Executive Summary

Today's world offers an abundance of information technologies and applications that connect and coordinate our work, social, and family lives. Expectations for connectivity continue to grow. In transportation, the potential is staggering for technology to positively impact safety, mobility, economic productivity, and the environment.

Intelligent transportation technologies and systems are the application of integrated information and communications technologies to infrastructure and vehicles in order to improve safety and better manage travel and travel choices. Over the past 20 years, intelligent transportation systems (ITS) have transformed transportation safety, infrastructure, operational performance, and service delivery. ITS facilitates a connected, integrated transportation system that is information-intensive in order to better serve the interests of users, be responsive to the needs of travelers and system operators, and, above all, improve safety.

The ITS Joint Program Office (JPO), part of the U.S. Department of Transportation's (US DOT) Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), is charged with researching and fostering the development and evolution of ITS and facilitating deployment and use of these technologies across the Nation. The ITS Program delivers on this charge by leveraging public, private, and academic research, testing, and commercialization efforts.

Since the inception of the ITS Program in 1991, Congress has viewed ITS as an important use of Federal research funds. As such, Congress has required periodic updates on the program's activities and future initiatives. The most recent surface transportation legislation, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), passed by Congress on August 9, 2005, not only provided continued guidance to the ITS Program but also directed the US DOT to submit a five-year program plan with an update every two years. The ITS Program delivered its first Five-Year ITS Program Plan to Congress in February 2007 (herein referred to as the 2006 Five-Year Plan). This report, the ITS Research Results: 2008 ITS Program Plan (herein, 2008 ITS Program Plan) builds on the previous plan to report on:

• The status and progress of the ITS Program through 2008.
• The research results of the ITS Research Initiatives.
• The progress, accomplishments, and changes to the ITS Program since 2006.
• How the ITS Program has and will fulfill the requirements of SAFETEA-LU.

ES.1 History and Evolution of the ITS Program

ISTEA originally authorized $659 million for ITS in fiscal years (FY) 1992–1997, with additional funds appropriated by Congress to the States, for a total of approximately $1.2 billion. The Transportation Efficiency Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) confirmed the direction of the ITS Program and authorized and appropriated a similar amount through FY 2003: $603 million for research and development and $679 million for deployment activities, for a total of $1.282 billion. Because SAFETEA-LU was enacted in late FY 2005 (two years after the end of TEA-21) Congress provided a continuing budget for the ITS Program, appropriating $220 million for continued research and development and $244 million for deployment activities. Table ES.1 summarizes the allocation of financial resources over the course of the three authorizations.

Table ES.1: Allocation of Congressional ITS Appropriations

	ISTEA	TEA-21	Continuing Funding	SAFETEA-LU	Total
ITS Program Activity	1991-1997	1998-2005	2004-2005	2006-2008
Research and Development	$659M	$603M	$220M	$330M	$1.812B
Deployment	$564M	$679M	$244M	Discontinued	$1.487B
Total	$1.223B	$1.282B	$464M	$330M	$3.299B

With these funds, the ITS Program has delivered the following results:

• From 1991 to 1997, the Program provided the initial research and "laboratory" adoption of technologies to existing transportation facilities and vehicles. Early adopters in metropolitan and rural areas and States began to embrace the ITS concept and to deploy predominantly public-sector, infrastructure-based ITS technologies. Advanced vehicle technologies were developed and tested separately as part of the Automated Highway System demonstration in 1997. To provide a common framework and facilitate integration of systems, the ITS Program developed the National ITS Architecture and began the development of critical ITS Standards.
• With successful results of the ITS Program under ISTEA, Congress encouraged adoption and deployment of ITS under TEA-21. From 1998 to 2004, the Program's activities focused on:
  • Promotion of a set of strategic processes for use by State and local transportation agencies that helped ensure successful and effective ITS deployment. These included use of the National ITS Architecture, development of regional ITS architectures tailored to local needs, use of ITS Standards, and use of the ITS systems engineering process to develop ITS projects. In support of these processes, in January 2001, USDOT issued the Final Rule and Final Policy on ITS Architecture and Standards Conformity, which required the use of these processes by all State and local transportation agencies when using money from the Highway Trust Fund and the Mass Transit Account.
  • Creation of a set of Model Deployment Initiatives to demonstrate the powerful and synergistic effects of integrated systems versus standalone technology deployments. Along with the Model Deployment Initiatives, deployment support activities were initiated with a focus on technical assistance and workforce development. Evaluation activities were added to assess the capability of ITS technologies and systems in real-world settings. These activities have proved to be a rich source of information on the benefits and costs of deploying ITS and the lessons learned from ITS deployment experiences.
  • Development of in-vehicle driver assistance devices that warn drivers of dangerous situations, recommend actions, and potentially assume partial control of vehicles to avoid crashes. In 1997, the Intelligent Vehicle Initiative (IVI) was established to work with the automotive industry to develop and deploy safety systems in standard vehicle product lines. Over seven years (1997-2004), the IVI focused research on driver distraction and driver activities and workload. The research results formed the basis for the development of newly emerging crash avoidance systems designed to:
    • Prevent road departures
    • Prevent rear-end, lane-change, lane-merge, and intersection crashes
    • Provide vehicle stability
    • Generate forward-collision warnings
    Many of these systems are now in production and soon will be available in new-model cars and trucks. Collectively, the results of the IVI activities form the basis for the current Vehicle-Infrastructure Integration (VII) and Integrated Vehicle-Based Safety Systems (IVBSS) Initiatives, both of which combine many of these standalone safety systems into a single, integrated vehicular system. The current initiatives advance the IVI results through further systems integration with the vehicle to lessen driver distraction and enhance driver decision making; and furthers the development of vehicle-based safety systems communications with the transportation network, enabling the transmission of data on vehicle status and incident or crash conditions to system operators and the receipt of real-time information on traffic conditions and travel choices.

