US economic stimulus package highlights ITS technology

US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood talks to ITS International about economic stimulus funding and the absolute need to maintain and increase the use of technology in transportation.

Of the total of $787 billion of funding announced under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the economic stimulus package which was signed into law by US President Barack Obama on 17 February 2009, $48.1 billion will go to the 324 US Department of Transportation (USDOT). Of that, $27.5 billion is for highway investment, $8.4 billion for transit and $8 billion for high-speed rail.

The USDOT's portion of the ARRA therefore represents 6 per cent of the total funds, with over 57 per cent of the Department's allocation dedicated to highway infrastructure investment, from which ITS projects are eligible for funding.

"The transportation community has risen to the occasion and demonstrated its ability to start projects quickly and create jobs," says Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood. "In fact, only six weeks after announcing funding for the first, the President recently recognised the 2000th ARRA transportation project."

The severity of the current downturn has prompted governments worldwide to intervene with huge injections of capital intended to stabilise the banking system and preserve liquidity. Infrastructure projects have also been an especial focus. In the US, the Barack Administration's actions have drawn comparisons with the New Deal Program which was President F.D. Roosevelt's response to the 1929 collapse on Wall Street. LaHood, however, feels that the ARRA is very much more of its time

"This plan will save or create 3.5 million jobs, with more than 90 per cent of these jobs coming from within the private sector, jobs rebuilding our roads and bridges, incorporating new technologies and systems, laying broadband and expanding mass transit," he says.

"While President Roosevelt implemented public programmes that provided opportunities for hundreds of thousands of people to go back to work, the ARRA is a 21st Century response to a 21st Century crisis. Coupled with reforming of how we approach infrastructure investments, the ARRA will help lay the foundation for lasting, sustainable prosperity."

Immediate response

Some, though, have criticised what they regard as missed opportunities. With a large chunk of the money for transportation infrastructure going into more traditional construction projects, it is argued that the opportunity to be truly radical is going wanting. The ARRA perhaps highlights the sharp differences between the more immediate needs of economic stimulus and the longer-term 'nice-to-haves'.

It is a distinction which LaHood highlights: "ARRA funds were intended to create jobs while taking care of immediate investment needs for highways and transit. The ARRA is achieving this; however, this Administration wants, and expects, a well-performing transportation system. To accomplish this, we must consider a balanced approach that includes new construction on roads, transit and rail, maintenance of existing infrastructure, investment in technologies such as ITS and operational improvements to enhance performance. To be clear, that encompasses all modes of travel."

The emphasis on rehabilitation projects is, "... a result of the years of neglect and the level of deterioration in the surface transportation infrastructure today, rather than an indication that congestion reduction is not a priority.

"Projects that address congestion are being funded but the critical need to restore failing infrastructure is an immediate focus."

The space for ITS

Technology, though, does have a bigger role in the future. Some familiar faces, such as cooperative infrastructure, remain on the agenda.

"The Obama Administration believes it is time to include technology in the transportation system. We should consider the role technology can serve as we plan and design the next-generation, multimodal, smart transportation system. ITS cannot be an afterthought; it should be a priority in the development of transportation policy. We live in an information age and travellers expect the power of technology to improve their transportation choices.

"Specifically, in the short term, many ITS applications continue to improve the performance of the transportation system. Today, we have 150 transportation management centres in operation in the US. We also have traffic incident management, travel time on message signs and displays showing transit arrivals. With more than 2,000 ARRA-funded highway projects underway, we also know that construction zones will undoubtedly present challenges. ITS can inform travellers and improve traffic flow in and around these. Also, commercial vehicle information systems have been implemented in 45 states, using electronic communications to streamline permit approvals and facilitate transmission of safety information.

"In the medium term, we see ITS applications breaking new ground. Several states are experimenting with traffic data from wireless carriers. The I-95 Corridor Coalition is testing vehicle probe data on the East Coast and California and other states are testing applications using data from cell phones to improve mobility.

"We see companies such as Google Transit taking transportation data and making it more usable for travellers. The Chicago area is testing a multimodal trip planner called Go Roo, which uses the Web to provide travel options such as walking, biking, transit and driving. These innovative initiatives are part of a wave of new ITS applications that will make communities more liveable.

"We'll see this trend continue as we look at longer-term research, particularly with wireless technology. We are currently working with the automotive industry, state and local governments and others to research and implement IntelliDrive [formerly the Vehicle-Infrastructure Integration initiative]. This suite of technologies and applications which uses wireless connectivity between vehicles, infrastructure and nomadic devices can provide transformational safety, mobility and environmental improvements.

