Intelligent Transport Systems (ITSs) require integrated infrastructure that will enable efficient movement of people and goods between their origins and destinations. This article examines how information systems can be used in managing and operating transport infrastructure to integrate their many ITS technologies into one fully effective system. Functional integration shares information between different functions. Temporal integration makes information available at all times during the infrastructure life cycle. Institutional integration shares information effectively between different organisations. Data integration enables information to be obtained from different data sources. Much work is still needed to improve information flow, and much useful information is now being lost. Information can be used effectively only if everyone interested in it can access it and understand it. The GeoTransport advanced traffic management system (ATMS) integrates automatic traffic surveillance and control technology with real-time spatial information display, modelling, and analysis. Integration is not easy, but several factors are helping to make it easier, including emerging US and UK standards, enterprise server environments, and the development of spatial relational database management systems.
Abstract