Intelligent Transportation Systems and Infrastructure: A Series of Briefs for Smart Investments

January 31, 2018

During the State of the Union address on Jan. 30, 2018, President Donald Trump said "it is time to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure." At ITS Berkeley, we take the idea of building transportation systems and infrastructure seriously and feel it is our responsibility to help provide research and guidance on these smart investments.

According to Trump, in our current climate, it can take 10 years to get a permit for building simple roads, and that is not ideal. We need safe, fast, reliable infrastructure now. During his speech, President Trump called on congress for a bill that generates $1.5T for new infrastructure investment. In addition, the President proposed streamlining the process as a priority, expressing his desire to a two year maximum process.

While no plan has been put into place or any call to actions noted, ITS Berkeley has created a policy series called Intelligent Transportation Systems and Infrastructure: A Series of Briefs for Smart Investments. While President Trump focused soley on transportation infrastructure, our briefs go beyond transportation to include a holistic view of infrastructure.

The last decade has witnessed an unprecedented convergence of communication, control, and sensing that can potentially transform transportation infrastructure and delivery.  At the most basic level, efficient operation and maintenance of our nation’s transportation infrastructure requires real time data exchange provided by intelligent transportation system technology.  When implemented, these technologies have the potential to revolutionize the nation’s economic vitality by moving people and goods more quickly, efficiently, safely, and at lower cost to consumers. The following briefs outline key policy and investment opportunities to support that vision.

Read the briefs.