The 2007 Bay Area ITS Architecture is the blueprint for
ITS project coordination and integration in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Architecture was prepared under the direction of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC)
as an update to the 2004 version and based on current input from a broad range of stakeholders. Its purpose is to facilitate ITS planning and to aid in
coordinated ITS project development,
procurement, and delivery. The updated ITS
Architecture is provided as a fully interactive, hyperlinked website for more
convenient access and usability for project sponsors. This website
satisfies federal requirements for
Regional ITS Architecture development and maintenance.
ITS is the application of communication and
computing technologies to improve transportation safety, operations, and efficiency. This definition encompasses a broad range of technologies and has created many opportunities for transportation professionals to respond proactively to increasing demand for effective transportation services. Many of these opportunities are predicated upon effective coordination between organizations, at both the institutional and technical level.
The Bay Area ITS Architecture is a
blueprint created by stakeholders for stakeholders to emphasize the regional importance of having a well-planned, coordinated ITS infrastructure.
One important element of ITS projects is the exchange of data and communication. The ITS
Architecture helps coordinate the information exchange on a regional level by bringing together stakeholders across jurisdictional boundaries.
It provides a framework for how ITS projects interact and exchange information. The
Bay Area ITS Architecture is based on the National ITS Architecture model sponsored by the USDOT. It is required for a region to remain eligible for federal funding.
This update of the Bay Area ITS
Architecture was developed between February and November of 2007 and focused on updating the
2004 version of the
Architecture for changes that have occurred over the last three years. This included changes
and additions to projects, stakeholders, and the National ITS Architecture
template that it is based on. Parts of the 2004 ITS Plan and Architecture,
developed by Iteris, Inc. and owned by MTC, have been
reused where applicable.
The process for updating the
Architecture was heavily reliant on stakeholder input to ensure the
Architecture was truly regional and multi-jurisdictional. A Steering Committee was formed to represent a cross-section of agencies including regional, local, transit,
smart corridor, and emergency service agencies. The Steering Committee met
regularly to comment on deliverables and provide input on the direction of the
Architecture. A larger stakeholder group also convened to
elicit information on changes to ITS activities and projects and to comment on larger ITS issues and needs.
This larger group consisted of hundreds of representatives of public
sector agencies throughout the Bay Area. Comments, input and
feedback were elicited from this larger group in the form of
workshops, individual and targeted group requests, and a survey that
was used to help gage regional priorities.
The primary differences between this
2007 version of the ITS Architecture and the previous (2004) are
that the 2007 version is:
-
a project-based Architecture;
one that maps projects directly to their corresponding agencies,
connections, and other related information;
-
a tool tailored for industry
professionals and project sponsors; it contains minimal
"architecture jargon" and includes advanced tools for transit
and non-transit agencies to comply with federal requirements as
two examples; and
-
an interactive, hyperlinked web
site; it can be easily accessed, supported and maintained
on-line.
Please note that some technical and
architecture terminology remains where necessary to provide an accurate description of projects and processes. Abbreviations for
technical terms within the project list
are spelled out in the project inventory, organized
by
Stakeholders and
by
Category. ITS related technical terms can be found in the
Glossary provided by the
National ITS
Architecture. These changes make the
Architecture more user-friendly and accessible to a broader range of stakeholders.
For more information on how to use this web-based ITS
Architecture click here
