What is the ITS Deployment Tracking Database? How many agencies are included in the ITS Deployment Tracking Database? What information is included in the Opinion section of the website? What is the difference between the summary and detailed data offered on deployment? What cities are surveyed? How are agencies selected for inclusion in the survey and how has that changed for the 2010 survey? What is the survey response rate? What ITS technologies are not included in the ITS Deployment Statistics Database? How often is the ITS Deployment Statistics Database updated? How can I get access to the complete survey database? What is the Deployment Tracking Database? For more than a decade, the Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office (ITS JPO) of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) has sponsored the ITS Metropolitan Deployment Tracking Project. The purpose of this effort is to measure the rate at which ITS technologies have been deployed in the major metropolitan areas. A range of infrastructure applications have been deployed that are designed to improve freeway, arterial, and traffic incident management systems as well as transit, emergency management, and toll collection operations. Beginning in 1997, the ITS Metropolitan Deployment Tracking project has pursued a systematic data gathering effort designed to identify the level of ITS implementation within major metropolitan areas (108 cities are surveyed). The data are gathered through natonal surveys of agencies within each metropolitan area, with the scope covering agencies involved with freeway, arterial, and transit management, public safety (law enforcement and fire/rescue/emergency medical), and toll collection. The most recent survey was conducted in 2010 when nearly 1600 surveys were distributed to state and local transportation agencies located in nearly all states, with a response rate of 85%. Previous surveys were conducted in 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2010. The next national survey is planned for 2013. Go to top of page How many agencies are included in the ITS Deployment Statistics Database? The data contained in this website are derived from national ITS Deployment Tracking surveys conducted in 2010. Surveys were distributed to agencies in the country's 108 largest metropolitan areas. The following table shows the surveys issued in 2010 and the response received. Table 1: Survey Totals by Type for 108 Metropolitan Areas in 2010 Survey Type Number Sent Number Returned Response Rate Freeway Management 146 122 84% Arterial Management 356 290 81% Transit Management 158 143 91% Transportation Management Center (TMC) 266 230 86% Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) 70 65 93% Public Safety – Law Enforcement 266 226 85% Public Safety – Fire/Rescue 335 280 84% Total 1597 1356 85% Go to top of page What information is included in the Opinion section of the website? In 2010, for the first time the survey included a number of questions aimed at gathering the opinion of responding agencies concerning certain issues. Previously, agency opinions could only be inferred from the patterns of deployment observed. In the 2010, agencies were asked to rank the impact of a number of factors on their decisions to deploy ITS technology. In addition, they were asked to provide a subjective assessment of the benefits of key technologies, based on their experience. Finally, agencies were asked to report on their plans to make new deployments or to expand existing deployments in the next three years. The website reports on the results for these questions in series of charts, which indicate differences in attitudes among the various agency types, but at the same time general agreement in some areas, such as the importance of safety as a factor in deciding to deploy ITS. Go to top of page What is the difference between the summary and detailed data offered on deployment? Another innovation for the 2010 website is the use of graphic displays of some of the deployment data to supplement the details provided on individual agency results. Summary charts are offered for many of the survey sections and are intended to provide a means to gain a quick summary of the key results from the survey. The detailed data includes the responses for each agency surveyed as well as access to the completed survey for each agency. Go to top of page What cities are surveyed? The ITS Deployment Tracking survey covers the 108 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S. However, earlier surveys were limited to 78 metropolitan areas, so most trend information is based on these original 78. Go to top of page How are agencies selected for inclusion in the survey, and how has that changed for the 2010 survey? In previous surveys, the boundary used for each metropolitan area was the metropolitan planning area boundary, defined by the local metropolitan planning organization. Agencies within the boundary associated with urban areas with population greater than 50,000 were included in the survey. Agencies meeting these criteria involved with freeway, arterial, and transit management, public safety and toll collection were surveyed. In 2010, to align the survey more closely with DOT policy making, the boundary was changed to the metropolitan statistical area (MSA) and the focus to those MSAs with population greater than one million. In order to maintain continuity with certain key statistics, the 2010 data gathering effort surveyed all freeway agencies, toll collection agencies, and transportation management centers included in previous surveys. Arterial, transit and public safety agencies within the 53 MSAs that met the population criteria, were surveyed, reducing the total number of agencies surveyed somewhat. Go to top of page What is the survey response rate? The survey response rate for 2010 was 85% overall. This high response rate is achieved by working closely with survey respondents to answer questions. In addition, staff from U.S. DOT headquarters and field offices work with survey respondents to assist the project team in achieving the highest possible response rate. Go to top of page What ITS technologies are not included in the ITS Deployment Statistics Database? The ITS Deployment Statistics Database includes survey results from the full range of intelligent infrastructure technologies except commercial vehicle operations and intermodal freight management. In addition, the ITS Deployment Tracking effort does not measure the extent of deployment of intelligent devices in private vehicles, such as OnStar. Go to top of page How often is the ITS Deployment Statistics Database updated? The national survey is now on a three year cycle and the next update will be 2013. Go to top of page How can I get access to the complete survey database? The Download section of the website provides access to the entire survey database in the form of a set of Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, one for each of the survey sections. For each survey type, a blank survey is provided annotated with the database field names for each response. The spreadsheets use these field names as column headers. The data are presented in columns with a row for each responding agency. Go to top of page