With the passage of SAFETEA-LU in 2005, Congress affirmed the growing return on ITS investment and authorized $550 million, or $110 million per year, for FY 2006–2010, for ITS research. SAFETEA-LU also contained provisions to further mainstream ITS into the transportation planning and deployment processes and to increase general awareness of improved operations brought about by ITS applications. Importantly, Congress ended appropriations to the ITS Deployment Program at the close of FY2005, thus allowing the ITS Program to focus its resources on research initiatives.

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ES.2 Changing Environment and Circumstances, 2006–2008

Since 2006, changes have occurred that have had, and will continue to have, a significant effect on the ITS Program. These changes include the following:

Incorporation of the ITS JPO into RITA

With passage of the Mineta Act in November 2004, the RITA was created, replacing the Research and Special Programs Administration. RITA's role within US DOT is to coordinate research programs and advance the deployment of cross-cutting technologies to improve the Nation's transportation system. Because ITS activities are intermodal and multimodal and involve partners across many modes, the US DOT moved the ITS Program from its original home in the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to RITA. RITA provides the ITS JPO and ITS Program with an opportunity to fully realize its mission of advancing innovative technologies and coordinating technology research across the modes to do so. With this move, RITA has undertaken responsibility for setting strategic direction for the ITS Program through collaborative relationships with US DOT modal administrations.

In 2004, the US DOT and ITS Program staff reevaluated the ITS Program's role in providing technology research. In previous years, the primary focus of the ITS Program had shifted to promoting deployment with State and local governments and assisting them with the removal of policy, technical, and knowledge barriers and other obstacles to deployment. The Department and the ITS Program agreed that the program would shift its focus to fewer, larger, higher risk but higher payoff research initiatives that:

• Were problem-driven/results-oriented.
• Directly supported the Department's goals of safety, reduced congestion, and global connectivity.
• Directly supported congressional goals, intended purposes, and research priorities for the ITS Program.
• Were generally multimodal and required a high degree of integration.
• Defined clear roles for the public and private sectors.
• Incorporated a clear, strong testing and evaluation component.

Implementation of SAFETEA-LU Legislation by US DOT

SAFETEA-LU affirmed that the scope of the ITS Program is to research, develop, and operationally test ITS and to provide technical assistance in the nationwide application of those systems as a component of surface transportation systems of the United States. The legislation also specified a number of changes that directly affect the ITS Program, as described below.

Creation of the ITS Program Advisory Committee. SAFETEA-LU directed the US DOT to establish an ITS Program Advisory Committee (ITS PAC) to advise the Secretary of Transportation on the scope and direction of the ITS Program. From 2006 to 2007, the US DOT engaged in activities necessary to establish the ITS PAC under the procedures and requirements of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). As required in FACA, the US DOT developed a charter for the Committee, submitted it to the General Services Administration, the Library of Congress, and Congress, and established Committee membership in accordance with SAFETEA-LU requirements. As of the writing of this ITS Program Plan 2008, ITS PAC has met four times since June 2007.

Designate and Convene a Panel of Standards Experts. SAFETEA-LU also required that the ITS Program involve a panel of experts to review the progress and role of the ITS Standards Program. In 2006, the ITS JPO asked the Transportation Research Board (TRB) to assemble experts to discuss and provide workable suggestions for the future of the ITS Standards Program. In 2007, TRB reported on the Federal role in developing and deploying ITS Standards and recommended that US DOT continue to play a prominent role in supporting these standards, guided by a well-articulated strategic vision and program plan. It also advised that US DOT engage users of standards in all phases of development and become more active in international ITS Standards activities. This input has given the ITS Standards Program the necessary guidance to initiate the development of a strategic plan in 2008.

Discontinue the ITS Deployment Program. The ITS Deployment Program was authorized under TEA-21 Sections 5208 and 5209. Section 5208, Intelligent Transportation Systems Integration Program, authorized a comprehensive program to fund model deployment projects that would accelerate the integration and interoperability of ITS in metropolitan and rural areas. Section 5209, Commercial Vehicle Intelligent Transportation Infrastructure Deployment, authorized a comprehensive program to deploy ITS to improve the safety and productivity of commercial vehicles and drivers and reduce costs associated with commercial vehicle operations. These programs were not reauthorized by SAFETEA-LU, and funding ended at the close of FY 2005.

Major New Departmental Initiatives

In 2006, US DOT announced several major new Department-wide initiatives, many of which complement the existing ITS research initiatives. These initiatives represent an intense focus on two of the Nation's most pressing transportation challenges: congestion and rural transportation safety.

Congestion Initiative. In 2006, shortly after the passage of SAFETEA-LU, the US DOT announced a major initiative to reduce transportation-system congestion. The Congestion Initiative offers a blueprint for Federal, State, and local officials to work together to reverse the alarming trends of congestion, incorporating and combining many efforts across modes. The ITS Program is engaged in two aspects of the Congestion Initiative:

• Funding innovative technology applications to reduce congestion at a variety of sites across the Nation.
• Evaluating the deployment and impact of technology applications.

In August 2007, six sites were selected; more are anticipated in the future. Selected sites include metropolitan sites that are facing growing congestion and that are willing to aggressively apply innovative applications while making improvements in transit, telecommuting programs, and technology to relieve urban congestion.

Rural Safety Initiative. In 2008, the Department launched the Rural Safety Initiative Program to reduce highway fatalities and injuries on the Nation's rural roads. Rural areas face a number of unique highway safety challenges: rural crashes tend to occur at higher speeds than urban crashes; victims of fatal crashes in rural areas are more likely to be unbelted than their urban counterparts; and it often takes first responders longer to arrive at the scene of a rural crash, leaving victims waiting longer for medical attention. Outdated roadway designs are also major contributors to the severity of rural crashes.

In August 2008, the Department provided 21 awards to 14 States, three counties, and two parishes to improve safety on rural roads. Twelve awards have been made to rural communities with significant safety hazards that have identified high-impact, leading-edge ITS solutions. The ITS Program will work cooperatively with the communities to conduct two key activities: demonstrating the use of innovative technologies to improve rural safety, and evaluating their impact at field-test sites across the Nation. The results will be evaluated, and examples and best practices will be published and be made available to other rural communities facing similar safety challenges.

