Since its creation, the ITS Joint Program  Office has overseen allocation and expenditure of more than $3 billion for  deploying ITS applications and researching new technologies. State and Local Governments Use ITS in Various Ways to Manage Congestion, and Some New Uses of ITS Are Promising

State and local governments currently use ITS technologies in a variety of  ways to monitor traffic conditions, control traffic flow, and inform travelers. We identified  several emerging uses of ITS that have significant potential to reduce  traffic congestion. Transportation agencies can use ITS technologies to control arterial traffic  through traffic signals. Dynamic message signs are popular for communicating traffic information  to travelers. Further Use of Leading Practices Could Enhance DOT’s Promotion of ITS and Better Address Challenges

DOT activities sponsored and funded by RITA and FHWA promote and  support the use of ITS and address the challenges that state and local  governments face in deploying and effectively using ITS technologies. According to FHWA officials, an internal  analysis found that a similar percentage of funds, or between about $800  million and $1.3 billion, of FHWA’s American Recovery and Reinvestment  Act funds were used for ITS deployments, with the majority of the total  American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds being obligated between  early 2009 and March 2011. According to the experts we interviewed, RITA’s and FHWA’s publications  and guidance related to ITS, as well as the ITS databases, were not  considered as useful as other activities.agencies noted that FHWA’s website is helpful, four experts and one   While several transportation  state and local official said that RITA’s and FHWA’s websites have too  much information and are not well organized. Transportation agencies may not be aware of all of the ITS-related  activities and information offered by RITA and FHWA. However, RITA has not yet determined to  what extent its strategy will address these issues. Several options have been proposed for improving communication about  ITS resources and facilitating learning exchanges. It will be important for  DOT to work with its external partners and determine its role in these  efforts to ensure it is fully leveraging its resources in promoting the use of  ITS and maximizing its reach. Recommendations for Executive Action

To effectively target efforts, leverage resources, better promote and  support the use of ITS technologies by state and local governments, and  improve access to and awareness of ITS resources, we recommend that  the Secretary of Transportation take the following three actions:  clearly define and document the respective roles and responsibilities  of RITA and FHWA in promoting and supporting the use of ITS,  revise ITS information on RITA and FHWA websites to improve its  usefulness for state and local audiences based on their needs, and  include in RITA’s strategy for promoting the adoption of ITS  technologies plans for collaborating with external partners to (1)  further enhance communication about the availability of ITS resources  and (2) facilitate learning exchanges. DOT said it would consider our recommendations,  and provided technical clarifications that we incorporated into the report  as appropriate. Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

This report addresses (1) how state and local governments currently use  Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) technologies to manage traffic and  emerging uses of these technologies that have the greatest potential to  reduce congestion, (2) what types of challenges state and local governments  face in using ITS technologies to manage traffic congestion, and (3) the  extent to which the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) promotion and  support of state and local governments’ use of ITS technologies have met  leading practices and responded to challenges they face. We synthesized information from interviews with officials  from DOT, including the Research and Innovative Technology  Administration (RITA) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). FHWA provides federal aid highway funds to states, some of which can be  applied to ITS projects.
Why GAO Did This Study

Traffic congestion burdens the nations quality of life and will likely grow substantially if current trends continue. Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) are a range of technologies that can reduce congestion at less cost than some other approaches. The U.S. Department of Transportations (DOT) Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) is responsible for promoting and supporting the use of ITS in coordination with other modal administrations, including the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Since 1994, DOT has overseen the allocation and expenditure of more than $3 billion for deploying and researching ITS. GAO was asked to address (1) the current and emerging uses of ITS technologies by state and local governments, (2) the challenges these governments face in using ITS, and (3) the extent to which DOTs efforts to promote and support ITS address these challenges and follow leading practices. To conduct this work GAO visited four sites, and interviewed and analyzed documents and data from DOT and state and local transportation officials, ITS experts, and other stakeholders.

What GAO Found

State and local governments currently use ITS technologies in various ways to monitor and control traffic and inform travelers. For example, transportation agencies use cameras to monitor traffic conditions, signal technologies to control traffic flow, and dynamic message signs to inform travelers about travel conditions. By interviewing experts, GAO identified several emerging uses of ITS that have significant potential to reduce traffic congestion. For example, integrating traffic and emergency services data can allow for enhanced detection of and response to roadway incidents. However, some cities use ITS and the emerging uses to a much greater extent than others.
State and local governments face multiple challenges in using ITS technologies to manage traffic congestion. For example, some agencies do not fully integrate ITS into their planning processes. Funding the deployment and maintenance of ITS technologies is also an issue, because of funding constraints and competition with other needed infrastructure projects. Further, agencies struggle to attract and retain staff with the skills necessary to manage and maintain ITS systems and may not have leaders who support ITS. Finally, coordination among agencies can enhance the effectiveness of ITS through such activities as synchronized traffic signals along a corridor, but such coordination can be difficult given agencies differing perspectives and priorities.
RITAs and FHWAs activities to promote and support the use of ITS technologies help address these challenges. Both offer ITS-related training and technical assistance and provide guidance and information on their websites. FHWA estimates that states used about $800 million to $1.3 billion of their eligible 2010 federal aid highway funds and $798 million to $1.3 billion of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds on ITS. Further adoption of leading practices could improve these efforts. RITAs and FHWAs respective roles in these efforts are not clearly defined, potentially inhibiting their ability to effectively leverage resources. Some experts and transportation agencies noted that ITS-related information on RITAs and FHWAs websites is not always presented in a way that is useful and some agencies lack awareness of some ITS activities sponsored by DOT. Several options have been proposed to improve communication about ITS-related activities and facilitate the sharing of ITS information among state and local officials. While RITA intends to develop a new strategy in 2012 for promoting the use of ITS, it has not yet determined whether it will incorporate any of these proposals.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that the Secretary of Transportation clearly define the roles of RITA and FHWA in promoting the use of ITS, improve the usefulness of ITS information on the agencies websites, and include in its strategy plans to further enhance communication on ITS activities. DOT reviewed a draft of this report, said it would consider our recommendations, and provided technical comments.