ROADS LESS TRAVELED Intelligent Transportation Sys

IntelligentTransportationSystemsforSustainableCommunitiesROADSLESSTRAVELEDRIntelligentTransportationSystemsforSustainableCommunitiesPUBLICTECHNOLOGY,INC.1301PennsylvaniaAve.NWWashington,DC20004-1793202.626.2400n800.852.4934FAX:[phone]INTERNET:@pti.orgCopyright©1998byPublicTechnology,Inc.Allrightsreserved.PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica.Printedonrecycledpaper.OADSLESSTRAVELEDROADSLESSTRAVELEDTworoadsdivergedinawood,andI—Itooktheroadlesstraveledby,Andthathasmadeallthedifference.”—RobertFrostChoosingtherightpathforasustainabletransportationpolicyisadauntingresponsibili-ty.Localleadersnationwideseekwaystocutautotraffic,reducepollution,boostsafety,promoteeconomicgrowthwithoutencouragingsprawl,andofferbetteraccesstoservicesandjobsforresidents.Technologicalinnovationsareopeningupnewavenuesforlocalgovernmentsanddecision-makers,butontheroadlesstraveled,pitfallsandpotholesthreatenthosewithoutdirection.Oneanswertothesechallengeshasreceivedsignificantfederalandlocalinvestmentsince1991:INTELLIGENTTRANSPORTATIONSYSTEMS(ITS),informationtechnologythatcanbeusedbytransportationmanagerstoautomateandmonitortransportationandinformtravelersabouttheiroptions.ITSpromisestolightenautotrafficcongestionandmakepublictransitmoreconvenient.Butevenastheseapproachesofferanswerstosomeoldproblemsofroaduse,theyraisenewquestionsforpolicy-makers:canthesesystemsandtechnologiesbecomepartoftheclimatechangesolutionbyreducinggreenhousegasemissions?Intelligenttransportationsystemswithinthesustainablecommunitycontextsuchassig-nalprioritizationforbusesandlightrailvehicles,variablemessagesigningatparkandridelotstogivemotoriststhealternativetousetransit,environmentalforecastingfortraf-ficcontrol,congestionpricingwithelectronictolling,pre-tripinformationsystems,auto-maticvehiclelocationsystems,andothersystemsusedascombinedstrategiesandwithtransportationpolicyandpricingmechanismscangoalongwayinhelpingcommunitiesgetahandleontherisingpercentageofvehiclesmilestraveled.Thecommunitieshighlightedinthisbooklethavechosennewpathsthroughintelligenttransportationsystems.Byharnessingexistingresourceswithnewtechnologies,ITSpro-pelssustainablelocaldevelopmentbyenablingcommunitiestousethoseresourcesnowandinthefuture.SUSTAINABLEDEVELOPMENT,whichtheWorldCongressonEconomicDevelopmentdefinedas“developmentthatmeetstheneedsofthepresentwithoutcom-promisingtheabilityoffuturegenerationstomeettheirownneeds,”emphasizestheimportantinterdependencyofenvironment,economyandsocialequity.DEAROFFICIAL:“Fivecentralobjectivesforsustainabletransportationarediscussed:nOptionsandAccessforCitizens(page13);nBetterToolsforMovingPeople(page19);nFairPricingforTransportation(page23);nMovingGoods(page29);and,nShapingtheCity(page33).TransportationPlanningandAirQuality,page39,brieflydiscussestherelationshipbetweenITSand“conformity”requirementsrelatedtoachievingcleanairstandards.GettingITSOfftheGround,page41,givesanoverviewoffinancingandpartnershiparrangementsnecessaryforsuccessfulintelligenttransportationsystems.Suggestionsformeetingtechnicalchallengesalsoareoffered.Resources,page75,providestipsforfurtherreadingandInternetresearch.TermsandconceptsfeaturedintheResourcessec-tionappearinboldfacethroughoutthisguidebook.AGlossaryatthebackprovidesdef-initionsofterms,whicharehighlightedinbold,allcaps,throughoutthebook.SuccessStories,beginningonpage45,offerrecentexamplesofcommunitiesthathaveputintelligenttransportationsystemstothetestbydeliveringmoreefficient,accessibleandsustainableservices.Newtechnologyisasexcitingasitisrisky:Itcantakeusdownroadsweneverimag-ined,leadingtoconsequencesweneveranticipated.Theaimofthisbookletistoencouragelocaldecision-makerstotakecontroloftheopportunitiesbeforethem,tosteerfirmlydownthesevirtual“roadslesstraveled”toreducepressureontherealroadsandroutesintheircommunities.ROADSLESSTRAVELEDRoadsLessTraveled:IntelligentTransportationSystemsforSustainableCommunitieswasproducedbyPublicTechnology,Inc.(PTI)withfundingfromtheU.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency(EPA),throughitsTransportationPartnersProgram.ThedevelopmentofthisbooklethasbeenthemostchallengingofanyofthePTItrans-portationresearchpublicationstodate:tohelpdecision-makersinneighborhoods,localgovernments,metropolitanplanningorganizationsandstatesunderstandthepotentialrela-tionshipbetweenITS,sustainabledevelopmentandclimatechange,withtheintenttochartacleaner,moremobile,andprosperousfuture.ThanksgotoGilSchamessandLisaWormser,ofTwoHeadsCommunications,whoresearchedandauthoredthebook;KathleenGuzdaandKathySpringuelwhoeditedit;andtheUrbanConsortiumTransportationTaskForce,DavidVanHattum,ThomasHoran,ToddLitman,MichaelReplogle,RonaldBoenau,RalphCipriani,LaurieRadow,DonChenandothersfortheirvaluablecritiqueofthisbook.SpecialthanksgotoPaulaVanLare,EPAforhersupportandcontributionstothisbook.AtPTI,RobertHicks,businessdirectorfortransportationprograms,oversawtheprojectfromconcepttocompletion;TalyWalsh,directorofcommunications,managedthebook’swriting,editing,designandproduction.AndreaBrown,communicatio