"IntelliDrive will bring about an unprecedented opportunity to improve safety by enabling vehicles with 360o awareness to inform drivers of hazards they could not otherwise see. Ultimately, it could lead to crash-less vehicles.

"Additionally, it can offer complete multimodal information about transportation network performance and provide information on emissions and fuel consumption, directly from the vehicle fleet for travellers and transportation managers.

"I don't view what's happening as 'ITS versus road construction'. Both are needed and, indeed, ARRA funds can be used for ITS. We must be clear, however, that the primary role of ARRA funds is to jump-start the economy and create jobs quickly. Transportation projects are doing just that. However, transportation jobs today are more what we typically think of as 'shovel ready'. As I said before, it's time to integrate technology into our transportation system. Technology jobs in transportation are an important part of the economy and will become increasingly more so. As technology becomes more pervasive, and traffic and transit information is made more accessible, it will catalyse new markets. These markets will be driven by consumers' thirst for transportation information to improve their quality of life. We are seeing these markets and companies emerge now.

"If we look forward to IntelliDrive, connectivity between vehicles and with smart infrastructure will become as transformational as the Internet, in that it will enable countless applications. Today we see only the tip of the iceberg. We saw how the Internet initially started with a few basic applications, and then exploded into countless new applications and fostered new industries.

"IntelliDrive represents that starting point for transportation applications that will improve safety, mobility and the environment. Additionally, connectivity will enable commercial and consumer services that we can only begin to imagine today."

A shift in thinking

Previous transportation bills have been criticised as being too light in terms of technology content. Successive governments have spoken about the need to take a more aggressive stance on congestion and safety but the perception is that the rhetoric hasn't always been transformed into meaningful realities. The Obama Administration, says LaHood, will embrace technology in all areas, including transportation.

"We have a technology-savvy President, and the nation's first Chief Technology Officer. That says a lot about the priority of technology. I have been clear that, in the aviation community, NextGen is one of my priorities. I believe IntelliDrive will be a similar priority on the surface transportation side. Whilst full implementation is still some time away, we must pursue the research now. While we develop this transformational technology, we can look to sustain and support those applications available today. We can use market forces and the private sector to deliver transportation information into consumer's hands as never before. I am pleased that the transportation community is beginning to embrace technology, and the information it can provide. But I believe there is much more that can be done.

"As we look forward to the next surface statutory authorisation, technology will be a major theme. How that is specifically worked into the Administration's proposal is yet to be seen. What is clear though, is that it no longer makes sense to build transportation facilities without a strong technology component. The technology generation expects it and our transportation system and economy cannot thrive without it.

Longer-term funding needs

The recent 2245 national transportation infrastructure financing commission report highlighted what many transportation professionals have know for years: that the funding needs of the US's transportation infrastructure are out of kilter with the current available funding streams. The Interstate system is theoretically financially broke and the Commission has recommended an increase in fuel taxes in the short term, to be followed by a shift to distance-based road user charging. LaHood, anticipating the report's publication, had voiced support for the idea that some form of distance-based charging should at least be considered, only to receive a verbal mauling from President Obama's Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. He was subsequently backed by Jim Oberstar, Chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, for his foresight on the funding issue. So where does he stand now?

"The Federal fuel tax is no longer a viable long-term solution to financing infrastructure projects across our nation-as evident by the Commission's findings, and the shortfall in the Highway Trust Fund last September," LaHood says.

"As driving habits evolve, vehicles become more fuel efficient and greater numbers of alternative fuel vehicles become commercially available, we will see this issue persist, and even become more problematic. However, we absolutely cannot raise the Federal fuel tax in this economic climate.

"It is clear that we will need to evaluate the costs and benefits of an array of promising, innovative financing options, and work with Congress to determine a long-term solution."

'Now' and 'then'

Looking forward, at the start of his tenure, LaHood says that he hopes his legacy is characterised by transportation programmes and policies that are driven by outcomes, and supported by a strong commitment to research, development and the effective use of technology.

"The President has clearly outlined his priorities for transportation, priorities aimed at creating a 21st Century transportation system that promotes economic vitality, sustainability, a focus on people and communities, and unprecedented safety," he continues. "President Obama recently announced his initiative to chart a new course for high-speed rail in this country. Technology will play a key role in addressing the transportation challenges ahead, and will be a central part of the Department's strategy.

"We will need to modernise the transportation network, from NextGen aviation and emergency response systems, to utilising materials and methods that will make the infrastructure more durable, while reducing its carbon footprint. Of course, we expect to reduce congestion and improve safety, both areas where ITS will be a significant contributor."