I.T.S. ON THE WAY

Intelligent transportation systems (ITS) are helping traffic engineers increase throughput without building new roads. Traffic engineers have been dreaming of such a transportation management system for a long time, but in some cases the technology has leapfrogged the civil engineering profession. Because electrical engineers and computer programmers are developing the technology, civil engineers often find themselves out of the loop. companies developing ITS technologies do not really understand transportation issues. To improve system management, civil engineers need to be better educated. According to Federico Pena, former transportation secretary, The next generation of transportation planners, engineers, and managers must be trained to design and build ITS as effectively as civil engineers designed and built the interstate highway system. Civil engineers used to only design transportation systems, but now they are building and operating them, which requires a broader mix of skills. Engineers must determine where and how ITS fits into transportation planning.