Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.
| NCHRP Web Document 2 (Project 3-51) Appendix A of Contractor's Final Report 1 Communication Mediums for Intelligent Transportation Systems Final Report Prepared for National Cooperative Highway Research Program Transportation Research Board National Research Council by Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. Dallas, Texas Bruce C. Abernathy, P.E., Ph.D., Principal Investigator James E. Gunn, P.E., Ph.D., Asst. Principal investigator Joyce E. Minor, Editor June 1996
ACKNOWLEDGMENT This work was sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), in cooperation win He Federal Highway Administration, and was conducted in the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP), which is administered by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Research Council. DISCLAIMER The opinion and conclusions expressed or implied in He report are those of the research agency. They are not necessarily those of He TRB, the National Research Council, AASHTO, or the U.S. Government. This report has not been edited by TRB. Click on the Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) homepage (http://www2.nas.edu/trtcrp) for project status and report availability or write to: Transportation Research Board National Research Council 2 ~ 0 ~ Constitution Ave. N.W. Washington, D.C. 20418
FOREWORD This report describes many of the alternatives available in designing the communications subsystem of an intelligent transportation system (ITS). The various communication mediums, protocols, and terminals are extensively discussed. A rational approach to communication subsystem design is introduced along with examples of typical systems and information on cost estimating and support considerations. Lastly, perceived barriers to implementation of advanced communication technologies are discussed as well as strategies to overcome them. This report wait be extremely useful to those designing a communications system or overseeing the design of one. In January ~ 996, Secretary of Transportation Federico Pena introduced a major new Depardnent of Transportation initiative called "Operation TimeSaver." The goal of Operation Timesaver is to install Intelligent Transportation Infrastructure (ITI) in 75 of the largest U.S. metropolitan areas in 10 years. The ITT, as defined by the U.S. DOT, consists of the following nine elements: smart traffic-controT systems, freeway management systems, transit management systems, incident management programs, electronic toll collection on roads and bridges, electronic fare payment, railroad grade crossings that are integrated into the overall system, emergency response providers, and traveler information systems. The TTT subsumes the more traditional elements of ITS. The cost of an ITS is driven by the communication subsystem, which often accounts for 50 percent of the budget. The communications industry is rapidly evolving, creating technologies that can beneficially be applied to ITS. This requires transportation agencies to continually reassess their standards because last year's design may not be the best given today's conditions. Many transportation agencies lack the in-house talent to design communications systems and rely upon the work of consultants. An understanding of communications concepts and capabilities is needed to both scope the work of the consultant and to critically review the consultant's products. The objectives of NCHRP Project 3-51 were to assess advanced communication mediums applicable to ITS and provide guidance on selection, design, deployment, maintenance, and staffing for these mediums. Kimiey-Horn and Associates, assisted by the voluntary cooperation of many communications suppliers, has developed a thorough guide to communications that will be extremely helpful both to those designing communications systems and those responsible for overseeing the work of consultants. Appendix A of the report, included in this volume, is the primary user guide resulting from the project. It is available for viewing on the worId-w~de web and copies are available for sale Tom TRB. Appendices B (Presentation Material), C (Medium/Terminal Data Sheets), and D (Annotative Bibliography of Communications Technology) are available as downIoadable files on the worId-wide web. The worId-wide web documents are available on the~page describing NCHRP Project 3-5~ on the TRB Cooperative Research Program homepage, http://www2.nas.edu/trbcrp.
