Incorporating ITS Into the Transportation Planning Process: An Integrated Planning Framework (ITS, M&O, Infrastructure) Practitioner's Guidebook (2002) / Chapter Skim
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V TECHNICAL ACTIVITIES AND FUNCTIONS This Chapter describes the technical activities and functions that are associated with the Integrated Framework described in Chapter III. It does not attempt to be a "how to manual" for all of the technical activities associated with planning.
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previously not considered within the planning process. These include the emerging issues of congestion, reliability, safety, and security.
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Every attempt has been made to make each section as independent as possible so the reader may focus on the specific technical areas of concern without having to read every section in detail. Therefore, each of the above sections includes: • An Introduction and overview that provides a general description of the activity/function and its purpose within the Integrated Framework • A discussion and comparison of the issues associates with moving from current practice to an integrated approach.
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V.A CROSS-CUTTING TECHNICAL ISSUES This section examines the crosscutting issues that impact all of the technical activities and functions performed as part of the Integrated Framework. These include: Key Points of Section V.A • Several issues cut across/impact all of the technical activities and functions of integrated planning.
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Benefit and Cost Data. There is an overall perception that there is a lack of ITS impact data and analysis tools to assist in the planning process.
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Figure V-2 ITS Architecture Components The National ITS Architecture provides a general framework for implementing the User Services and integrating ITS strategies within and across agencies, modes, and jurisdictional boundaries. As such, it provides a model for the development of a regional ITS architecture in each metropolitan area, state, or multi-state region.
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Figure V-3 Physical Architecture (Transportation and Communications Layers) Source: National ITS Architecture V
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• Interface requirements and information exchanges with planned and existing systems and subsystems • Identification of ITS standards supporting regional and national interoperability • Sequence of projects required for implementation To assist areas in meeting the above requirements the US DOT has prepared a Regional ITS Architecture Guidance that lays out a suggested approach for the development of a regional ITS architecture. The recommend multi-step process is shown in Figure V-1.
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characteristics so as to ensure that materials, products, processes and services are fit for their intended purposes. These standards are being developed in partnership with the USDOT, accredited Standards Development Organizations (SDOs)
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Last, it is important to point out that the final rule for Architecture and Standards (23 CFR Parts 655 and 940) states that "all ITS projects funded with highway trust funds shall use applicable ITS standards and interoperability tests that have been officially adopted through rulemaking by the DOT.
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Systems and architectures planned at one geographic scale need to fit with systems planned at another scale. Corridor planning, for example, together, should recognize and be consistent with the regional context.
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the figure were traffic signal systems for example, then if their coordination was not considered during implementation it is likely that they would not be able to communicate, or coordinate within the urban corridors, or the region. Local projects must be consistent with the regional architecture, which in turn nests within statewide, or multi-state systems.
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travel. Problem statements that assume today's technology and today's behavior may miss changes that are possible over time.
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• Similarly ITS standards, help in the development of a region's integrated alternatives. They help ensure that an area's ITS systems will be compatible with others outside of their control.
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V.B VISION, GOALS AND OBJECTIVES AND THEIR MEASURES The outset of any planning process begins by articulating what the desired end state should be. One method to capture this is the creation of a vision supported by goals and objectives and their measures.
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telecommuting, by constructing new facilities, by improving signal timing, by instituting freeway ramp metering, and by instituting incident management programs. Objective: An objective is a specific statement derived from a goal.
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shorter time frames that traditional major capital improvements. Short, mid and long-term horizons should be established when creating integrated visions.
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In San Francisco at the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) , and at the Washington State DOT, integrated planning approaches were developed in response to intense budget reduction pressure.
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When establishing objectives, it is also important to choose ones where progress can be established. In other words, they should have an element of measurability.
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• Complaint/information calls to traveler information sites. It is equally important that both the traditional and new performance measures chosen and their method of calculation are sensitive to the changes that ITS and system management introduce into the system.
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agency level. However, in any institutional context, new players should be added to the process– private sector, tourism, police, fire, and other emergency responders – and the missions of these agencies needs to be brought into the transportation vision.
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V.C INITIAL CONDITIONS AND NEEDS/DEFICIENCIES ANALYSIS A "need" or "deficiency" can be viewed as the difference between the current or projected performance and the desired level of performance. The desired condition is derived from policies, goals and objectives, plus the input of stakeholders participating in the process.
