SHOWCASING ITS IN THE UNITED STATES: THE METROPOLITAN MODEL DEPLOYMENT INITIATIVE

The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) has selected Phoenix, AZ, San Antonio, TX, Seattle, WA, and the New York/New Jersey/Connecticut metropolitan areas to participate in the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) metropolitan Model Deployment Initiative. This initiative is considered an important step in fostering deployment of multimodal transit infrastructure across United States. The four systems are real-life showcases of how technology and information systems, along with better operations and management strategies, can improve transportation in metropolitan areas. These model deployment projects are subjected to a rigorous evaluation that will provide documentation of benefits, costs, and lessons learned. The evaluation results will be made available to other metropolitan areas so they can guide their efforts towards integrating ITS into their regional planning and programs. The article provides descriptions of the four systems chosen for the model deployment initiative.