Advanced Traveler Information Systems September 1998

partners often included private sector providers
of the equipment, systems, and services
interested in demonstrating their idea. The
FOTs concentrated on user service areas needing
a “proof of concept” in order to achieve
deployment goals.
A fundamental element of each test was an
independent, formal evaluation. The evaluation
produced a final report that detailed the test’s
purpose, methods, and findings. The evaluation
aspect of the test was intended to assess whether
the product, technology or approach provided
effective solutions at acceptable levels of cost,
schedule, and technical risk.
As the sponsoring organization and a partner in
many of the FOTs, the FHWA played a central
role. FHWA supported the tests by providing a
standardized set of evaluation guidelines and by
helping coordinate and promote the relationships
among test partners. The FHWA also acted as
the communications clearing house collecting
reviewing, and disseminating information about
the tests.
Among the more than 80 FOTs, several tests
encompassed the same or similar areas of
interest. The FHWA is preparing several “cross-
cutting” studies that compare or synthesize the
findings of multiple tests within a particular area
of interest. The purpose of this series of studies
is to extract from the separate tests the common
information and lessons learned that are of
interest to ITS practitioners and that could
improve the testing and deployment of future
applications of the subject technology.
This study focuses on the topic of Advanced
Traveler Information Systems (ATIS).
INTRODUCTION
Advanced traveler information includes static
and real-time information on traffic conditions,
and schedules, road and weather conditions,
special events, and tourist information. It can be
offered with value added options like sports
scores, stock quotes, yellow pages and current
news. ATIS is classified by how and when
travelers receive their desired information (pre-
trip or en-route) and is divided by user service
categories. Operations essential to the success
of these systems are the collection of traffic and
traveler information, the processing and fusing
of information - often at a central point, and the
distribution of information to travelers.
Important components of these systems include
new technologies applied to the use and
presentation of information and the
communications used to effectively disseminate
this information.

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U.S. Department of Transportation
September
1998
Federal Highway Administration
Booz
·
Allen & Hamilton
Advanced Traveler Information Systems Field Operational Test Cross-Cutting Study
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Traveler information systems distribute
information using several communications
technologies. The most widely used are wireless
broadcast, electronic data lines to remote
terminals, and telephone advisory messages.
Traveler information is displayed as icons on
map databases, as alphanumeric text messages,
and as recorded messages accessed by phone.
Collecting traffic information has historically
been the task of public authorities although
private firms distributing traffic information to
radio and TV often use their own means to
collect information. Public authorities using
various combinations of loop detectors, cameras,
probes, and data from other authorities can
generally access more comprehensive and/or
accurate traffic information and centralize it in a
Traffic Management Center (TMC). The
growing trend in traveler information systems is
to fuse the public sector data with value added
private sector data/services and disseminate it
from a central point. There are a variety of
business models being discussed among both
public and private participants across the
country.
Apart from transit based ATIS systems, most
systems rely on the quality and availability of
other ITS infrastructure components. The
presence of Advanced Traffic Management
Systems (ATMS), where data is gathered and
fused, is essential for effectively disseminating
real-time traveler information to the public. In
many ways issues involved in ATMS
development also have a direct effect on the
success of comprehensive ATIS systems.
Pre-trip is traveler information is provided as a
trip is being planned or about to be embarked
on. En-route traveler information is delivered to
travelers in private vehicles and en-route transit
information is provided to travelers using public
transportation.
A pre-trip travel information service allows
travelers to access real-time intermodal
transportation information at home, work, and
other major sites where trips originate.
Information on traffic conditions, ride matching
and reservations are conveyed through these
systems to provide travelers with current travel
conditions and to offer options to help plan their
travel. Based on this information, travelers can
select their preferred departure time, route and
modes of travel, or perhaps decide not to make
the trip at all.
Advanced pre-trip traveler information system
devices focus on providing real-time traffic
information but often bundle it with
transportation and traveler services information.
Traveler services include transit schedules, route
guidance and yellow pages. Many pre-trip
information systems can also be accessed en-
route.
The content of en-route information as described
by the ITS National Program Plan should
provide driver advisories to convey information
about traffic conditions, incidents, construction,
transit schedules, and other mode choice options
to drivers of personal, commercial, and public
transit vehicles. This service also includes in-
vehicle signing, which provides the same types
of information found on highway signs today
but would be displayed directly in the vehicle.
Full deployment of in-vehicle signing would
also include customized information, such as
warnings of hazardous road conditions (e.g., fog,
ice) or the safe speed for a specific type of
vehicle (e.g. , autos, buses, large trucks). 
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An en-route transit information system provides
information to transit riders after their trips have
started. This information includes arrival and
departure times, information on transfers and
connections, information on other regional
transportation services, and information on
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