University of California Transportation Center

This paper compares European and US experiences to explore critical institutional and organizational factors contributing to successful deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). ITS deployment has three primary aspects not found in traditional transportation solutions: 1) advanced technology insertion, interoperability and maintenance; 2) system approaches at the planning, operational, and service connectivity levels; and 3) private industry products and services linked to public infrastructure and services. All three aspects have ramifications across agencies and sectors as well as within a transportation agency. To better understand what these are and how they can be effectively addressed, the researchers conducted a comprehensive internet/literature search on the status of ITS programs in Europe and the U.S., interviewed principals involved in ITS deployment both at the policy and project levels, in the public and private sectors, and developed four case studies of successful ITS deployment. A supplement to the main report briefly discusses the situation in Japan.