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SAFETEA-LU Implementation
ITS & Operations

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Slide 1

Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) Implementation
ITS & Operations

ITS America 2006 Annual Meeting and Exposition
Pennsylvania Convention Center
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
May 7, 2006

Jeffrey F. Paniati
Associate Administrator for Operations
Acting ITS Program Manager
Federal Highway Administration
U.S. Department of Transportation

Slide 2

Agenda - SAFETEA-LU

  • Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Research & Development (R&D)
  • Congestion Management
  • Real-Time Information
  • System Management and Operations

Slide 3

Overall Observations

  • Strong support for ITS R&D.
  • ITS Deployment mainstreamed.
  • Significant focus on congestion mitigation, including:
    • Congestion management
    • Real-time information
    • ITS
  • Incorporation of system management and operations.

Slide 4

ITS R&D

  • Research and Development (5301-5310)
    • Program reauthorized and expanded.
    • $550 million over 5 years.
      • Road weather - $20 million (5308)
      • I-95 Corridor - $35 million (5211)
      • Rural and Interstate Corridor Communications Study - $3 million (5507)
    • New advisory committee required.
    • New 5-year program plan required.

Advisory committee charter recently posted in Federal Register; members of advisory committee to be named soon. Program Plan to be completed by August.

Slide 5

ITS R&D: Road Weather (5308)

  • Serves as a catalyst to change surface transportation weather and operations.
    • Provides the resources to develop integrated solutions.
    • Creates demand for these solutions by building bridges between the transportation and meteorological communities, and promotes technology transfer of effective road weather scientific and technological advances.
    • Leverages public sector resources to build markets and improve private sector services.
  • Provides $20 million in ITS funding.

Program will expand on the success of Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS), complete Clarus, integrate Clarus & Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII), and build weather-responsive traffic management tools.

Slide 6

ITS R&D: I-95 Corridor (5211)

  • Adds a new section (511) to 23 USC 5
    • To promote regional cooperation, planning, and shared project implementation for programs and projects to improve transportation system management and operations.
    • Grants to States to continue ITS management and operations in the I-95 corridor coalition region initiated under Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA).
  • Provides $35 million in ITS funding.

Continue working with I-95 Coalition and its new Executive Director to advance ITS and Operations programs that not only benefit the corridor but also provide support to national initiatives and activities.

Slide 7

ITS R&D: Rural Corridor Communications Study (5507)

  • Study the feasibility of installing fiber optic and wireless communication infrastructure along multistate interstate route corridors for improved communication services to rural communities.
  • Corridor locations:
    • I-90 thru rural Wisconsin (WI), southern Minnesota (MN), northern Iowa (IA), and South Dakota (SD)
    • I-20 thru Alabama (AL), Mississippi (MS), and northern Louisiana (LA)
    • I-91 thru Vermont (VT), New Hampshire (NH), and Massachusetts (MA)
  • $3 million provided; Report to Congress by 9/30/07.

Acquiring contractor by summer to assist in conducting and documenting the study. Study will consider potential impacts of national deployment of VII.

Slide 8

ITS Deployment Funding

  • Mainstreamed throughout Federal-aid program; including high priority projects.
  • Eligible under National Highway System (NHS), Surface Transportation Program (STP), and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ).
  • Categorical National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) exclusion (6010).

    Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) by summer to clarify ITS projects in NEPA

  • ITS Deployment funds in 2005 only.
  • $100 million, over 4 years, for Commercial Vehicle Information Systems and Networks (CVISN) deployment (4101(c)).

    Guidance package issued in March to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) division office.

Slide 9

Congestion Management - Pricing

  • Continues Value Pricing Program (1604(a))
    • $59 million in new funding, including $12 million for projects not involving tolls.
  • New Express Lanes Demonstration Projects (1604(b))
    • Allows tolling of new or existing lanes to reduce congestion and/or improve air quality.
    • 15 projects, no separate funds.
    • DOT to establish interoperability requirement for automatic toll collection.
  • High Occupancy Toll (HOT) Lanes Mainstreamed (1121)
    • Requires States to certify that they will monitor operational performance, enforce High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) restrictions, address seriously degraded operations.

Slide 10

Congestion Management - Pricing

  • Office of Operations designated as lead contact for all pricing/toll programs. Value Pricing Program (VPP) moved to Office of Operations effective May 1.
  • Reviewing 06 VPP applications; 07 VPP due in summer. Expressions of interest for other programs received anytime, per January Federal Register notice.
  • NPRM on ETC interoperability to be issued by June.
  • HOV Guidance to be published in the Federal Register by early June.

