builds on technology-based services – and the pace of technological change is an important consideration in planning and deployment. Three issues must be addressed when considering changes in technology for any ITS applications. These are: upgrade, legacy systems and systems integration.
With technology changing rapidly, even during the course of an ITS project, it is important to anticipate the possibility of system upgrades. Newer technologies can improve the performance of an already deployed system – and may require a decision on whether to upgrade the system or replace it. Where it is possible to look ahead, work planning and design should allow for the possibility of upgrades so they can be accommodated efficiently and without technical complexity. A possible disadvantage is that system upgrades may require highly skilled professionals to operate and manage the new systems in the future.
As new systems and upgrades come on line, they must be integrated with earlier “legacy” systems. The challenge lies in making the new systems interoperable. ITS architecture can show where and how established legacy systems will need to interface with new systems to deliver the desired (integrated) system functionalities and performance. A field evaluation plan for testing the interoperability between a legacy system and new systems will provide the basis for testing the integrated system after deployment.
Systems integration is about how different systems are connected together so that they can perform the desired tasks in an optimal way. ITS requires different types of hardware and software (which may come from different manufacturers and be implemented at different times) to be integrated to satisfy user requirements.
Problems – that can pose a significant challenge to systems integration – technically and because of the cost, are:
Adhering to established industry and ITS standards and the use of open architecture will support future cost-effective systems integration.
A system-wide outlook at the inception of a project will help develop a deployment plan that supports a cost-effective implementation strategy:
If the design provides for interchangeability of components it will encourage competition and allow scope for future improvements in cost, design, functionality and safety (See ITS Architecture):
ITS architecture can show where standard interfaces will bring significant benefits:
ITS architecture shows how different stakeholders are connected with one another through data exchange:
The existence of an ITS architecture can assist in integrating systems coming on-line in different phases:
ITS architecture can support security services related to disaster response and evacuation, freight and commercial vehicles, hazardous materials, rail, transit and transport infrastructure:
Bloomington/Monroe County USA, Regional Intelligent Transportation Systems Architecture, 2008.
Chowdhury, M. and Sadek, A., Fundamentals on Intelligent Transportation Systems Planning, Artech House, Boston, MA, 2003.
Fries, Chowdhury and Brummond, Transportation Infrastructure Security Utilizing ITS, John Wiley & Sons, 2008.
U.S. Department of Transportation, National ITS Architecture, www.iteris.com/itsarch (accessed on December 1, 2013).