Benefit - Cost Evaluation Techniques for Rural Its Deployments

This paper describes the benefit-cost evaluation techniques that are being used for rural Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) deployment. The authors use the recently-completed Michigan Department of Transportation's ITS architectures and predeployment plans for five of the State’s seven Department of Transportation (DOT) regions. These studies were collaborative efforts that involved a wide range of stakeholders. Most of the facilities covered in these studies were in either rural regions or small urban areas. Needs identified by the stakeholders and proposed solutions differed in many ways from those proposed for major urban areas. The project team had to develop techniques for evaluating the cost-effectiveness of these alternative investments, since most of the literature in this area was based on urban ITS programs. The authors describe some of the alternatives developed in four of the study regions (Superior, North, Grand, Bay) and some of the techniques developed for evaluation. They conclude with a brief discussion of three recommendations to include benefit-cost analysis: close cooperation between law enforcement and transportation departments in developing rural transportation management centers; tracking the impacts of improved weather information on winter maintenance; and information on the use of traveler information in rural regions.