TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION SYSTEMS. IN: HANDBOOK OF TRANSPORT SYSTEMS AND TRAFFIC CONTROL

Over the past ten years, information technologies have dramatically altered transportation information systems and offered many important new services to highway travelers, truckers and transit users. Advanced traffic management systems are the backbone of intelligent transportation systems, and include a full range of tools available to governmental traffic management agencies for controlling traffic flow on public thoroughfares. Advanced traveler information systems (ATIS) is another important category of ITS and includes services such as electronic yellow pages and automated vehicle location. New technologies are also allowing reports about highway travel conditions to be disseminated to travelers. One of the earliest and most effective uses of advanced traveler information systems was automated fleet control systems for commercial vehicles. Other ITS uses in commercial trucking are also summarized in this paper. ATIS can be used in transit systems as well for fleet control, security, and to provide time-of-arrival information to waiting passengers. During the early stages of ITS, the federal government supported most of the research,, development and pilot programs. Since then, leadership has shifted to states and localities, with the private sector predicted to become the driving force in the next 20 years.