Government Assistance to Help Slow Traffic Congestion in the 21st Century
27 October 1999
Frost & Sullivan: Government Assistance to Help Slow Traffic Congestion in the 21st Century SAN ANTONIO, Oct. 26 -- Traffic congestion and other
traffic-related problems are an everyday issue for most people. For some it is
a twenty-minute drive, for others, an hour-and-a-half to two-hour nightmare.
Support from the U.S. Department of Transportation and state governments has
aided in the development and implementation of Intelligent Transportation
Systems (ITS).
According to recent strategic research conducted by Frost & Sullivan
(http://www.frost.com), Strategic Analysis of the U.S. Intelligent Transportation
Systems Markets, traffic congestion continues to grow at an astonishing rate,
resulting in increased gasoline consumption and increased air pollution. ITSs
provide technologies that create an efficient answer to problems that plague
the daily commute. ITS help preserve existing roads and reduce pollution, fuel
consumption and travel times, while increasing traveler safety and
convenience.
Due to the renewal of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act
(ISTEA), otherwise known as the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century
(TEA21), the ITS industry has benefited in more areas than others. Yet,
overall, TEA21 funding has increased by nearly $50 billion compared to its
predecessor. TEA21 also authorizes ITS programs to be eligible for additional
funding from mainstream transportation programs, National Highway System
(NHS), Surface Transportation Program (STP), Congestion Mitigation Air Quality
(CMAQ) program and Transit programs. ITS programs will be able to compete for
a pool of funds totaling $70 billion.
This research from Frost & Sullivan segments ITS into four areas:
Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) Systems, Advanced Traffic Management Systems
(ATMS), Advanced Vehicle Control Systems (AVCS) and Advanced Commercial
Vehicle Operations (CVO).
Such specialized segments are intended to cover and establish certain
companies within the industry. "In the more consumer-oriented ITS segments,
technological development will be geared primarily at improving system
capabilities and user-friendliness," says Frost & Sullivan automotive analyst
and co-author of the report David Aspiras.
The electronic toll collection systems market witnessed continued growth
over the past decade. With the increase of traffic flow and the flexibility
payment ETC systems offer, more transit authorities are installing, or
planning to install, ETC systems in new and existing tollways.
To counter the decrease in available land and the increase of traffic
congestion, ATMS was created to manage highway incidents and aid in
maintaining efficient traffic flow. This is made possible through increased
ITS funding and increased ATMS projects.
The market for advanced vehicle control systems is still in its infancy,
but it is slowly being developed to cater to both private passenger and
commercial vehicles. As consumers continue to desire safer vehicles and the
technology evolves, the need for AVCS is destined to increase.
Highways and roads are the primary corridor for the delivery and
transportation of goods and services in the United States. Because road
transportation represents such a crucial element in the national economy-and
since it is relied upon so heavily and frequently-commercial vehicle operation
(CVO) technologies are of paramount importance. Government support and
decreased equipment costs will push this market into the 21st century.
Frost & Sullivan, an international market consulting company, monitors the
ground transportation industry for market trends, market measurements and
provides strategies in the market. This ongoing research is utilized to update
a series of research and to support industry participants with customized
consulting needs
Visit Frost & Sullivan's Web site at: http://www.frost.com .
Strategic Analysis of the U.S. Intelligent Transportation Systems Market
Report: #5699-18 Publication Date: October 1999 Price: $2,950