Rebranding of the VII Initiative. In late Fall 2008, the ITS Joint Program Office launched an effort to "rebrand" the VII Initiative to better represent the program's goal of achieving a safer and smarter transportation system. This effort was driven by the growing recognition that the name "vehicle-infrastructure integration" did not convey the benefits made possible through a wireless networked driving environment. The end result is the new name, IntelliDriveSM, which more effectively conveys the full potential of a wireless networked driving environment to enhance the safety, mobility, and convenience of everyday transportation.

In 2009, the logo (illustrated to the left) will be applied to print materials and websites to help spread the word about IntelliDriveSM. Though its name has changed, the IntelliDriveSM program's focus remains: to develop a networked environment supporting very high speed transactions among vehicles (V2V), and between vehicles and infrastructure components (V2I) or hand held devices (V2D) to enable numerous safety and mobility applications.

The ITS Program in 2008

Since 2006, the ITS Program has focused on ensuring that its research initiatives are moving toward completion and are delivering maximum value. The Program has increased its emphasis on oversight and project management to ensure greater accountability and the delivery of measurable impacts and achievements. After two years of research and development activity, the initiatives are producing results that fulfill the goals and directives of Congress as enacted in SAFETEA-LU. This report details these results.

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ES.3 ITS Research Initiatives

The ITS research initiatives and deployment support programs form the core of the ITS Program. The ITS research initiatives are designed to test technologies, systems, models, and strategies in support of Departmental goals for safety, congestion management, and economic productivity. The research can be organized into four categories that identify each initiative's progress:

• Major ITS Research Initiatives Nearing Completion.
  • Electronic Freight Management (EFM)
  • Emergency Transportation Operations (ETO)
• Major ITS Research Initiatives Moving into Real-World Testing and Demonstration.
  • Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII)
  • Cooperative Intersection Collision Avoidance Systems (CICAS)
  • Integrated Vehicle-Based Safety Systems (IVBSS)
  • National Surface Transportation Weather Observing and Forecasting System (Clarus)
  • Integrated Corridor Management (ICM)
  • Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG 9-1-1)
  • Mobility Services for All Americans (MSAA)
• New Major ITS Research Initiatives.
  • Congestion Initiative
  • Rural Safety Initiative
• Ongoing ITS Research Programs. These initiatives include activities required under SAFETEA-LU that are focused on advancing ITS in field settings and are conducted in close partnership with modal agencies:
  • Deployment of and technical guidance to the National 511 Program, in partnership with FHWA.
  • Deployment of the Commercial Vehicle Information Systems and Networks (CVISN), in partnership with FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration).
  • Management and evaluation of the I-95 Corridor Congressional appropriation.
  • Continued research under the Road Weather Research Program in partnership with FHWA.
  • The Rural Communications Study, conducted in partnership with FHWA.
  • The Surface Transportation Security and Reliability Information System Model Deployment, also known as iFlorida, in partnership with FHWA.

Figure ES.1 on the following page shows the major ITS research initiatives and their relationship with Departmental goals.

Following is a summary of the major research initiatives and the ongoing research programs. For the major research initiatives, the summary describes the research focus, the opportunity afforded by the application of ITS, and the key results achieved through the research efforts.

ES.3A Describes major research initiatives nearing completion

ES.3B Describes major research initiatives moving into real world testing and demonstration

ES.3C Describes ongoing research programs

ES.3A Major Research Initiatives Nearing Completion

Electronic Freight Management (EFM)

To develop a web-based, open platform system for businesses of all sizes, but particularly small businesses, to track cargo shipments in near real-time. This provides all businesses with a way to connect with new shipping partners and expedite the paperwork process.

ITS Opportunity

EFM combines recent advances in communications technologies with the efficiencies of the Internet to provide businesses with the means to track cargo shipments in near real time, connect with new shipping partners, and expedite the paperwork process through a nonproprietary system. EFM's web-based, cargo-tracking system can improve the accuracy, efficiency, reliability, and affordability associated with global and domestic shipping.

Research Results

• The EFM system has demonstrated the capability to deliver significant gains to businesses:
  • Reduced shipping times
  • Reduced labor hours
  • Improved accuracy
• The EFM system test illustrated how the system will impact the process of tracking and moving goods and highlighted four key improvements:
  • Timeliness of the freight-release process
  • Availability of status information
  • Timeliness of supply-chain data
  • Data quality on the supply chain
• The EFM System has delivered a nonproprietary, open-platform, web-based tool for freight tracking.
• The EFM open architecture and EFM standards offer cost-effective implementation for businesses.

Emergency Transportation Operations (ETO)

Research Focus

To test and document technology applications for use in emergency response.

ITS Opportunity

ETO utilizes ITS technologies for improved management of the emergency—ITS technologies provide transportation service and public safety agencies with the ability to communicate and coordinate operations and resources in real time.

• The ETO Initiative resulted in the development of 16 resources that address critical transportation roles, processes, and operations during emergencies and evacuations and that provide critical tools to enhance decision-making in three areas:
  • Enhanced information sharing
  • Evacuation management and operations
  • Transportation operations during biohazard situations
• The ETO Initiative provided guidance to State and local agencies on effective evacuation modeling techniques.
• The ETO Initiative assisted in harmonization of data standards between transportation and emergency management agencies.
• ETO resources, reports, tools, and knowledge are easy to access.

ES.3B Moving into Real-World Testing and Demonstration

Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII)

Research Focus

To develop the capability for vehicles to communicate with each other and with the roadside infrastructure through wireless technologies that will support critical safety applications, improve the safety and mobility of the roadway environment, broaden travel options, and assist in reducing the environmental impact of transportation.

ITS Opportunity

VII offers the opportunity to move aggressively toward implementation of active safety solutions—the delivery of location-specific advisories, alerts, and warnings to drivers that provide greater awareness of the safety risks and mobility options on the roadway, as they are occurring and in real time.

