ITS user needs

The ITS inventory for the Bay Area consists of existing and planned (near term) ITS projects owned and/or operated by Bay Area ITS stakeholders. Each project uses technology to improve some element of transportation needs. This section identifies the different ITS needs or services provided by Bay Area ITS projects.

Bay Area ITS project categories
ITS projects are categorized by technology or equipment packages that implement specific services. For example, one ITS service or need is "Pre-trip Traveler Information." One possible project category that would fit this need is "Broadcast Traveler Information." The National ITS Architecture identifies these project categories as Market Packages.  The ITS  Category Analysis Table contains a summary of ITS project categories that are existing or planned in the Bay Area, and as such are addressed in this Architecture. The table shows the entire listing of categories from the National ITS Architecture and their respective status in the region. The ITS categories are classified as: Existing, Planned, or Not Planned.

The table also includes the prioritization of the ITS project categories. The project categories are listed as "High," "Medium," or "Low" priorities. "High" priority projects have a large impact on regional resources and investments. They may involve many jurisdictions or meet multiple transportation goals or needs. "Low" priority projects may not have a big regional impact. They may be projects that are ranked lower in terms of funding priorities or not many agencies are implementing them. "Medium" projects fall in between.

Several sources were used to determine the priority of ITS categories for the Bay Area region. The primary source was the 2004 version of the Bay Area ITS Plan and Architecture. Other sources of information for prioritization came in the form of stakeholder input on projects and goals. The stakeholders were also asked to indicate service priorities by responding to a survey and by providing input at stakeholder workshops. ITS categories that are not currently planned in the Bay Area (in the ten year horizon) were not prioritized; these are labeled as not applicable.  Please note that the priority does not represent the relative level of regional deployment of a specific ITS category, but rather the import of the type of project to the region as reported by stakeholders.