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• Evaluating performance in broader stakeholder terms • Establishing an understanding of how needs change over time • Gathering performance data for both recurrent and non-recurrent conditions as part of the assessment • Sharing of performance data among transportation agencies and other stakeholders • Enhancing transportation agency understanding of the underlying causes of system performance deficiencies V.C.2 APPLICATION WITHIN THE INTEGRATED FRAMEWORK V.C.2.1 Technical This section further explains the enhancements noted above and offers possible techniques for achieving them. Extended Inventory of Facilities and Services Transportation agencies maintain inventories of the facilities and services for which they are responsible – the roads, traffic management centers, transit services and vehicles, etc.
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The Minnesota Traffic Management Center (TMC) monitors 175 miles of the freeways in the Twin Cities using 3000 loop detectors and 180 CCTV's.
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Recurrent and Non-Recurrent Conditions The conditions analysis ought to extend beyond simply examining typical average conditions with no incidents or unusual occurrences. But accidents, hazardous materials spills, adverse weather and other conditions do occur on a regular basis.
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Again, it is the deficiency analysis and it's causal evaluation that provide the basis for developing and evaluating the future alternatives and selecting a preferred development path. This becomes an iterative process, and performance evaluation and feedback to the management and operation of the system is continually performed.
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Different levels of data aggregation are used for different types of planning. Short-range planning might be oriented to addressing the fluctuations in system performance day to day.
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V.D IDENTIFYING ALTERNATIVES This Guidebook has defined transportation planning as the process to support all transportation-related decisions on what the future transportation system will be, its characteristics, and how it will operate. Defining, evaluating, and selecting alternatives for the future is, thus, at the very core of transportation planning and decision-making.
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the point in the planning/decision cycle being considered. In general, however, as the time frame increases (along with the scale and uncertainty within the scenario)
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services include transit routes and frequencies, paratransit services, and Transportation Demand Management (TDM) programs such as rideshare and guaranteed ride home.
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place through the collection of ongoing performance measures (using ITS and other data sources)
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(e.g. transit routes and frequencies)
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Once the needs/deficiencies are organized, their underlying causes and relationships can then be investigated. System performance is the result of the interplay and interaction between: • Environmental conditions/factors (e.g.
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causes with User Services that may contribute to a solution. Second, the level of each and how it should be combined with traditional improvements and policies should be determined.
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Table V-9 Mapping of User Services to Transportation Problems TRANSPORTATION PROBLEMS Frequency Severity Capacity Congestion Customer Service Emissions Energy Consumption Operations Costs Travel Time Traveler Security Travel Stress Accessibility Travel And Traffic Management 1 Pre-trip Travel Information Medium Medium High Low Low Medium Low Low High 2 En-route Driver Information Low Low Medium Low High Medium Medium High High 3 Route Guidance Low Low High High High Medium Medium High High 4 Ride Matching And Reservation Low Medium Low Low Low Medium High 5 Traveler Services Information Medium Medium High Low Low Low Medium Medium 6 Traffic Control Medium Medium High High High High High High Low 7 Incident Management Medium Medium High High High Medium High Medium 8 Demand Management & Operations Low Low Low Low Medium 9 Emissions Testing And Mitigation Medium Low 10 Highway-rail Intersection Medium Medium Public Transportation Management 11 Public Transportation Management Low Medium Low Low High Low Medium High 12 En-route Transit Information High Medium Medium High High 13 Personalized Public Transit High Medium High 14 Public Travel Security Low High Low Electronic Payment 15 Electronic Payment Services Low Medium Medium Low Low High Medium Medium Medium Comercial Vehicle Operations 16 Commercial Vehicle Electronic Clearance Low Low Low Low High High Low 17 Automated Roadside Safety Inspection Medium Medium Medium Medium Low 18 On-board Safety Monitoring Medium Medium Low Low 19 Commercial Vehicle Administrative Processes Medium Low 20 Hazardous Material Incident Response High Low High 21 Commercial Fleet Management Low Low Medium Medium High High High Low Emergency Management 22 Emergency Notification And Personal Security High Medium Medium High High 23 Emergency Vehicle Management High Medium Medium High Advanced Vehicle Safety Systems 24 Longitudinal Collision Avoidance High High Low Medium Medium 25 Lateral Collision Avoidance Medium Medium Medium Medium 26 Intersection Collision Avoidance Medium Medium Low Medium 27 Vision Enhancement For Crash Avoidance High Medium Medium Medium 28 Safety Readiness High High Medium 29 Pre-crash Restraint Deployment High Medium 30 Automated Vehicle Operation High Medium High High High High High Medium High Low Medium Low Information Management 31 Archived Data Function Medium Medium Low Medium Maintenance And Construction Management 32 Maintenance and Construction Operations Medium Low Medium Low Additional International User Services Policing/Enforcing Traffic Regulations High Medium High Low Safety Enhancement for Vulnerable Road Users High High Medium Accidents Reduced MobilityReduced ProductivityImpact on EnvironmentInefficiency High, Medium, and Low represent the degree to which the ITS User Services (rows) are likely to address the respective transportation problems (columns)