The VII Initiative is focused on cooperative systems—integrating wireless communications with advanced devices and software applications that enable equipped vehicles and infrastructure to "sense" the movement of vehicles and other roadway users; in particular, to "sense" risky movements that create the potential for a crash. To achieve this level of "smart" integration, VII combines:

• Wireless communications
• Advanced devices
• Advanced applications

When combined, these technologies form an integrated, networked environment that can provide all users with a full 360 degree awareness of the events, risks, and opportunities within the environment immediately surrounding the vehicle as well as nearby roadway conditions.

Research Results

The VII Initiative has achieved significant accomplishments since 2006:

• Development of the first VII architecture and Concept of Operations.
• Development of Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC) standards that enable system interoperability and facilitate integration.
• Development of software that provides a novel approach to large-scale network security and ensures privacy and anonymity.
• Establishment of a VII prototype network in a real-world environment.
• Establishment of a working partnership with a wide group of stakeholders.
• Development of a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) capability.
• Development of privacy principles based on consensus agreement with stakeholders, including privacy advocates. These principles respect reasonable privacy expectations of individual VII users.

Key research results include:

• In POC testing, the VII network concept works:
  • The current VII system architecture was successfully implemented as a fully functioning prototype system with end-to-end communications.
  • DSRC communications performed well and were able to prioritize radio channel access for safety while also supporting other applications. Additionally, DSRC range is better than expected (up to 800 meters) and was found to be acceptable under all environmental conditions tested.
  • The VII system provides the capability for vehicles to "talk" with each other in an interoperable, rapid, and secure manner.
• POC results revealed that the VII system is robust against intrusions and attacks.

Cooperative Intersection Collision Avoidance Systems (CICAS

Research Focus

To develop and test technology applications to help drivers avoid crashes at intersections.

ITS Opportunity

CICAS provides critical safety applications that directly address some of the predominant causes of intersection crashes. The use of ITS technologies to provide real-time warnings—both in the vehicle and on the infrastructure—can substantially improve driver perception of the intersection situation and the threats and hazards posed by other vehicles and other users (e.g., pedestrians). This awareness, in turn, provides drivers with greater response time, which can create safer and more timely driver action in averting potential crashes.

The CICAS Initiative combines these different technologies to form four innovative and leading-edge safety applications:

• CICAS-Violation Warning System (CICAS-V)
• CICAS-Stop Sign Assist (CICAS-SSA)
• CICAS-Signalized Left-Turn Assist (CICAS-SLTA)
• CICAS-Traffic Signal Adaptation (CICAS-TSA)

Research Results

• Preliminary results from a pilot demonstration show that the CICAS-V System works and can effectively deliver timely warnings to the driver.
• Research and demonstration reveal that CICAS-SSA can provide an innovative approach to reducing rural intersection crashes.
• CICAS-SLTA and CICAS-TSA research is testing options for communicating traffic signal information to the driver for better decision-making by modifying signal timing to accommodate driver behavior.

Integrated Vehicle-Based Safety Systems (IVBSS)

Research Focus

To create and test an integrated crash-alert system for the three most common causes of crash-related fatalities.

ITS Opportunity

Today's crash-avoidance technologies are designed as one technology for each crash type. To be effective, crash-avoidance technology requires an integrated system that prioritizes warnings. IVBSS is developing and testing an integrated, multiple-crash warning system that advances the state of the art in crash prevention and delivers a system capable of:

• Identifying the threats associated with all three crash types and identifying multiple threats as they occur simultaneously.
• Promptly assessing and arbitrating between threats, and prioritizing the seriousness of the threats for the driver.
• Delivering information to drivers using alerts and warnings that are designed to elicit appropriate and timely responses for both automobiles and trucks.
• Reducing false alerts and nuisance warnings.

Research Results

• The IVBSS prototype system has successfully completed system performance verification tests.
• The IVBSS alert/warning experiments produced results that will assist manufacturers in tailoring commercially available Driver-Vehicle Interfaces (DVIs) for optimal effectiveness with drivers.
• The IVBSS prototype system is ready for operational testing and evaluation under real-world conditions.
• The IVBSS Initiative has taken the first steps toward commercialization.

National Surface Transportation Weather Observing and Forecasting System (Clarus)

Research Focus

To integrate a wide variety of weather observing, forecasting, and data management systems to deliver timely, accurate, and reliable weather and road condition information.

ITS Opportunity

The Clarus System combines weather observing, forecasting, and data management systems with robust and continuous data quality checking to deliver timely, accurate, and reliable weather and road condition information. The Clarus System further offers a onestop, Internet-based portal for all surface transportation environmental observations, allowing users to tap into the system for easy access to the data. Three critical features make the Clarus System information unique and separate from other forms of weather information available on the market today:

• The Clarus System is transportation-related. Clarus specifically provides information related to roadway conditions.
• The Clarus System provides a greater level of detail. With the ability to gather data from a vast array of sensors, the Clarus System enables service providers to generate and deliver targeted and route-specific information.
• The Clarus System offers quality control. The Clarus System performs one of the most comprehensive data quality checks of all road-weather data systems available today.

Research Results

• The Clarus System is able to aggregate, integrate, and exchange data.
• The Clarus System provides accurate, high-quality data.
• State and local agencies that have connected to the Clarus System are recognizing the benefits.
• Nineteen states are connected to the Clarus System and interest is growing.
• Regional demonstrations are getting underway that will develop and test applications for Clarus data.

Integrated Corridor Management (ICM)

Research Focus

To research, model, and demonstrate how technology can enable integration of transportation assets for improving multimodal congestion management in the Nation's most critical metropolitan corridors.

