U.S. Falling Behind World Leaders in Use of New Technologies to Address Major Transportation Challenges, According to New Report
Report Should Be “A Serious Wake Up Call” For U.S. Policymakers
WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 — The United States is lagging behind other world leaders in the use of new technologies to address traffic congestion, CO2 emissions, traffic crashes, and other major challenges according to a report issued yesterday by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF).
Japan, South Korea and Singapore were ranked as the top three nations in the effective deployment of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) by the new ITIF report: Explaining International IT Leadership: Intelligent Transportation Systems, which outlined several policy and non-policy factors that have resulted in the United States falling behind other world leaders in technology deployment.
According to the report the U.S. federal government must assume a far greater leadership role in the deployment of ITS technologies, which it calls “the 21st Century digital equivalent of the Interstate Highway System.” The report also calls for an annual investment of between $2.5 to $3 billion in ITS deployment and large-scale demonstration projects, with federal transportation funding being tied to states’ actual improvements in transportation system performance.
We Can Reverse This Disparity If We Decide As a Nation to Commit To 21st Century Transportation Technologies
“This report should be a serious wake-up call to our nation’s transportation leaders and policymakers as to why the United States is not staying competitive in the international market,” said Scott Belcher, President and CEO of ITS America. “Other industrialized nations have learned that a major key to transportation efficiency and economic growth is by deploying intelligent transportation systems (ITS) to allow for the safe and easy movement of goods and people.
“We have the opportunity to reverse this disparity if we decide as a nation to commit to applying 21st Century technology to address our transportation problems,” Belcher said.
Belcher was a participant in Wednesday’s ITIF transportation forum that discussed the findings of the report.
What the United States Can Learn From Global ITS Leaders
“There are dazzling technologies at work in the world of transportation, from real-time alerts to drivers about impending road hazards to smart traffic signals, to displays of real-time traffic conditions available on your cell phone or vehicle dashboard display,” said ITIF’s Stephen Ezell, the author of the report. “Unfortunately, the United States is lagging behind many nations when it comes to using them. Our report analyses how countries have deployed ITS, why the United States lags behind, and urges expanded federal leadership and investment to get the United States onto the road to deploying Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS).”
The report found that nations that are ITS leaders:
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Demonstrate national-level commitment and vision;
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Make substantial investments in ITS;
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Have strong government leadership in setting the ITS vision and agenda, convening relevant stakeholders, and spearheading implementation;
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Have a high-degree of centralization in ITS decision making and deployment (in some cases direct control of highways);
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Recognize ITS as a “force-multiplier” for the transportation network that enables a shift to performance-based transportation systems;
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View their ITS investments as a platform through which the private-sector can develop value-added products and services.
Policy Barriers to U.S. Deployment of ITS Technologies
The report states that the major policy issues that have caused the United States to fall behind other nations include:
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Lack of funding;
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Lack of sufficient federal vision and leadership. (By statute, federal role limited to ITS research, not ITS deployment.)
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Reliance on states for deployment;
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Systemic barriers: chicken-or-egg system interdependencies; scale challenges;
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ITS not politically compelling, in part because there is no assessment system to validate ITS benefits.
“Information Technology is Revolutionizing Transportation”
“As we have seen technology revolutionize how we work and live, information technology is revolutionizing transportation. Other nations are already using intelligent transportation technology to reduce traffic collisions, congestion and carbon emissions,” Belcher said.
“Imagine being able to receive real-time information about traffic congestion or incidents on freeways, updates of when the next bus or train will arrive when using mass transit, or collision avoidance warnings from autonomous vehicle sensors when crashes appear imminent. In many other industrialized parts of the world, this is already happening.”
Also participating in the forum were:
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Robert Atkinson, President, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
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Stephen Ezell, Senior Analyst, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
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Riz Khaliz, Global Business Executive, Intelligent Transportation Systems and Growth Markets, IBM Global Government
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Masahiro Nishikawa, Japan Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transportation and Tourism (MILT)
The Intelligent Transportation Society of America represents more than 400 member organizations including public agencies, private corporations, and academic institutions involved in the research, development, and deployment of technologies that improve safety, increase mobility, and sustain the environment. http://www.itsa.org
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Media Contact:
Steve Hansen
Director of Media Relations
Intelligent Transportation Society of America
Office: 202-721-4239
Cell: 202-669-3275
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