Research Progress & Insights

Track 1: Maintenance of the National ITS Architecture

Research Accomplishments

• Published Version 7.0 of the National ITS Architecture, which incorporated functionality and interfaces to align with the Connected Vehicle Environment, Advanced Travel Demand Management (ATDM) strategies, Electronic Freight Manifest, and Integrated Corridor Management as well as other updates including ITS standards alignment. This version also incorporates the latest Commercial Vehicle Information Systems and Networks (CVISN) architecture with its Wireless Roadside Inspection along with transportation planning features in addition to ITS standards developments and other updates.
• Developed and released two updates of the Turbo Architecture software tool (versions 5.0 and 7.0). Turbo Architecture is a software application that supports development of regional and project ITS architectures using the National ITS Architecture as a reference. The updates included the addition of features to directly link a region’s ITS architecture to their transportation planning objectives, strategies, and needs, thereby aligning the regional ITS architecture with the planning process. The updates also include features that make it easier to produce user-friendly documentation and web pages.

Critical Research Insights

• Alignment of the National ITS Architecture definition with current US DOT initiatives and research outcomes relates these activities more directly to the interests of state and local stakeholders for incorporation into ITS planning.
• Regional stakeholders are able to leverage the results of US DOT initiatives by incorporating those features in their regional ITS architectures, thereby expanding the reach of these initiatives.

Next Steps

• Publish version 7.1 of the National ITS Architecture and Turbo Architecture software to expand linkages and support for the use of ITS architecture among transportation planners.
• Publish version 8 to integrate/align the Connected Vehicle Reference Implementation Architecture (CVRIA) and Standardization Plan with National ITS Architecture.

Track 2: Deployment Support

Research Accomplishments

• Provided technical assistance to State, regional, and local stakeholders in the areas of ITS architecture development, implementation, and systems engineering.
• Since 2010, 59 workshops and process reviews have been conducted for state and regional stakeholders including Regional Architecture and Systems Engineering Process Improvement Reviews, ITS Architecture Use and Maintenance and Quick Start Workshops throughout the country to assist regional agencies with the incorporation of ITS architecture and systems engineering in their transportation project planning and development processes.
• Developed a new ITS Architecture Development workshop for smaller regions that are initiating development of their regional ITS architecture internal to their agency to maximize their architecture development efficiency.
• Developed a web-based version of the Turbo Architecture software training course to make it available to more stakeholders and improve course delivery efficiency.
• Developed web-based Architecture Use and Maintenance training course.
• Completed an ITS Architecture case study for ITS Professional Capacity Building (PCB) program for use in the university/academic environment.
• Supported an increasing number of regional ITS architecture updates to better reflect the evolving needs of the regional stakeholders regarding ITS development/deployment.
• Continued evolution of regional stakeholders’ attitudes toward looking at their regional ITS architectures less as a requirement from Rule 940.09 and more as a tool to assist with ITS planning and project development.
• Expanded the number of agencies reexamining their transportation planning and project development processes to better consider ITS projects and how they are best integrated into transportation systems.

Next Steps

• Promote, support, and develop tools and capabilities for using regional ITS architectures during the project scoping and project programming/transportation improvement program development.
• Expand support to transportation planners to assist with their application of ITS architecture in their planning activities and to better link transportation operations to transportation planning.
• Update Regional ITS Architecture and Systems Engineering guidance documents to reflect the latest developments and practices in ITS project planning and development.

Track 3: Border Architecture Coordination

Research Accomplishments

• Updated U.S./Canadian Border Information Flow Architecture (BIFA) to maintain synchronization with both the U.S. National ITS Architecture and the ITS Architecture for Canada.
• Supported FHWA’s Border Wait Times project by developing a project ITS architecture to identify key interfaces among border agencies.
• Completed Border Wait Times Data and XML Schema based on stakeholder interviews and results of Border Wait Times implementations on Pacific Highway and Niagara/Peace Bridge; XML Schema based on TMDD with extensions.

Critical Research Insights

• Regions along the U.S./Canadian border are updating their regional ITS architectures and deployment plans to include cross-border systems and interfaces defined in the Border Information Flow Architecture.

Next Steps

• Provide ITS architecture and systems engineering support for ITS project definition along the Canadian and Mexican borders including project and regional support for land, marine, and air entry points.
• Develop and conduct a series of workshops with border stakeholders to support border ITS projects and the modification or development of ITS architectures at those sites to support the deployment of cross- border systems.
• Identify common data schemas for interfaces related to the sharing of border information.

Track 4: Development of a V2X Cooperative Systems Architecture

Research Accomplishments

• Defined the ConOps, System Requirements, and Architecture for the Core System required to support the connected vehicle program that supports V2X cooperative systems. This systems architecture encapsulates the enterprise, functional, connectivity, communications, and information viewpoints that describe the security services and data sharing services necessary to support the overall Connected Vehicle Environment.
• Developed first version of Connected Vehicle Reference Implementation Architecture (CVRIA) in cooperation with the ITS Standards program to establish an integrating framework as a basis for identifying connected vehicle standards. The draft architecture identifies the key interfaces of a connected vehicle environment which will support further analysis to identify standards.
• Developed CVRIA Mini tool and provided support to the Southeast Michigan 2014 Project architecture using CVRIA Mini-Tool.
• Initiated development of a new CVRIA Systems Engineering Tool for Intelligent Transportation (SET-IT).

Critical Research Insights

• Stakeholders in both public and private sectors are considering the Core System concepts in developing and testing interoperable systems and in defining the governance structures needed to foster deployment.

Next Steps

• National ITS Architecture and Turbo Architecture software to support V2X Cooperative Systems.
• Complete development of CVRIA software tool (SET-IT) to help project implementers and planners to use CVRIA to identify and define connected vehicle interfaces for their projects.
• Develop outreach and guidance materials to promote deployment of integrated, secure V2X Cooperative Systems