Use of Its Technology for Management of Freight and Transit Assets

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is an intermodal agency tasked with the mobility of the state's citizens, businesses and visitors. Freight and public transit are essential components of Michigan's transportation system. To further MDOT's goal of leveraging technology to maximize safety, mobility, environmental performance, and asset management through mode-specific research programs, MDOT contracted with the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) to conduct a study of potential intelligent transportation system (ITS) technology for the management of freight and transit assets. This report presents the results of CAR's analysis, conclusions, and recommendations. Freight and transit ITS systems are broad and multifaceted. Many factors will influence the use of ITS technologies and the development of corresponding information systems ; these factors include functionality, costs, mode, geographic coverage, and private sector involvement. Any ITS design and deployment in Michigan should be focused on efficient deployment, proven functionality, and interoperability. System design can benefit from MDOT assuming a leadership role in facilitating ITS deployment across functional and geographic borders. MDOT has a broad scope of consideration and responsibility , and is uniquely positioned to promote cross-sector and cross-municipal cooperation. Successful deployment of ITS technologies for the benefit of the freight industry will depend on interagency cooperation and strong partnerships with industry stakeholders. A multi-sector working group can provide an excellent opportunity to further explore the possibilities of using ITS to assist with the development of statewide or interstate freight programs. Specifically, such a group could:  Cooperatively analyze the intermodal freight transportation system in Michigan and identify physical and information exchange bottlenecks  Explore the solutions to challenges across all modes and identify key technology program areas (e.g., border-crossing operations , freight corridor management, commercial vehicle operations, advanced fleet management, congestion mitigation, managing manufacturing supply chains, etc.)  Develop pilot freight ITS demonstrations through public private partnerships when new opportunities emerge. Examples include the I-94 Truck Parking Management and Information System, progress associated with the New International Trade Crossing project in Detroit, and the ongoing federal Smart Roadside Program  Share information, best practices, and lessons learned with the freight community at large Many transit agencies have already implemented various ITS programs into their operations. Most have the ability to track buses in real-time, and many are using some form of demand-responsive dispatching. State-level guidance and coordination on the deployment of such technologies combined with integrated corridor management could improve service for multiple transit …