US National ITS Architecture: turning the corner toward implementation.

In the United States, development of the National ITS Architecture was completed in 1996. The latest transportation legislation, the Transportation Efficiency Act of 1998 (TEA-21), required that federally funded ITS projects conform to the National ITS Architecture and standards. The completion of the National ITS Architecture and the development of a national policy has greatly accelerated use of architecture in ITS deployment. This paper discusses the lessons learned from the USDOT effort to implement the National ITS Architecture. Specific topics discussed include policy development approaches, communication issues, implementation challenges and issues for the future. For the covering abstract see ITRD E114174.