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What is it?
The U.S. DOT implemented the Advanced Rural Transportation System
(ARTS) program to meet the needs of travelers in and through rural areas
as well as of the agencies responsible for the operation and maintenance
of rural transportation systems. "Rural" is defined as those
areas that do not have the same access to resources and infrastructure
elements as major metropolitan areas. Rural areas can include farm/ranch
land, national parks, isolated small communities, suburbs outlying urban
centers that do not have access to some of the urban-based services such
as regular transit, dedicated emergency services, full coverage communications
networks, abundant power supplies, etc.
78.5% mileage traveled is rural
39.4% of vehicle miles traveled is in rural areas
68.4% crash fatalities occur on rural highways
source: FHWA Highway Statistics, 1998, Rural versus Urban Highway
Statistics
Although many agencies in rural areas have not implemented ITS technologies
(partly because they believe they are too expensive), the need for ITS
in these regions of limited resources is significant. Rural accident fatality
rates are much higher than in urban areas; fatal crashes are more prevalent
in rural areas, and mile-for-mile rural travelers are roughly 2.5 times
more likely to be in a fatal crash. Lack of mobility is also a major problem;
38% of the rural population has no access to public transportation, and
1 in 14 rural households are without a private vehicle. Additionally,
there are limited telecommunications systems in rural areas, making incident
management and traveler information dissemination difficult. The ARTS
program is designed to meet such information, mobility, and safety needs
and to promote the application of ITS technologies in rural areas.
Key Results
Rural ITS Services and Technologies
Listed below are the primary ITS applications used in rural settings.
Many of these technologies can be found elsewhere in this website. Please
follow the links provided for more information on individual services
and technologies.
- Emergency Services - include services provided by law enforcement,
fire departments, emergency medical services, and related organizations.
For instance, law enforcement vehicles are equipped with laptop computers
and in-car portable printers to automate accident-related reports and
traffic citations; GPS is also integrated into to the system to geo-code
each incident into a central database.
- Tourism and Travel Information - provides traveler
information such as weather
information, route advisories, and information on road closures.
Technologies include highway
advisory radio (HAR), in-vehicle
route guidance, smart card payment systems, and variable
message signs (VMS).
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- SAFE Passage in Bozeman, MT provides en-route
traveler information via VMS, HAR, and cell phone.
- Greater Yellowstone provides info to tourists
through information kiosks and variable message sign.
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- Orgeon's Trip
Check:Travel information website
that provides incident maps that show where incidents occur and
the expected delays; a custom cam page that allows the user to
view particular segments of the roadway; a mileage calculator
for trip estimations; and localized weather information.
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- Rural Transit and Mobility - provides services that improve
transportation access services (i.e. paratransit) to rural costumers.
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- The Cape Cod Advanced Public Transportation System is an application
of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) to fixed-route and
paratransit operations in a rural transit setting. The purpose
of the project is to apply ITS technologies that will improve
transportation services for the residents of rural Cape Cod as
well as for visitors to the region. The Cape Cod Regional Transit
Authority (CCRTA) fleet includes approximately 85 vehicles, and
the service area covers 400 square miles. CCRTA's operations include
an extensive dial-a-ride paratransit service, regional fixed routes,
several community bus services, and seasonal village trolleys.
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- Crash Prevention and Security - helps drivers avoid crashes
and reduces crash severity by implementing mayday systems, road weather
information systems, highway advisory radio, emergency vehicle preemption,
and animal detection/deterrence.
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- Animal Detection/Deterrence: There are 726,000 animal/vehicle
crashes every year (Conover, M.R., Wildlife Society Bulletin,
1997). Animal detection/deterrence systems include fencing off
areas to deter animal presence and controlling the feeding of
animals within an area to minimize their population growth.
- California Dynamic Speed Warning System uses an LED variable
message sign to display current driver speed.
- The Dynamic Downhill Warning System in Denver, a city that has
about twenty runaway trucks and fifteen truck-related crashed
each year, includes sensors that detect truck presence and a variable
message sign that displays an advisory message before a steep
grade.
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- Operations and Maintenance - includes monitoring of roadway
conditions, public fleet management, etc. Projects include computer-aided
dispatch, collision warning devices, automated deicing system, lane
positioning devices, and intelligent snow plows.
- Surface Transportation and Weather - provides en-route advisory
information about road weather conditions.
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- Nevada Wind Warning System includes a road weather information
system (RWIS) that monitors sustained wind and wind gusts and
broadcasts warnings to travelers on variable message signs.
- FORETELL is a multi-state initiative covering the Upper Mississippi
Valley region that collects, forecasts, and distributes highly
specific road weather information that is pertinent to highway
and trucking professionals, transit operators, long-distance travelers,
and all other road users.
- Frontier Fog Warning System - This automated system consists
of nine permanent Variable Message Signs (VMS), nine weather stations,
and thirty-six speed monitor locations. It automatically advises
travelers, via the VMS, of speeds that would be safe for conditions
ahead.
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Benefits
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- Road weather maintenance helps prevent weather-related incidents.
- Fewer crashes result when drivers are aware of delays or incidents
upstream.
- Emergency services can more easily locate and manage accidents.
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| Mobility |
- Residents of rural districts can travel more easily due to improved
public transit services.
- Tourists can more easily locate and access points of interest.
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Costs
Costs vary depending upon the application. For more information, please
see http://www.benefitcost.its.dot.gov.
Implementation Challenges
- Rural agencies may be resistant to implementing ITS in their districts
due to perceived high costs.
- New telecommunication systems need to be installed in less populated
rural areas.
- Maintenance of ITS technologies located in more isolated areas may
be difficult.
Where is it Implemented?
In rural areas across the U.S.
Links
Excellent
slide show about ITS applications in rural settings:
National
Rural ITS Activities Update 2003 - provides information on recent
ITS applications in rural areas.
ITS
America Rural ITS Page
US
DOT ITS Rural Applications
Current
Rural ITS Projects in California
ITS
Best Practices
Author: Lauren Smith
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