Cross-cutting Issues

Palm Beach County, Florida has urgent needs for work zone safety and traffic and incident management improvements due to reconstruction of Interstate 95 and rail corridor improvements. In response, Florida DOT sponsored a fast track project to plan, design, build, operate and maintain a comprehensive traffic management system. The planning process confirmed the corridor needs, concept of operation and design requirements. The design determined software requirements, communications design, and field device placement in the context of interstate reconstruction. The Management Information System for Transportation (MIST) control platform is utilized with field devices by ADDCO Inc. The system is integrated with other ITSs within the region. The project demonstrates successful partnering by Florida DOT, FHWA, and the PB Farradyne Team to expedite the contracting process and complete the necessary studies, design, acquisition and deployment utilizing innovative contracting methods.

PB Farradyne

ADDCO Inc.

Florida DOT

Presented at the ITS America Annual Conference and Exposition, May 19-22, 2003 Minneapolis, Minnesota

This paper is being submitted based on the assumption that the author is in charge of a private company focused on the ITS market, as suggested in Essay Topic 2. In this paper the author attempts to identify ITS-related products and services that have the greatest impact on saving lives, time, and money while providing opportunities for a successful business. More specifically, major conditions for private company investment in ITS-related public projects are briefly reviewed and benefits of electronic payment systems (EPS) for public transportation operators are discussed. Finally, a private sector view on the assessment of EPS investments is described and an approach to overcome its shortcomings is presented.

Virginia Tech Transportation Institute

Presented at the 11th ITS Annual Conference and Exposition, June 4-7, 2001 Miami Beach, Florida

Intelligent Transportation Systems involve the sharing of transportation data among public agencies and with the general public. In order to provide for effective sharing of data, the Orion project determined data needs, including identifying the users of the data and the sources of the data. The Orion Data Distribution Nodes (DDNs) utilize a flexible approach and are configured in a centralized architecture. Data is shared between agencies over the Internet by means of DDNs integrated into the agencies' existing networks and Internet connections. The DDNs provide for network security and security for individual data messages. The DDNs utilize a version of DATEX-ASN and project specific messages.

Missouri Department of Transportation

Presented at the 11th ITS Annual Conference and Exposition, June 4-7, 2001 Miami Beach, Florida

No system is designed to be a liability, yet far too many systems end up as white elephants; systems that are one of a kind, understood by only a limited few, limited in their ability to fulfill the needs of an organization, and destined for early obsolescence. One term used to describe these systems is “fragile” systems. This paper examines the following factors that contribute to the fragility of a system, and suggests ways to minimize the effects of these factors as systems they are designed, developed, deployed, and just as importantly, maintained.

1. Time: One of the greatest enemies of any software system is time. Software never wears out, but the continuous change around it can make it obsolete. 2. Complexity: While complex problems often lead to complex solutions, complexity in a software system is something that can, and must, be managed. It is critical to manage complexity throughout the entire lifecycle of the system. 3. Standardization: Standards cover almost every aspect of a system’s design and deployment, and can greatly increase the usability of a system. Standards provide many benefits to a system, however, their misuse can put a system at risk of becoming a “fragile” system.

Open Roads Consulting,Inc.

Presented at the ITS America Annual Conference and Exposition, May 19-22, 2003 Minneapolis, Minnesota

This paper describes not only the specific ITS design challenges facing the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, but also the unique ITS requirements for today’s modern airports. Institutional integration as well as system integration challenges abound. For example, it is mandatory that the Metro Airport system be linked with the Michigan ITS Center in Detroit to provide airport patrons with timely, reliable information in and around the airport. Additionally, Dingell Drive, the new access road to the McNamara Terminal, will be instrumented with safety, security, and parking management systems. The need to integrate these systems together and with the ITS systems on the highways 3 surrounding the airport is critical to ensuring the safety and convenience of airport patrons.

Iteris, Inc.

Wayne County

Presented at the ITS America Annual Conference and Exposition, May 19-22, 2003 Minneapolis, Minnesota