ITS Opportunity

ICM takes existing transportation and ITS assets within a corridor and integrates them into multimodal systems that allow agencies to collaboratively and dynamically manage and operate their individual assets as a single multimodal network. The ICM Initiative is also focused on developing strategies that, when applied, lead to optimal corridor traffic flows and management. Agencies can derive the most effective ICM strategies by collaboratively modeling their corridor with surrounding jurisdictions and inputting data on the real-time status of transportation and ITS assets. Central to the ICM Initiative is an advanced process of analysis, modeling, and simulation (the AMS approach). This advanced modeling capability allows agencies to explore how different strategy combinations may affect a corridor's flow and to identify where unused or underutilized capacity may exist. Ultimately, the AMS approach will be used by agencies to analyze, model, or simulate multimodal conditions in real time in order to assist operators in making decisions that provide maximum mobility at all times.

Research Results

• Initial ICM corridor modeling has validated that the AMS approach works and, in doing so, has validated the ICM concept.
• The ICM Initiative was able to model approaches never modeled before and understand benefits from a multimodal perspective.
• The ICM test corridor illustrated positive effects and benefits of ICM optimization strategies.

Research Focus

To develop and test a design that updates the Nation's antiquated 9-1-1 emergency calling system and integrates technologies in use today.

ITS Opportunity

The existing analog 9-1-1 system is unable to take advantage of today's wireless technology capabilities. The NG9-1-1 Initiative has researched, developed, and tested a design for a system that will:

• Enable 9-1-1 calls from any networked device.
• Provide quicker delivery and more accurate information to responders and the public alike.
• Establish more flexible, secure, and robust Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) operations with increased capabilities for sharing of data and resources and more efficient procedures and standards to improve emergency response.
• Enable call access, transfer, and backup among and between PSAPs and other authorized emergency organizations that are geographically separated.
• Enable greater interoperability of the network (or create a system of systems) through the incorporation of ITS and other industry standards.

Specific to transportation, transitioning to an NG9-1-1 system is a critical component in enabling automatic crash notification to be transmitted with a 9-1-1 call along with photographs and data sets (telematics data) that identify the vehicle's speed, rollover status, crash velocity, and impact. Also, NG9-1-1 will provide a tool for sending locationtargeted hazard alerts and evacuation guidance to motorists and other mobile device users through reverse messaging.

Research Results

• The NG9-1-1 Initiative has produced one of the first studies that comprehensively defines and documents a future vision for the existing 9-1-1 system.
• The NG9-1-1 architecture has been validated through a set of POC tests.
• POC testing revealed that the NG9-1-1 System provides important new capabilities.
• The NG9-1-1 Initiative POC tests validated that the PSAP call taker software works

Mobility Services for All Americans (MSAA)

Research Focus

To research, design, and demonstrate the use of communications technologies for coordinating and improving mobility options for the handicapped and other historically transportation-disadvantaged communities.

ITS Opportunity

The MSAA goal is to seamlessly connect customers, agencies, and transportation providers and increase accessibility and mobility for the transportation-disadvantaged and general public.

The key to enabling such effective and efficient coordination is the integration of ITS technologies into a physical or virtual Travel Management Coordination Center (TMCC). The TMCC networks all parties together and uses ITS technologies that are tested and proven and that have demonstrated significant benefits and returns on investment. Such technologies include:

• Fleet scheduling, dispatching, and routing
• Integrated fare payment and management (payment, collection, and processing)
• Enhanced traveler information and trip planning, particularly for customers with accessibility challenges
• Advanced GIS and demand-response systems to provide door-to-door service

Research Results

• Eight sites were selected and developed their own unique and innovative approaches to coordinating and delivering human services transportation. In developing their TMCC Concepts of Operations and system designs, the sites varied in their visions and approaches. A common and important emphasis for all sites was customer focused service. All sites created a system that provides a single point-of-access for customers to find information about the transportation services available to them. The MSAA sites refer to this as "no wrong door"—the same information is available whether the customer accesses the service via the Internet, the 211 telephone service, text messaging, walking in, or a range of other means. The operational benefits to be gained were important to the sites in their designs.
• The process of engaging local stakeholders in the TMCC system design has already generated local efficiencies for agencies.
• The MSAA Initiative has provided a platform that has effectively raised stakeholder awareness and excitement about the human-services transportation coordination opportunities.

ES.3C Ongoing Research Programs

Significant gains have been made over the last two years through the ongoing research programs. The following summarizes the purpose, accomplishments, and outcomes of each program.

National 511 Program (511)

Program Purpose

To provide important travel information to users via a single, predictable, and easy-to-remember number. 511 is the Federally designated telephone number for traveler information available nationwide.

Program Accomplishments and Outcomes

• The system has grown to include forty-three 511 services that are operational in 33 states and two Canadian provinces. Currently, 511 services are accessible by 47 percent of the United States population and over 3 percent of the Canadian population. With the completion of systems under development, 70 percent of the U.S. population will have access to 511 services in 2009.
• The traveling public is coming to rely on the 511 system particularly during times of inclement weather. Usage statistics as of May 2008 include the following:
  • Since the initial 511 system launch in 2001, more than 112 million calls have been made nationwide.
  • There are 41 consecutive months with over 1 million calls to the 511 system and two consecutive months with over 4 million calls.
  • Seventeen 511 systems have websites designed specifically for use with PDAs; 30 states have specific 511 websites; and twenty 511 systems provide transit information.
  • 20 million calls have been made to the San Francisco Bay area 511 alone, an area that has a high call volume.

Commercial Vehicle Information Systems and Networks (CVISN)

Program Purpose

To facilitate the seamless exchange of critical information in support of efficient Commercial Vehicle Operations (CVO) (for instance, information on safety, credentials, and tax administration) by providing a framework, or "architecture," that assists transportation agencies, motor carrier organizations, and other stakeholders in the planning and deploying of integrated networks and systems. CVISN, refers to a collection of information systems and communications networks owned and operated by governments, motor carriers, and other stakeholders that support CVO.

Program Accomplishments and Outcomes

• CVISN grants have effectively moved states forward with their CVISN plans— every state and the District of Columbia have deployed some element of the CVISN Program.
• CVISN has been deployed successfully at various levels across the United States. Several studies commissioned by the FMCSA have examined the benefits of CVISN deployment. Some of the most common outcomes associated with program operation show a mix of safety benefits (i.e., targeted enforcement, improved use of enforcement resources, real-time access to safety and credentialing data) as well as productivity and customer-service improvements (i.e., reduced turnaround time for permits, increased accuracy on credentials).