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Table V-10 Conventional versus Advanced System Approaches to Selected Problems Problem Solution Conventional Approach Advanced Systems Approach Supporting Market Packages Considerations Traffic Congestion Increase roadway capacity (vehicular throughput) • New roads • New lanes • Advanced traffic control • Incident Management • Electronic Toll Collection • Corridor Management • Advanced vehicle systems (Reduce headway)
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V.D.1.3 The Importance of Developing an ITS Architecture(s)
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Examples of enabling market packages and functions include: • Network surveillance • Transit vehicle tracking • Dynamic toll/parking fee management • Transit passenger and fare management, • Establishing a communications backbone/network and • Installing advanced signal controllers. These provide many of the basic functions needed for the more advanced User Services and the market packages that implement them (see the National ITS Architecture Implementation Strategy for additional examples of key market packages and core functions from a National perspective – U.S.
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V.D.1.5 Integration of public and private projects. Many of the issues associated with public/private partnerships have already been discussed in Chapter IV.
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Figure V-7 Public/Private Potential of ITS Market Packages Source: National ITS Architecture Implementation Strategy (US DOT, 1999)
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V.D.1.6 Uncertainty and Technological Change ITS and communications technologies are advancing by leaps and bounds every year making it difficult to forecast what will be available in the future and the level that it will be deployed. Unforeseen ten years ago was the explosion of the Web and the Internet, the ubiquitous use of cell phones and the emerging wireless market, the popularity of electronic toll collection (both from the users and operators perspectives)
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In addressing technological change and uncertainty it is therefore recommended that a base-line scenario be defined from today to the horizon year which encompasses trends and assumptions outside of the local decision process. Using the above sources as well as local expertise and consensus it should define: • Technology development and availability in the short run, and User Service characteristics in the longer term • National, inter-state corridor, or state-wide standards and services provided due to legislative or other initiatives.
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Nowhere else is it as important to recognize that the Integrated Framework transforms planning from developing cross-sectional solutions based upon horizon year forecasts (single point) to a continual performance based feedback process than when developing alternatives.
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Step 2: Integration/Combination Review. This step further explores how ITS can be integrated with the other components (traditional infrastructure and service, travel demand, land use)
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User Services at various levels and configurations (see Appendix B)
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incremental forecast created. While, this seems onerous, incremental forecasts are being required more and more to account for transportation-land use inter-relationships and their affect on travel.
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The typically un-congested conditions, severity of accidents and difficulty of emergency response, long distances, and unfamiliar travelers shift the focus on ITS needs in rural areas. The priorities become safety, efficient provision of services, and information provision, versus those of urban systems, which are aimed at congestion relief (time savings)
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Table V-11 Rural Critical Cluster Areas and Potential ITS Applications Traveler Safety and Security Wide area information dissemination systems (via radio, computer, TV, etc.) both pre-trip and en-route of safety information, such as weather and road conditions Site-specific safety advisories and warnings (e.g., the enhanced radar detector for hazard warning, visibility sensors, variable speed limits, collision avoidance, work zone detection/intrusion alarms, rail crossing alerts, shoulder detection, etc.)
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Existing or Planned Modes: The existence of transit, HOV, or other modes (e.g. ferries)
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and "pay for themselves" in some fashion (this could be through advertiser or participating organization contributions or other means)
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V.D.4 SECTION REVIEW AND TRANSITION ASSESSMENT This section described how an alternative is developed within the Integrated Framework. First and foremost, an alternative takes on new meaning.
