U.S. Transportation Secretary Slater Announces 17 Critical Standards For Intelligent Transportation Systems

Topics:  Rodney E. Slater

Federal Highway Administration
July 6, 1999

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, July 6, 1999

Contact: Karen Whitney

Tel.: 202-366-0660

FHWA 45-99

U.S. Transportation Secretary Rodney E. Slater today announced
that the U.S. Department of Transportation has identified 17
standards as critical to the smooth operation of intelligent
transportation systems (ITS) throughout the United States,
including one that will enable an equipped vehicle to receive
traveler information anywhere in the country.

"As travel increases, intelligent transportation systems
are vital to ensure safety, to protect the environment, and to
relieve traffic congestion on the nation’s highways,"
Secretary Slater said. "By providing a foundation for
national intelligent transportation systems, these standards will
help motorists realize the full benefits of our transportation
system and help them get to jobs, to schools, to markets, to
where they need to go, safely and efficiently."

The department sponsors accelerated development of many ITS
standards through the use of recognized standards development
organizations. More than 100 standards have been identified thus
far for ITS, based on the national ITS architecture, which was
developed under the department’s sponsorship and provides a
framework for integrated intelligent transportation systems. ITS
standards establish a common " language" for ITS
components to communicate with one another.

The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21)
requires the department to identify which ITS standards are
critical and to have all critical standards in place by January
2001. The law provides that provisional standards will be
established for any identified critical standards that cannot be
developed or approved by that time. The department’s
Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Programs Office
estimates that most critical standards will be completed before
the deadline.

The 17 critical standards are contained in a report submitted
by the department to Congress. The report also identifies other
critical standards that are foundation standards upon which
others are developed. The report listing the critical standards
is available on the Internet at www.ITS.dot.gov.

The ITS program is charged with providing for the research,
development, and operational testing of intelligent
transportation systems aimed at solving congestion and safety
problems, improving operating efficiencies in transit and
commercial vehicles, and reducing the environmental impact of
growing travel demand. TEA-21 provides for proven technologies
that are technically feasible and highly cost effective to be
deployed nationwide as a component of the surface transportation
systems of the United States. 

Critical Standards for Intelligent Transportation Systems

* Advanced Traveler Information System (ATIS) Data Dictionary


    
Enables traveler information service providers, such as
    traffic reporters and police, with conforming products to
    provide travel information to mobile users, including the
    general public, nationally.



* Advanced Traveler Information System (ATIS) Message Set


    
Enables service providers, with conforming products, to
    provide travel information to mobile users nationally.


* Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS) Data Dictionary
(TMDD)


    
Used by traveler information systems that provide services
    to mobile users nationally, such as information about roadway
    conditions, and by traffic management systems that collect,
    interpret and present traffic management information.



* Commercial Vehicle Credentials


    
Enables commercial carriers, such as large trucks and
    interstate buses, to communicate with and transmit required
    information to state transportation agencies and relevant
    state and national databases electronically.


* Commercial Vehicle Safety and Credentials Information
Exchange


    
Enables commercial carriers to communicate with and
    transmit required information to state transportation
    agencies and relevant state and national databases
    electronically.



* Commercial Vehicle Safety Reports


    
Enables commercial carriers to communicate with and
    transmit required information to state transportation
    agencies and relevant state and national databases
    electronically.


* High Speed FM Subcarrier Waveform Standard


    
Allows traveler information messages to be broadcast to
    travelers nationally.



* Information Service Provider-Vehicle Location Referencing
Standard


    
Assures consistency in location referencing and uniform
    processing for mobile users nationally; used in other
    standards that specify location information.


* Message Sets for Dedicated Short Range Communications
(DSRC), Electronic Toll and Traffic Management (ETTM) and
Commerical Vehicle Operations (CVO).


    
Provides content and order of information transmitted in
    messages for various ITS user services, such as electronic
    toll, traffic management, and commercial vehicle operations.



* On-Board Land Vehicle Mayday Reporting Interface


    
Provides for the transmission of messages and information
    between emergency management centers and mobile users
    nationally.


* Standard for Common Incident Management Message Sets for Use
by Emergency Management Centers


    
Allows incident management messages to be shared among
    different ITS systems and entities and assures consistency of
    incident management messages.



* Standard for Data Dictionaries for Intelligent
Transportation Systems


    
Establishes the requirements for the attributes to be used
    by all ITS data dictionary standards to assure unambiguous
    information transfer.


* Standard for Message Set Template for ITS


    
Standardizes the structure for messages used in all ITS
    standards.



* Standard Specification on DSRC —Data Link Layer


    
Allows for short-range communications between roadside
    equipment and vehicles nationally.


* Standard Specification on DSRC —Physical Layer



    
Allows for short-range communications between roadside
    equipment and vehicles nationally.


* Standard Specification on DSRC at 5.89 GHz


    
Allows for short-range communications between roadside
    equipment and vehicles nationally.


* Standards for ATIS Message Sets Delivered Over Bandwidth
Restricted Media


    
Allows mobile users with conforming products to access
    traveler information services uniformly nationally.