I-95 Corridor Congressional Appropriation (I-95)

Program Purpose

To provide a forum for policy makers and transportation officials in an alliance of transportation agencies and related organizations from Maine to Florida to discuss and address transportation management and operations issues of common interest across multiple jurisdictions and modes. The extreme congestion and limited capacity to expand I-95 makes ITS an essential component in maintaining the regional and economic vitality of the corridor.

Program Accomplishments and Outcomes

• The Coalition has grown to 40 full members and several related entities, representing a variety of transportation-related agencies from Maine to Florida.
• The Coalition has sponsored research in a wide variety of areas of common interest to its members and in support of ITS deployment.
• The Coalition has promoted a strong and vital ITS workforce through the development and distribution of learning materials such as “lessons learned” reports and participation in industry conferences.
• The public has benefitted through improved incident response facilitated by information sharing and personal relationships established during regular Coalition-hosted meetings.
• Coalition support of member implementation of CVISN has improved commercial vehicle safety and productivity.
• Through the execution of the groundbreaking Vehicle Probe Project, the Coalition has demonstrated the first multistate procurement of continuous traffic flow data on an unprecedented scale.
• The Coalition is reducing congestion and delays caused by major incidents and roadway construction by providing travel time information to roadway operations agencies and roadway users well ahead of the incident or activity.
• The Coalition's many information exchange forums have helped member agencies focus on the establishment of 511 traveler information programs and use of common electronic payment methods across modes and applications.

Road Weather Research Program

Program Purpose

To maximize use of available road weather information and technologies; expand road weather research and development efforts to enhance roadway safety, capacity, and efficiency while minimizing environmental impacts; and promote technology transfer of effective road weather scientific and technological advances.

Program Accomplishments and Outcomes

• Research and development has been achieved for three important areas of activity:
  • Coordination with the Clarus Initiative
  • Weather-Responsive Traffic Management Activities
  • Completion and demonstration of the Winter Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS)
• Road Weather Research Program (RWRP) Stakeholder Coordination has been successful, resulting in numerous meetings to discuss public sector activities, cost/benefit studies, user experiences, outreach, and new MDSS products and services.
• The following training resources have been developed for these purposes:
  • Weather and Road Management
  • User Needs to Mitigate Societal Impacts: Road Weather Course
  • Road Weather Resource Identification (RWRI) Tool
• The program has provided leadership in technology transfer, training, and education for the surface transportation weather community through the creation of innovative tools to train state and municipal Departments of Transportation (DOT) and raise awareness among transportation professionals of the program opportunities and capabilities.
• The ITS Program and FHWA are in the process of developing a Performance Evaluation Plan. The RWRP and its key stakeholders have defined over 100 performance measures that are relevant to gaining a comprehensive understanding of the relative merits of each system.
• A number of individual evaluations have been conducted, primarily on the application and use of the MDSS. Initial results indicate that the benefits outweigh the costs; however, each evaluation is specific to a certain state DOT and its operating costs.

Rural Communications Study

Program Purpose

To study the feasibility and benefits of, as well as the impediments to, installing fiber-optic cables and/or wireless communications infrastructure along interstate rights of way. The envisioned result was a high-capacity "backbone" system, which would carry large amounts of data over long distances and offer connection to both transportation operating agencies and rural communities within the corridor.

Program Accomplishments and Outcomes

• The study is complete and the mandated report with recommendations was transmitted to Congress in August of 2008. The study documents the analysis and provides recommendations on:
  • Impact on rural communities
  • Impact on transportation agencies
  • Technologies
  • Policy constraints
  • Role of the private sector
  • Role of the Federal government
  • Role of State government
  • Role of the ITS Program

Surface Transportation Security and Reliability Information System Model Deployment (iFlorida)

Program Purpose

To create an innovative model deployment with the ITS Program sponsored by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). The goal was to build a comprehensive, regional information infrastructure to demonstrate the wide variety of public-sector operations that can be enabled or enhanced by an integrated information system covering a wide area that is densely populated and frequently visited by tourists.

The model deployment tested how a broad network of real-time remote sensors could improve the "situational awareness" of public-sector managers. It provided an opportunity to identify real-world logistical and human factor constraints on the successful operation of such a system.

The objectives of iFlorida were to improve several key areas of transportation management:

• Metropolitan-area traffic management
• Statewide traffic management
• Evacuation operations
• Traveler information operations
• Weather data
• Security operations

Program Accomplishments and Outcomes

• The iFlorida project is complete and a final evaluation report will be delivered in December 2008. A large infrastructure of traffic detection technologies remains in place in Florida and is in use.
• In September 2008, FDOT was able to implement the variable speed limit strategy because of the project's deployment of variable speed message signs. This strategy is expected to both reduce crashes and delay the onset of congestion.
• Unfortunately, the model deployment faced numerous barriers to achieving its full potential. Maintaining all of the newly deployed field hardware proved difficult; significant failures occurred with the arterial toll tag readers, the Statewide Monitoring System, the wireless broadband network, and the bridge security system. The most significant challenge concerned the integration of all the components through the Condition Reporting System (CRS) software. The CRS software was the traffic management software that was intended to combine data from the iFlorida field equipment and provide tools to manipulate this data and control FDOT traffic management assets such as dynamic message signs (DMS), 511 messages, the traveler information website, and the Road Ranger motorist assistance patrol services. The CRS that was supposed to obtain and transmit sensor data to decision-makers throughout the transportation management system presented a failure within this research program. Because of this software failure, certain aspects of the deployment could not be fully assessed because operators had no access to the newly obtained data.
• Because of the nature of the iFlorida experience, the deployment, integration, and testing of the iFlorida system provided important lessons learned for the Nation.

