Intelligent Vehicle Highway Systems, Denver Metro Area: Strategic Plan

NHTSA · 1992 · ROSA P / United States. Joint Program Office for Intelligent Transportation Systems

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Summary

This 1992 strategic plan addresses the critical transportation challenges facing the Denver Metropolitan Area, specifically severe congestion, safety risks, and poor air quality. Motivated by the recognition that traditional infrastructure expansion is financially and environmentally unsustainable, the document proposes Intelligent Vehicle-Highway Systems (IVHS) as a technological solution to maximize the efficiency of existing facilities. The plan is further driven by federal mandates, particularly the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA), which restricts federal funding for single-occupant vehicle capacity increases in non-attainment air quality areas unless accompanied by approved congestion management systems. The methodology involves a comprehensive assessment of regional transportation problems, current programs, and IVHS technologies. The authors categorized IVHS into five functional areas: Advanced Traffic Management Systems, Advanced Traveler Information Systems, Advanced Public Transportation Systems, Fleet Management and Control Systems, and Advanced Vehicle Control Systems. By evaluating these technologies against regional goals—spanning operations, management, economics, and environmental quality—the study identified 44 specific projects. These projects were organized under nine global objectives, including establishing a regional focal point, improving data collection and incident response, creating a communications network, disseminating travel information, integrating traffic control, and reducing travel demand through alternative mode promotion. The findings present a structured menu of opportunities divided into short-term (through 1995), mid-term (through 2000), and long-term ventures. Short-term recommendations prioritize mature technologies that build on existing systems, such as enhancing the Traffic Operations Center, expanding closed-circuit television coverage, and improving incident detection. The plan highlights that IVHS can yield significant benefits, including an estimated 8% reduction in traffic fatalities and up to a 20% reduction in congestion by 2011. It also notes that IVHS supports environmental goals by reducing emissions through smoother traffic flow and increased transit usage, addressing the region's high reliance on single-occupant vehicles. The significance of this plan lies in its role as a foundational framework for Denver’s IVHS deployment. It serves as the basis for subsequent Early Action and Master Plans, which will detail costs, schedules, and implementation strategies. By aligning technological deployment with federal funding requirements and regional environmental mandates, the plan provides a roadmap for leveraging smart vehicle and highway technologies to improve safety, mobility, and economic productivity without relying on costly new pavement construction.

Key finding

The strategic plan identifies forty-four specific Intelligent Vehicle-Highway Systems projects designed to improve transportation efficiency, safety, and environmental quality in the Denver Metropolitan Area.

Methodology

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Provenance

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