As interest in ITS applications grows and increasing attention is being paid to assessing the benefits and lifetime of specific ITS investments it becomes necessary to consider the context in which the investments are being targeted. The ability to link specific applications and ensure the maximum lifetime from an investment becomes important when basic ITS technologies are being purchased. This paper attempts to describe how a `toolbox' of `platform' technologies can be proactively used to link urban ITS applications - several practical examples are described including electronic tolling, traffic management, public transport management, traffic surveying, traffic status reporting and driver aids such as navigation systems. Three types of ITS investment strategies are considered: `supportive', `co-operative' and `integrated' to show how a proactive approach to investing in an ITS `toolbox' can reap greater rewards than if the investments were considered separately. Several application examples are described in support of the argument that the total value of ITS can be greater than the sum of individual investments. (A)
Abstract