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ES.4 ITS Deployment Support Activities

Deployment support programs play a valuable role in ensuring the effective and successful implementation and use of ITS by State and local transportation agencies. These programs are the mechanism through which the ITS Program directly gathers data on the ITS needs of State and local agencies. They are also the ITS Program's mechanisms for ensuring that agencies understand both the value of ITS and the uses for ITS technologies, systems, models, and strategies that are produced through ITS research initiatives. Four deployment support programs form the basis for achieving three critical, cross-program goals:

• Fostering greater integration of technologies and systems to enable regional and Statewide interoperability for the Nation.
• Informing State and local investment decisions in ITS by compiling agency experiences in the deployment of ITS into a searchable knowledge database.
• Fostering a high-performing ITS workforce across the Nation.

Two of the four ITS deployment support programs provide the Department with a means for focusing on integration and interoperability:

• The National ITS Architecture Program. The National ITS Architecture is a definitive and consistent framework that guides ITS planning and deployment.
• The ITS Standards Program. ITS standards define how system components operate within that framework. By specifying how systems and components interconnect, the standards promote interoperability.

Together, the activities of these two programs foster the principles of effective integration across the Nation and enable seamless, consistent transfer of information. These programs facilitate the ability of jurisdictions to operate collaboratively and harness the benefits of a regional approach to transportation problems, and to cost-effectively engage with the private sector.

The remaining two programs promote informed decision-making about ITS and thereby support successful ITS deployment across the Nation:

• The ITS Professional Capacity Building Program. The ITS Professional Capacity Building (PCB) Program is focused on developing the ITS workforce; effective and successful ITS deployments require knowledgeable and skilled professionals ranging from maintenance personnel to managers to decision-makers.
• The ITS Program Assessment Program. ITS Program Assessment activities include conducting evaluations and tracking ITS deployments. The resulting information on costs, benefits, and lessons learned form the ITS Knowledge Resources—a set of databases that provides information based on actual deployment experiences. State and local transportation agencies can use these databases to help in their decisions on whether and how to invest in ITS.

Together these programs offer a set of complementary mechanisms to deliver training, provide technical expertise and assistance, support technology transfer, and disseminate critical knowledge on research, technologies, and strategies. In addition, these efforts result in an informal needs assessment mechanism through which the ITS Program directly learns of and gathers data on ITS in order to identify future research needs and requirements; identify benefits, costs, and lessons learned; and provide responsive technical assistance and workforce development.

By providing this focused effort at the Federal level, national benefits include:

• Guidance and best practices for how to achieve integration, interoperability, and consistency in deployment.
• A collection of local experiences that can be shared by peers and decision-makers to utilize what works and avoid what does not.
• A repository for ITS learning materials that addresses the essentials of effective ITS deployment.
• The knowledge needed to make solid investment decisions tailored to meet specific regional and local needs.

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ES.5 Program Administration and Management Update

The delivery of timely and worthwhile research results requires a strong focus on project administration and management. In the last two years, the ITS JPO has diligently implemented a set of oversight and management activities to guide the accountability of the initiatives and to ensure the delivery of maximum value for its research dollars.

To ensure that the ITS Program optimizes its funding, leverages all relevant and appropriate research and market opportunities, conducts its activities in the most effective manner, and provides maximum value to its stakeholders, the ITS JPO adopted three management principles in 2007 to guide the Office's daily activities:

• Instill excellence in project management.
• Provide thought leadership for the Department and for industry.
• Collaborate closely with modal partners, stakeholders, the private sector, academia, and research organizations.

Excellence in Project Management

Within the ITS JPO, many measures and controls are in place to ensure that performance goals, both programmatic and financial, are measured and achieved. In 2008, the ITS JPO is in the process of instituting a Program Management Office (PMO) to provide a more formal project management oversight structure for the ITS JPO research program. The PMO will assist ITS JPO project managers with enterprise-level oversight of the costs, schedules, and performance of ITS programs, projects, and major initiatives. The PMO will be responsible for providing enterprise-level technical assistance to ITS JPO project managers in defining programmatic research outcomes and measures; developing corresponding project management documents; collecting systematic, uniform performance data; analyzing and reporting results in a clear, concise format; and providing management recommendations based on overall program performance indicators and program metrics.

Thought Leadership

As the role of technology expands and shows substantial potential to positively impact transportation, it is essential that the ITS JPO staff embrace a forward-looking approach to research. This includes remaining current on emerging technology trends and research in universities, in the private sector and internationally. Further, JPO staff must be attuned to the needs of stakeholders and trends in commercialization. JPO staff work closely with thought leaders in the transportation industry in order to keep current with the state of the art and state-of-the-practice in their respective areas of expertise. In addition, the ITS Program Advisory Committee provides the ITS Program and JPO staff with solid information and feedback from within the transportation industry and outside it. With this grounding, the JPO can provide Departmental leadership in technology research.

Collaboration

The ITS JPO was created with an operating model centered on collaboration with the modes and modal administrators. The concept is to execute research in coordination with modes that have subject-matter expertise and strong relationships with specific public and private stakeholders. This increases the likelihood of successful research that moves into deployment and commercialization. The ITS JPO achieves its collaborative approach through the ITS Management Council, the ITS Strategic Planning Group, and close working relationships at the staff level.

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ES.6 Conclusion

Since the passage of SAFETEA-LU in 2005, the ITS Program has implemented an aggressive research agenda that is designed to provide the Nation with proactive, innovative technology solutions to some of its most pressing transportation problems. The ITS research agenda has been significantly focused on facilitating the development of a connected, integrated transportation system that is information-intensive in order to better serve the interests of users, be responsive to the needs of travelers and system operators, and, above all, improve safety. As the research agenda aligns with the Department's goals, it provides the Department with a focused means to advance technology applications for some of the most critical transportation problems facing the Nation.

