Review of Highway Authority Intelligent Transport Systems

Advances in technologies have the potential to influence future road travel significantly at both the local and national level. To maximize the benefits offered by new technologies, the Department for Transport is looking to work closely with highway authorities to promote the benefits of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) and Cooperative - ITS (C-ITS) to encourage accelerated adoption and to share knowledge and experience. This project is a first step to understanding the role technology already plays at local level in terms of existing transport schemes 'on the ground' and those already planned.

The deployment of emerging ITS technologies is often considered to be patchy, problem led, with the benefits unproven. The aim of this research is to understand the role of technology in existing and planned local transport schemes both in England and at the European and international level. It will, for example, identify the contribution ITS currently provides to delivering urban mobility and supporting the Smart City concept in English towns and cities.

Acknowledging the current financial constraints, the project will explore the barriers to future adoption at a local level - both actual and perceived - and make recommendations for future ways of working and sharing information/project experience/assessment and evaluation tools.

The findings will be used to inform and promote the deployment of technology to deliver smarter solutions.