Critically important in an age of expanding traffic and reduced budgets for new or ever wider roads, companies are developing and deploying Smart Transportation, putting in place the IT infrastructure that is revolutionizing how we commute. Starting with the now ubiquitous EZ Pass, commuters are benefiting from technologies that make their commute—or vacation—faster and smoother. What they don’t see is the behind-the-scenes changes that are gathering data so that transportation planners and municipalities can design more efficient, less costly and safer highways.

One such company is Telvent, an international firm which innovates transportation, water and power infrastructure technology. As Patrick McGowan, President of Telvent North America, said, “We look at out of the box solutions” to optimize systems that have not been looked at very closely. In the transportation sector, he cited a recent project in Alexandria, Virginia, that was able to route buses efficiently through congested commuter traffic.

“It’s a very effective tool. If people know buses are on schedule, they will jump to public transit. That means less vehicles on the road,” he said.

Sajjad Alam is an Intelligent Transportation Manager at Parsons, one of the world’s largest engineering and construction organizations specializing in infrastructure, transportation, planning, and environmental design and implementation. Alam mentioned a project in New York, which ensures that public safety vehicles can get to emergencies by turning street lights green at the approach of ambulances and fire trucks. New York also has traffic lights that sense traffic patterns on major city streets, so that they can change timing to adapt for morning cars moving in one direction, and evening traffic returning. A recent Parsons project was the design and installation of electronic signs that let commuters know which bridges or tunnels are the most congested, so drivers can make informed choices and traffic can move efficiently.

Measuring flow

But the real win is that technology can monitor and measure physical flow. The data helps transportation departments plan for programs which smooth traffic, cut down on pollution from cars idling at tollbooths and stuck in traffic, and lessen wear and tear on an aging physical infrastructure—roads . Without careful examination of data, municipalities cannot evaluate what is the best use for their funds, or what will make the biggest impact on the quality of life for both urban and suburban travelers.

As Alam said, the old approach to traffic congestion—more roads—is costly from a financial, land use and environmental point of view. But burdened municipalities, cities and states often don’t see the long term advantage of investing in smart transportation, especially when roads are “kind of working” now. When budgets are being cut for schools, such expenditures fall off the list.

US DOT

Recognizing the need—and the difficulty for funding—such projects, the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) apportioned over 25 percent of the $1.5 billion ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009) transportation funds for projects such as electronic infrastructure. Calling these TIGER funds, for Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, the grants will be awarded on a competitive basis for projects that have a significant impact on the nation, a metropolitan area or region. Funds will be awarded to State and local governments, which will, in turn, bid projects out.

Canaccord Adams, a leading independent financial services firm with operations in research, sales and trading, and investment banking, recommended Telvent as a possible beneficiary in the technology sector. John Quigley, Senior Analyst, noted that 35 percent of the $400 million in TIGER funds are applicable to electronic monitoring. These grants can unlock municipal funds by optimizing their transportation dollars.

Security and Enforcement

Countries such as China, India and the Mid East are digitally photographing automobiles for both security and planning for future traffic patterns. For Telvent, 65 percent of their projects are offshore. Bridges and tunnels are being built with embedded sensors, so that transportation engineers worldwide can have advanced warning in the event of structural changes from weather, aging and traffic.

In the United States, digital photography and sensors are being used for enforcement, sending tickets for traffic violations such as speeding or running stop signs. Public opinion has not been supportive, so some states have legislated against them. Laws can vary by states and by municipalities, which must decide whether e-tickets should be reported to insurance companies, and who should pay the fine if the driver is not the owner of the car.

The Future

As Alam asked, “Wouldn’t you like something to just take you somewhere?” He painted a picture of drivers reading newspapers—or texting—but arriving safely at their destination through automation. “The technology is there, it exists.”

He went on to say “Every year there are 40,000 to 50,000 fatalities on the roads. We’ve gotten used to it, and think it’s part of what we do and how we live. But we could prevent that.” The list of possibilities includes cars that slow down when approaching other vehicles on the highway, traffic lights that alert cars, and stop signs that do just that: stop cars.

Major changes in transportation face political push back. Mayor Bloomberg’s proposal for congestion pricing, which would charge cars during rush hour in midtown Manhattan, was defeated by the state legislature. The Governor saw such practices as an unfair burden for New York state enterprises doing business in New York city.

But smart systems are here to stay. Security, already a large market abroad, could start driving US business, especially on corporate campuses and around government facilities. Although adoption is not going to be without battles, making smarter roads and more economic decisions will keep transportation infrastructure a growth sector for some time to come.

Reprinted with permission from The Green Economy