The scope of this paper is a definition of the concept of Integrated Transportation Management Systems (ITMS). ITMS is an evolving concept and depends partly on ones experience and philosophy concerning integration of the various component systems of the current surface transportation system. ITMS is a concept whereby the users of the transportation system benefit by integration of various component sub-systems which have largely evolved due to the institutional structure of the transportation system. The transportation system is in fact fragmented due to multiple agencies, multiple jurisdictions, multiple modes, and multiple disciplines being responsible for various aspects. This specialization, while improving the efficiency of various components, is a detriment to a global view of system management.

As concerns have developed due to a variety of issues including congestion, the environment and limited resources, a more global perspective is being offered as a means to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the surface transportation system. ITMS is a step towards a more global view of the transportation system. Existing institutional arrangements would suggest that the process will be evolutionary in nature and varying across the country. The key to success will be an understanding of the mutual benefits of a more integrated system. Not that competition can or should be eliminated, but that benefits due accrue from appropriate collaboration. The paper provides a current definition of ITMS and begins to identify innovative ideas and practices for improving transportation management in metropolitan areas by focusing on the challenges and opportunities. ITMS is as much a process as it is a specific concept.

The enactment of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (CAAA) challenged the transportation profession to maintain the Nation’s mobility while enhancing our air quality ¹. The CAAA established criteria for attaining and maintaining National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). These requirements specify the actions required to be taken by nonattainment areas. An area is designated a nonattainment area by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) when it does not meet the NAAQS. Although the CAAA only directly effect the 198 designated areas. Other urban areas are potentially impacted if they cannot maintain their air quality.

The CAAA mandate a State Implementation Plan (SIP) that contains procedures to monitor, control, maintain, and enforce compliance with the NAAQS. The SIPs include Transportation Control Measures (TCMs) to reduce emissions of air pollutants from transportation sources by improving traffic flow, reducing congestion, or reducing vehicle use ².

Closely following the CAAA was the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA). ISTEA established a new vision for surface transportation in America. Its goals included reduced congestion, maintenance of mobility, an enhanced role by State and local governments, and additional focus on environmental issues. The programs include a National Highway System, an Interstate Program, a Surface Transportation Program, a Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program, a Bridge Replacement Program, a Federal Lands Program, and Special Programs. These programs provide the primary federal funding mechanism for surface transportation. They also set a new direction for surface transportation that is supportive of ITMS ².

ISTEA has other important provisions that are relevant to ITMS. Transportation planning must be more broad based and include additional considerations such as land use, Intermodal connectivity, methods to enhance transit service, and needs identified through management systems. Management systems include highway, pavement, bridge, highway safety, traffic congestion, public transportation facilities and equipment, and Intermodal transportation facilities and systems. In addition, the Act requires a statewide planning process, a statewide transportation plan, and a statewide transportation program ³.

The importance of the law it that is provides a framework for a broad approach and a philosophy that is consistent with ITMS.

ITMS is the creative use of existing systems and requirements to provide a systematic approach to the surface transportation system. ITMS is a process to enhance mobility by making more effective use of existing facilities through systematic monitoring, evaluation, prioritization, and implementation of operational management strategies. Within this context, ITMS includes traditional Transportation Systems Management (TSM) concepts. However, it does NOT consider TSM as a short term or stop gap approach. It considers TSM as one of many tools to manage the system. Tools would include Congestion Management Systems (CMS), Travel Demand Management (TDM), Transportation Control Measures (TCMs), Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), and others.

ITMS is, therefore, the process that ties the various programs into an integrated package to increase mobility. It is a philosophy that the delivery of transportation services should be transparent to the user and be done in an efficient manner that is also responsive to local needs. ITMS includes those institutional relationships necessary to support the mission of the transparent delivery of transportation service across modes and inclusive of police, fire, towing, and emergency medical services necessary for effective system performance.

Perhaps a few examples of what ITMS is would be illustrative of the concept. ITMS is multi-modal, but not in the sense of just considering transit as a separate mode. It is the integration of transit, as a full partner, into the operation of the transportation system, not as a separate consideration. It includes the integrated response of police, fire, ambulance, and wrecker services to major incidents. It is the integration of high occupancy vehicles into the overall system as a basic planning consideration. It is the full consideration of pedestrians and bicycles in system operation with full appreciation of the importance of these self powered modes as a part of the system, not as a nuisance to be considered after all other issues.

ITMS is multi-jurisdictional and multi-disciplinary because users do NOT expect city limits or city departments to be reasons for systems operating inefficiently. For example, travelers expect that emergency response services will be provided in a prompt manner, not expecting to deal with the need to identify the multitude of agencies necessary to deal with a major incident.

The scope of ITMS will vary by location. Large urban areas will have very sophisticated systems providing a wide range of user services. Small urban areas will have more limited needs due to a less congestion environment. The important point is the opportunity to improve the efficiency of transportation services by innovative ideas and practices through the proper application of technology and operational procedures.

"The basic goal of ITMS is effective and efficient transportation. Effective transportation is defined by consumer needs. It is safe, convenient, economical and reliable. An efficient system is one that can meet the collective needs of consumers at a cost acceptable to users, taxpayers and the environment" ³.

There are a variety of related activities that complement, take advantage of, or provide input into ITMS. These activities exist as the result of a number of existing programs largely resulting from Federal law as previously delineated. Congestion Management Systems (CMS) were mandated by ISTEA as a statewide process for metropolitan areas with a population of 200,000 or more. "CMS is a systematic process to provide information on transportation system performance and alternative strategies to alleviate congestion and enhance the mobility of persons and goods. A CMS includes methods to monitor and evaluate performance, identify alternative actions, and evaluate the effectiveness of implemented actions" ⁴. The CMS is a performance-based system which is intended to effectively manage existing and new transportation facilities through the use of Travel Demand Management (TDM), Transportation Systems Management (TSM), and capital improvement projects. The CMS is a system to monitor and analyze the magnitude of congestion on a multi-modal transportation system in order to plan and implement appropriate actions to enhance transportation system performance. A CMS can take advantage of an ITMS and also provide input in ITMS operation.