Slide 11

Congestion Management - Research

  • Surface Transportation Congestion Relief Solutions (5502)
    • $36 million over 4 years for research.
    • $3 million over 4 years for training and technical assistance.
    • Focus on:
      • Congestion management system effectiveness
      • Congestion measurement and reporting
      • Effective congestion relief strategies
  • Future Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP) - SHRP II (5210)
    • $205 million over 4 years for research.
    • Managed by National Academy of Sciences.
    • Four focus areas, including:
      • Improving reliability

 

Slide 12

Real-Time Information

  • Real-Time Systems Management Information Program (1201)
    • Establish capability in all States to provide real time:
      • Sharing of information
      • Monitoring of traffic conditions
    • Purpose - ease congestion, improve response to severe weather, accidents, and other incidents; and enhanced security.
    • Eligible for funding under NHS, STP, and CMAQ.
    • Must be part of regional ITS architectures.
    • DOT to establish data exchange standards within 2 years.

Request for Comments on Program Description published in May 4 Federal Register - 60 day comment period with Program Guidance to follow.

Slide 13

Real-Time Systems Management Information Program - Request for comment

  • Timeframe for establishing program
  • Outcome measures
  • Major highways
  • Traffic and travel conditions
  • Real-time
  • Information quality
  • Existing systems’ capabilities?

More information at Session 45.

Slide 14

Real-Time Information

  • Transportation Technology Innovative Demonstration Program (5508)
    • Two-part extension and expansion of Intelligent Transportation Infrastructure Program established by Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21).
    • $2 million per city available to support deployment of traffic monitoring infrastructure and commercialization of data.
    • Twenty-two new cities + thirteen original cities that have not received prior funding are eligible.
    • Part I: Existing contract with Mobility Technologies will be completed as planned (11 additional cities).
    • Part II: Create and complete new program to use any unobligated and any new appropriated funds.

Solicitation issued in February, closed in April. Part I and II cities selected; negotiations underway.

Slide 15

Transportation Technology Innovative Demonstration Program

Phase I Cities:

  • Atlanta
  • San Jose
  • Denver
  • New York City (NYC) / Northern New Jersey (NJ)
  • Minneapolis / St. Paul
  • Charlotte
  • Sacramento
  • Portland, Oregon (OR)
  • Indianapolis
  • Salt Lake City
  • Las Vegas

Phase II Cities:

  • Houston [declined]
  • Dallas-Fort Worth
  • Orlando

Slide 16

Real-Time Information

  • 511 Travel Information Deployment (5306)
    • As a priority area for the ITS Program in addressing traveler information, SAFETEA-LU included a goal of:
      • Ensuring that a national, interoperable 511 system, along with a national traffic information system that includes a comprehensive Web site, is fully implemented for use by travelers by 9/30/10.
    • 511 Conference - 511… Where Travel Starts - to be held July 17-19 at Westin Horton Plaza in San Diego (www.deploy511.org for more information).

Continue to work with the 511 Deployment Coalition - American Association of State Highways and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), American Public Transportation Association (APTA), ITS America, et al - to develop and deliver assistance specific for targeted locations.

Slide 17

511 Deployment Status

Accessible by 32% of Population as of April 1, 2006

This is an image of the United States map displaying the 511 Deployment Status of States listed by three categories: 511 Operation (Live), Expect 2006 Launch, and Planning Funding. d

Accessible by 55% of Population in 2006

Slide 18

System Management and Operations

  • Transportation Planning (6001)
    • Specific requirement to include "operational and management strategies" in metropolitan transportation plan.
    • Renames Changeable Message Sign (CMS) as Congestion Management Process and includes specific reference to the need to provide for "effective management and operations" and "implementation of operational management strategies."
    • Specific requirement to include "capital, operations and management strategies investments, procedures, and other measures to ensure the preservation and most efficient use of the existing system," in statewide plans.

Regulations under development; NPRM to be issued in summer 2006 with guidance to follow. Will include a strong push to create "meaningful" Congestion Management Systems.

Slide 19

Implications of SAFETEA-LU on ITS and Operations

  • More $ for ITS and Operations.
  • Maintains strong ITS R&D program.
  • Increases focus on congestion relief.
  • Puts strong focus on managed lanes and pricing.
  • Establishes nationwide requirement for real-time information systems.
  • Advances system management and operations.

Slide 20

For more information…

SAFETEA-LU:
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/safetealu

Management and Operations:
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/operations

ITS Program:
http://www.its.dot.gov

Office of Operations