| Title | Evaluation of Acadia National Park ITS Field Operational Test: Final Report |
|---|---|
| Record ID | 29247 |
| Personal Name Creator |
Zimmerman, Carol A.; Coleman, Thomas G.; Daigle, John J. |
| Source | [108] p. in various pagings : ill. (chiefly col.) |
| Corporate Creator | Battelle Memorial Institute; University of Maine at Orono |
| Corporate Contributor |
United States. Joint Program Office for Intelligent Transportation Systems |
| Publisher | United States. Joint Program Office for Intelligent Transportation Systems |
| Publication Date | 20030601 |
| Language | English |
| Abstract | This document presents the results of the evaluation of the ITS Field Operational Test (FOT) at Acadia National Park. Through the partnership of the U.S. Departments of Transportation and Interior, Acadia National Park in the State of Maine was selected for the FOT to test the effectiveness of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) in dealing with transportation problems within a National Park setting. The ITS technologies were deployed over a two-year period and in 2002 they were evaluated to determine the impact of ITS on Acadia and the surrounding communities of Mount Desert Island. A suite of nine different ITS components were to support the region’s needs for public transportation management, traffic management, and traveler information. In the area of public transportation, five of the nine components were used to enhance the operations of the Island Explorer, a bus system launched in 1999 to provide free service during the tourist season throughout much of Mount Desert Island. The remaining four components were to be used for assisting the Park in management of traffic and to provide real-time traveler information to visitors. An independent evaluation of the ITS FOT took place from 2000 through 2003. Baseline data that reflected conditions prior to the deployment of the ITS technologies were collected for the years 1999-2001, and data collected in 2002 measured the post-deployment impact of the ITS technologies. Customer satisfaction and mobility were the top goals for the evaluation, but importance was placed on assessment of other goal areas as well, including safety, efficiency, productivity and economic vitality, and energy and environment. Hypotheses regarding the anticipated impact of ITS in each goal area were developed and tested. Many of the hypothesized impacts of ITS were supported by the evidence gathered. In other cases, the data were very limited but suggestive of the anticipated effect. In a few cases the impact was not observed or was in the opposite direction. The report presents findings from the data, conclusions and recommendations. One of the key findings was that ITS contributed to a positive visitor experience and increased visitors’ willingness to use transit rather than their own vehicles. |
| Rosap ID | dot:3866 |
| Rosap URL | https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/3866 |
| TRT Terms | Intelligent transportation systems; National parks; Advanced traveler information systems; Advanced public transportation systems; Advanced traffic management systems; Field tests; Evaluation and assessment |
| General Subjects | Parks; Economics; Energy; Environment; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; Research; Safety and Human Factors; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning |
| Geographical Coverage |
Maine; United States |
| TRIS Online Accession No |
974107 |
| Contract Number | DTFH61-96-C-00077 |
| Report Number | FHWA-OP-03-130 |
| Availability | Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office |
| Resource type | Tech Report |
| URL | https://ntlrepository.blob.core.windows.net/lib/29000/29200/29247/FHWA-OP-03-130_20181120.pdf |
| Format | |
| Database | NTL Digital Repository |