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V.E ESTIMATING IMPACTS, BENEFITS AND COSTS The meaning of, "evaluation" and "estimating impacts" varies depending on whether you come from the operations, or planning worlds: Key Points of Section V.E • Estimating impacts is part of an iterative cycle of developing options, estimating their impacts, and evaluation. It occurs as part of performance monitoring, within each planning cycle, and alternatives in the Integrated Framework.
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Estimating the impacts, benefits, and costs feeds the evaluation of alternatives, which is discussed in Section V.F. The last section on identifying alternatives described how estimating the impacts of the alternative is part of creating it's path of development.
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characteristics change this again impacts the demand, supply, etc. Understanding and estimating how an alternative influences this transportation supply/demand/use interaction is the first basic step in determining its overall impacts.
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Variation in Conditions It is important to capture the effects of non-recurrent variation in demand due to incidents, weather, construction, etc. Expanding the analysis to include the variation in conditions when incorporating ITS/ M&O strategies into the analysis is critical to capturing their true impacts.
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Figure V-10 Conceptual Impact of ITS on Average Conditions Source: Mitretek, 1999 Time Stream Issues. As already stated, in the Integrated Framework the time stream of impacts, benefits and costs must be estimated.
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Table V-13 Temporal Dimensions of ITS Time of Impact ITS Element Instantly Short Mid Long Traffic Signal Control X Freeway Management X Transit Management X Incident Management X Electronic Fare Payment X X Electronic Toll Collection X X Railroad Grade Crossings X X Emergency Management Services X X Regional Multimodal Traveler Information X X X System Integration. X X X Type of change Operating Characteristics X X Time of Departure X X Mode X X Route X X Trips and destination X X X Activities X X X X Economic Activity and Land Use X X Other Methodological Issues Just as a reminder, any inputs, outputs, and measures that are required for planning analysis must be forecasted.
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There are 21 subsystems each of which are further defined by individual components or elements. Elements include equipment installed at the roadside and within centers as well as labor categories to account for operations costs.
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software, and considering out-sourcing all or portions of operating centers. The latter alternative may be higher in the long run, but may be worth it because the transportation agency is better able to retain qualified staff Economic Life of ITS and Communication Elements The economic life (or lifetime)
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cost build-up models based upon logical cost factors such as hours of operation and full time labor equivalents. This may also be important when allocating shared center costs among services.
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models based upon average speed which do not account for these changes will consequently under predict air quality savings for the signal system. All components must also be treated the same in the system.
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the effort to identify the areas of ITS application in greatest need of evaluation to assess their impact on the surface transportation system. Mitretek Systems Inc.
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IDAS is a new tool designed to assist public agencies and consultants in integrating ITS in the transportation planning process. It is designed to work as a post processor of regional planning models using their networks and trip patterns as inputs (Cambridge Systematics & ITT Industries, 2000)
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Planning models Models that forecast average (steady-state) travel and transportation demand and associated impacts over a given time period (daily, peak period, etc.)
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Outputs from the regional analysis must be interfaced with the more detailed second level of analysis. This level captures the time-variant and operational details of the transportation system using a sub-area travel simulation system.
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V.E.3 VARIATIONS BY SCALE, SETTING, AND INSTITUTIONS As discussed above to support the decisions that must be made within the planning process, a wide variety of analytical techniques are used to provide estimates of the potential transportation impacts and costs of alternative investment strategies. At each level of the process the appropriate analysis techniques differ in level of detail and effort required to use them (translating to the amount of resources required)
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Secondary impact assessment must capture how the integrated alternatives impact air quality, safety, and other social criteria such as equity and/or environmental justice. A number of sources of information and methods are developing to help in the estimation of the above.
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V.F EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVES For the purpose of this Guidebook, the word "evaluation" refers to a variety activities that support decisions on a transportation project – on what type of project to implement, on the design of that project, and on institutional and financial arrangements. The evaluation process uses the estimates of costs, benefits and impacts (see V.E)
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• The evaluation process must make use of a broader set of evaluation criteria. • The methodology should be capable of dealing with uncertainty – in technology, in benefits, and in costs.
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• Acknowledge the uncertainty and document all assumptions. • Use a range of estimates.
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approaches simultaneously may provide useful insights. To determine appropriate cost-sharing arrangements, it may be helpful to show how the benefits of an ITS deployment would be distributed among different user groups.
