INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS EARLY DEPLOYMENT STUDY FOR THE KANSAS CITY METROPOLITAN AREA

This paper summarizes the results of the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Early Deployment Study for the bi-state Kansas City metropolitan area. Intelligent transportation systems, which utilize advanced technologies (including computer, communications, and process control technologies) to improve the efficiency and safety of the transportation system, encompass a variety of components that may be deployed by public and private agencies. The fact that these systems are often deployed incrementally by a number of agencies makes it especially important that they be coordinated. The Strategic Deployment Plan was intended to facilitate coordination of ITS activities in the Kansas City area and provide a common framework for deployment. A project Steering Committee which included representatives from the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department (MHTD), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC, the metropolitan planning organization) provided suggestions and feedback throughout the twelve-month study.