The 2008 research results provide insight into how ITS technology solutions are transforming transportation and providing benefits, and help identify where critical gaps still exist that require further research. Some of the most important results include:

• A fully connected, networked transportation environment that has the potential to dramatically impact safety and mobility.
  • The VII research has resulted in the first-ever fully connected transportation environment in which vehicles are integrated with other vehicles and with the infrastructure through leading-edge wireless communications solutions. This environment can enable the dynamic exchange of time-critical information on vehicle movements, which has the ability to dramatically reduce crashes.
  • New research on open platforms is identifying how the VII environment can be expanded to leverage a wider range of devices and communications technologies available on the market today. Migrating VII to an open platform will enable the delivery of important safety and mobility benefits to an ever-increasing proportion of the Nation's population. Such a move will enable industry to take advantage of emerging technologies. It will allow for integration of a wider array of technologies, and it will allow the VII architecture to adapt as technologies evolve, ensuring that the VII network incorporates innovative approaches and applications over time. Finally, it will ensure that VII benefits are not limited to only those who own a VIIequipped vehicle.
• Promising new technology solutions in active crash avoidance.
  • CICAS research has delivered a set of new technologies that can actively address crashes due to violations of traffic signals and stop signs and improper judgment in accepting a safe gap when turning into or across traffic. Working prototypes exist for the CICAS-V Warning System, the CICAS-SSASystem, and the CICAS-TSA System.
  • IVBSS research has advanced the state of the art in crash prevention through the integration of multiple, autonomous crash-warning systems. The resulting IVBSS system increases the situational awareness of roadway threats and hazards for both drivers and vehicles in relation to rear-end, lane change, merge, and road departure crashes. These three crash types account for 60 percent of police-reported crashes.
• An information-intensive transportation world that better serves travelers.
  • EFM research has resulted in the nonproprietary, web-accessible integration of worldwide transportation logistics. The EFM system advances economic productivity by providing visibility into the movement of cargo through the supply chain in a manner that is less expensive, more accurate, highly reliable, and highly efficient.
  • Clarus research has resulted in a new system for providing clear, relevant information on roadway conditions to all transportation managers and users to alleviate the effects—fatalities, injuries, and delays—of adverse weather. By integrating weather sensor data that is owned by Federal, State, local, and private partners, the Clarus system leverages existing investments to provide near-real-time, quality-checked, atmospheric and pavement observations that are specific to road segments and can be integrated into forecasts, traveler information, and road-maintenance operations.
  • ICM research is producing new strategies for enabling greater mobility along our Nation's most critical corridors. Through the development of a new set of models, the integration of corridorwide assets, and the generation of detailed data on system mobility, the transportation community is able, for the first time, to model the combinations of strategies that result in optimal corridor capacity, traffic flows, and management.
  • MSAA research has produced significantly greater efficiency and mobility in providing for the Nation's needs in human services transportation. The development of the Travel Management Coordination Center (TMCC) concept is the technological foundation for enabling the "one call" vision that brings greater accessibility and coordination to human services transportation, and thereby greater mobility for the transportation disadvantaged as well as greater efficiencies in delivering these services.
• A completed set of next generation technology solutions.
  • NG9-1-1 research has provided the Nation with a design for a next generation 9-1-1 system. The design overcomes many of the system and technology challenges faced by the existing system, given the significant changes in new, highly mobile, dynamic communications technologies. The research has also resulted in a greater understanding of the risks and challenges associated with transitioning the current system. The NG9-1-1 design is complete and will transition to NHTSA for the next steps in nationwide deployment.
  • ETO research has resulted in the development of resources that address critical transportation roles, processes, and operations during emergencies and evacuations. The research has resulted in the identification of the role of critical tools (such as effective modeling techniques) to enhance decisionmaking during emergencies. ETO research is complete and all resources are available for use by State and local managers and decision-makers.

As noted in the last plan, the US DOT recognizes that new challenges and priorities will emerge in the coming years and that technology will continue to evolve. These events will require ITS to continue to play an important role. As has been proven over the last two years, the ITS Program has the flexibility to address future high-priority issues as they emerge. Specifically, the ITS Program has been able to target its efforts and technology solutions to two of the Nation's key challenges—congestion and rural safety—when the Department asked it to step up and collaborate with the modal administrations to bring about transformative change.

A notable achievement has been the ability to leverage Federal funding into other investments. As documented in a new summary from the ITS JPO, Intelligent Transportation Systems: A Summary of Progress and Results, ITS funding has been effectively leveraged to produce widespread deployment and delivery of benefits to the Nation. The brochure notes:

From 1991 to 2009, Congress provided the US DOT ITS Program with $3.45 billion in Federal funding to research the application of advanced technologies to transportation and to facilitate the deployment of ITS across the nation. Although these funds represent less than 1 percent of the $746 billion budget allocated to US DOT during the same 19-year period, the ITS funds have produced an array of benefits for the nation's transportation system, including important improvements in safety and mobility, reduced congestion, and enhanced productivity. With focused, targeted use of these funds, the relatively small federal investment has had a multiplier effect:

• State, local, and regional agencies have been incentivized to match federal funds with their own funding and to engage private-sector partners who offer matching funds.
• These leveraged funds have resulted in the widespread deployment and operational use of advanced technologies and systems across the Nation.
• Increased deployment has led to exponential growth in benefits delivered to state, local, and regional agencies; travelers; and commercial entities.

The ITS Program has substantially addressed the requirements of SAFETEA-LU. A table of ITS Program results compiled according to the SAFETEA-LU requirements is available as Appendix D. It documents the ITS Program activities that directly address Congressional goals, purposes, and priorities set forth in SAFETEA-LU.

With the delivery of the 2006 Five-Year ITS Program Plan, the ITS JPO provided the Department with a vision for guiding transportation technology research and for addressing the ITS needs of the Nation. This program plan, the ITS Research Results: ITS Program Plan 2008, provides an update to Congress on the progress made since the last program plan and reports on the extensive research results that have been realized to date. Looking forward, the ITS Program anticipates continued success in fulfilling its mission to provide the Nation with technology research, demonstrations, evaluations, and transfer to accelerate use of ITS.

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