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• Did the deployment function as expected? • Are the agency and its customers satisfied with the deployment's performance?
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V.G PLANNING TO PROGRAMMING Programming is the process of matching activities with available budgets, funding sources, and generated revenues. For a number of reasons, the link between programming and planning takes on a heightened importance in the Integrated Framework.
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schedules, and areas of responsibility. In the traditional planning process this is the role of the TIP program, and operating/implementing agency operations, maintenance and capital budgeting.
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funding source to get a project accepted. Alternatively, ITS projects consistent with the transportation plan and initiated from activity such as a Congestion Management System (CMS)
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maintenance-related could receive funding priority under such a process. This approach comes from "Asset Management" and the philosophy that existing systems must be maintained and preserved before new expansions are implemented.
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Table V-16 Example of Programming Weights: Phoenix Category and Measure Points Deployment Priority Addresses all needs of entire area = 30; most needs in at least ½ area = 20; a few needs in less than ½ area = 10. Plus 5 points if project addresses special event needs or high traffic generator 35 Congestion/Integration 0 to 25 points based on resulting VMT/lane-mile ratio (O for lowest, 25 for highest)
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A matrix relating the planned capital improvements is prepared as part of the last step. Table V-17 some of the possible relationships between sample capital projects and ITS technologies.
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V.G.2.2 Institutional Linking Operations with Programming Most transportation agencies keep their capital programs and their operating budgets separate. In many agencies, the Integrated Framework may require a closer tie that highlights the relationships between the capital program and the operating budget.
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Where resources are constrained, the competition for funding may be more acute. Options to consider might include: • ITS phasing and staging – building the core infrastructure first, or some piece that can later be integrated with larger whole • More aggressive efforts to create partnerships and share resources stakeholders V.G.4 SECTION REVIEW AND TRANSITION ASSESSMENT This section examined the impact of the Integrated Framework on Programming.
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Table V-18 Planning to Programming Self-Assessment Question NO YES Are extended programming criteria which incorporate ITS, and operations, system performance, and system preservation used? NO - - - - - - - - YES Are the system characteristics and need to bundle inter-related projects included in the programming process?
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V.H ITS DATA AND PLANNING DECISION-MAKING This last activity/function in the Integrated Framework provides for the data and performance based feedback within the process. Here, the data collection system is defined and developed.
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acceleration and deceleration events (for air quality) , Information system requests and usage, etc.
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Table V-19 Uses of ITS Data For Planning, Management & Operations Collection and Use of: Stakeholder Group Application Method or Function Current Data ITS-Generated Data MPO and State Transportation Planners Congestion Management Systems Congestion Monitoring Travel times collected by "floating cars": usually only a few runs (small samples) on selected routes.
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Collection and Use of: Stakeholder Group Application Method or Function Current Data ITS-Generated Data Transit Operators Operations Planning Routing and Scheduling Manual travel demand and ridership surveys; special studies. Electronic Fare Payment System and Automatic Passenger Counters allow continuous boardings to be collected.
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The pioneering efforts in the use of ITS data (those shown as well as others) have begun to provide some insights on the use of ITS data and its comparison with traditional data sources (See Table V-20)
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A good place to start the dialog is by educating planners and other potential users on the existing and planned ITS data sources in the region. The earlier this takes place in the development of the ITS regional architecture and ADUS components (see next section)
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Figure V-13 Example of Travel Time Variation along A Corridor Figure V-14 Example of Congestion Contours TECHNICAL: ITS DATA V-93
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should be aggregated and summarized, the ability to retrieve analyze and merge it with other sources, and its maintenance. In dealing with these issues the needs of different users, which can vary greatly, and the costs must be kept in mind.
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Recommendations to address quality control issues include (See, Turner 1999, Ishimaru & Hallenbeck, 1999) .: • Understand the data accuracy and precision requirements of your users.
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developed in a region (e.g. a traffic center, a transit center, and a CVO center)
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use. It provides the basic data quality, data privacy, and meta- data management common to all ITS archives and provides general query and report access to archive data users.
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procedures. This is important both for working between agencies and in interactions with the public, the private sector, and potential liability concerns.
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effective way, provide new measurement of system variation, reliability, and customer satisfaction, and collect information for ITS benefits and costs and new analysis tools. However, ITS data also brings its own set of issues.
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