Telecommunications Infrastructure Plans for Traffic Operations

In 2007, CCIT partnered with Accelaro Systems, Inc. to develop a 10-year
communications network plan for the Caltrans Transportation Management System (TMS). The proposed Communications Plan (Com-Plan) standardizes communications between ITS field elements such as signals and cameras, and Traffic Management.

Centers (TMCs) in Caltrans districts. The two-tier, star architecture is flexible and may be implemented in both urban and rural settings. The Com-Plan:
• Meets Caltrans business requirements
• Increases Caltrans operational efficiencies
• Reduces Caltrans costs
• Supports new Caltrans applications
• Harmonizes solutions across Caltrans districts

To create the Com-Plan, CCIT and its contractors analyzed communication
technologies that can transmit data between field elements and Caltrans TMCs. The analysis also included user and application requirements, network reliability, system life-cycle cost, data quality and integrity, and other relevant factors.
The Com-Plan offers Caltrans significant functional, operational, performance, and financial benefits:

• Functional: The Plan meets all the requirements for the existing and the future TMS network. Additionally, when implemented, it will enable the development of a superior disaster recovery plan.

• Operational: The architecture will enable Caltrans to meet all current operational requirements of the network and will facilitate a cost-effective, planned future expansion of the network.
• Performance: The proposed architecture will deliver the performance requirements of the TMS network and improve network availability beyond its current level.

• Financial: The cost of implementing the proposed Communications Network
(CN) and its impact on the planned expansion of the TMS network over the next ten years reveals the opportunity to realize multi-million dollar cost savings. The proposed system integrates with existing Caltrans infrastructure, which will save costs and add overall value.