TDM is a class of management strategies carried out to reduce effective travel demand by modifying trip-making behavior. The purpose is to achieve efficient use of transportation facilities by reducing drive-alone auto trips (single-occupant vehicles, SOVs), and to minimize costs of roadway expansion for SOVs. Some TDM strategies may be implemented in an ITMS.

TSM is a class of management strategies carried out to improve management of the supply and use of existing transportation facilities. TSM strategies are designed to increase effective capacity of the existing system without major capital investment in new facilities. TSM Strategies tend to be low cost, to require minimum right-of-way, and to be rapidly implementable compared to new construction. Some TSM strategies are more effective when implemented in an ITMS.

The implementation of ITMS implies the need for an ITMS System Architecture. A system architecture provides a framework that describes how the various sub-systems (e.g., traffic signal sub-system, freeway traffic management system, traveller information sub-system, etc.) Interact and work together to achieve total systems goals.

Development of a system architecture should be done using a system engineering process. System engineering is the process that turns operational needs in system performance parameters, assures compatibility of all the technical components, and deliveries a satisfactory product on time and on budget. This structured approach assures that the end product is truly a system, not a loosely coupled group of systems.

The institutional component of ITMS is perhaps the most important element in making ITMS happen. It will be an important component of the Symposium. In most metropolitan areas, the transportation system is managed and operated by many different agencies and multiple jurisdiction. These agencies represent various modes and functions. Therefore, to better manage and operate the system requires coordination and implementation by many agencies and jurisdictions. This coordination and implementation is difficult because of the multiple and sometimes conflicting objectives of the different agencies and jurisdictions. These differences of perspectives and willingness to participate must be addressed when discussing how the transportation system should be operated and managed.

Mechanisms for bringing about the institutional framework for ITMS are in their formative stages. There have been only a few success stories on beginning a broader framework for implementing ITMS. The Symposium with present some of the best efforts currently underway around the country. TRANSCOM in the metropolitan New York area was one of the first multi-jurisdictional and multi-modal undertakings to improve operations is a multi-state region. Houston, Texas has also had some success with multi-agency and multi-modal cooperation on both construction and operation of integrated multi-modal facilities primarily for HOV. Houston is now embarking on a multi-agency transportation management center. These efforts, while representing major accomplishments in ITMS and perhaps the most comprehensive approaches to ITMS, still do not yet represent an ideal ITMS.

The San Francisco Bay Area has identified seven major reasons that ITMS is an extraordinarily difficult task which helps explain the limited success to date ²:

The goal of ITMS is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the surface transportation system. The thrust of ITMS is that modal, jurisdictional, disciplinary, and institutional elements of the transportation system should be operated, managed, planned and improved from the perspective of one integrated transportation system even though it is composed of many "systems" due to the various institutions responsible for the system. Key elements of ITMS include communication and partnerships among agencies and jurisdictions. In addition, a process must exist to put all the necessary pieces together.

Experience in New York, Houston, and the San Francisco Bay Area suggests the process is still evolving. It is not possible to start off developing a comprehensive plan on a regional level. Limitations include the inability to use explicit performance measures and detailed evaluations of alternatives. Initial successes have focused on operational improvements in a corridor. The idea of regional optimization of does not appear feasible at this time. To successfully manage the transportation system, the connection between planning and implementation must be made from both ends. It was concluded that communications and partnerships are as or more important to the management of the transportation system than technical sophistication and refinement of the tools ⁵.

Although it is assumed that managing to improve efficiency and effectiveness will improve mobility for people and freight, it is not clear how to evaluate projects from the broadest perspective. How does the process resolve conflicting community objectives? Are only those projects which are non-controversial implemented? How does the process resolve trade-offs such as freeway widening versus congestion pricing? The dilemma is there is no clear cookbook answer to complex issues.

The San Francisco Bay area has proposed a process to deal with the tradeoffs ³. The process must include agreed upon ground rules or precepts that will allow partners to better define strategies in a way that potential conflicts can be resolved. The objective is to obtain projects that are more acceptable or neutral to partners.

It is also necessary to realize that capital and management projects cannot be considered in isolation. Planning which only considers management projects first and capital strategies second will result in poor management strategies and poor capital projects.

The previous analysis leads to a strategy for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the transportation system ³. The strategy:

Focuses on ITMS;

Provides a system context for interagency decisions;

Provides a multi-modal context for management decisions;

The ITMS Symposium is intended to help define the concept of ITMS as well as help understand the concept. As much as the definition of the concept is difficult, it pales by comparison to the difficulty in implementation. In actual practice, ITMS will become a reality through incremental improvements in the existing process by building institutional bridges between diverse agencies, modes and disciplines with individual missions.

The Symposium is organized in a way to provide different views of ITMS. White papers will be presented that look at ITMS from different views. These views include multi-jurisdictional, multi-modal, multi-disciplinary, systems integration, and environmental. These views help to define the complexity of the issues involved, they do not provide a road map to a solution. Later in the symposium, a framework will be established for understanding why ITMS is important. Then several case studies will be presented which focus on the integration aspects of ITMS. The Symposium will then continue by focusing in on some of the technical details including Legal/Procurement, Operations and Maintenance, Systems Integration, and Roles and Responsibilities. The Symposium will then bring the participants together to identify key issues and prioritize future needs. The Symposium will conclude by summarizing the findings including the identification of key issues and actions recommended to address them.