Client

Highways Agency

Project Title

ITS Radar International

Background

ITS Radar International incorporates two earlier projects, Highways Agency EU Watch and ITS Radar. The current project provides an intelligence-gathering service on developments in intelligent transport systems (ITS) for the Highways Agency, which has an interest in gathering intelligence and monitoring developments in ITS in Europe and around the world.

Increasingly, ITS is being used by the Highways Agency to improve services to travellers and to help meet targets relating to journey time reliability, road safety, reduction in pollution and reduction in greenhouse gases. To maximise the benefits of ITS, the Agency needs to make sure they have the best intelligence about ITS activities from around the world. In parallel, it also has an interest in becoming more integrated with Europe and wishes to be informed about European developments (see Highways Agency EU Watch).

Objective

The objectives of the project include:

• the development of a methodology that will enable up-to-date information to be available on the desktops of Highways Agency staff and contractors
• the gathering of intelligence on ITS activities in Europe and new ITS developments around the world
• monitoring of the development of ITS standards
• identification of opportunities for the Highways Agency to become more involved in European ITS activities
• responding to ad-hoc requests from Highways Agency staff for information about ITS developments
• the communication of the information to key stakeholders within the Highways Agency through an electronic "eNews" service.

Methodology

A wide range of information sources are searched on a regular basis to identify news on projects, trials, conferences, policy initiatives, standards and other ITS developments. The information assembled is used to produce monthly newsletters and email Newswires, with the news articles deposited on the project website. In addition, ad-hoc reports are produced in response to specific requests from the Highways Agency.

Outcome

Over 400 ITS professionals within the Highways Agency and their contractors receive the eNews. Information is made available on a website which can be reached via the following link: www.highways.gov.uk/itsradar

Other Applications

In the Technology Watch project for the Department for Transport, TRL provides an internet-based news service on developments in vehicle technologies.

Technologies Involved

Data storage and retrieval

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