Any commercial trucker who's been stuck in urban gridlock or sat twiddling their thumbs during a highway traffic jam will appreciate the idea of a national "infostructure" to promote more efficient, safer travel that, in turn, backs just-in-time delivery schedules and also enhances homeland security.

Right now the experts say the technology exists--or is in development--that allows for real time traffic management. Intelligent transportation systems (ITS) can be embedded in roadways, so that traffic counts are relayed in real time to highway traffic monitoring centers. Alerts can be sent to variable messaging signs along the roadside to guide traffic to the best routes. In the not too distant future, those same alerts will be relayed directly to a driver's onboard computer.

David Jannetta, president and CEO of Mobility Technologies in Wayne, Pa., believes that what's stalling the creation of a national, interoperable ITS system--or infostructure--is the lack of a common standard "to link the nation's varied intelligent transportation systems."

Testifying earlier in the fall before the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Jannetta complained about "the fragmented nature of the ITS systems that are being built?A national, interoperable approach is needed to insure that public agencies have access to reliable information about traffic conditions and homeland security and have the ability to communicate needed information to the public."

Ideally, he says he would like to see the U.S. follow Japan's example, which has a nationally integrated ITS system in place. "Japan is ahead of the whole world because they saw (the potential of using traffic data) for national security. My dream would be to see the U.S. make a national infostructure a priority and fund it over five to ten years. The savings will be enormous, both in terms of saving lives, making a transport network more energy efficient, and being able to minimize or thwart terrorist attacks," according to Jannetta.

He also testified that a common standard, and the national program that would follow, could also be utilized "to enhance homeland security objectives." Technology available today could easily be used to route traffic during an emergency, or be attached to sensors that can detect bombs or chemical agents. Weather sensors could also be affixed to the same reader, he said, to relay information on the wind direction of lethal agents.

Mobility Technologies has a contract with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to install traffic data collection and processing infrastructure in 21 major U.S. markets. Jannetta has recommended taking the plan that Mobility Technologies has drawn up with the DOT "as a base" for a national plan.

"Instead of starting from scratch with a totally new program, let's start with a base of information that's in place and under deployment. There's lots of information out there in various jurisdictions, including state and local governments. We're deploying lots of ITS systems, and others are doing the same, so let's build from there," he explained in a phone interview about a month after his appearance before the House subcommittee.

As for who would coordinate such a program, Jannetta says, "That's the $60,000 question. We're not sure who would coordinate (such an effort.) We're really at the beginning of the process that would lead to an infostructure. There's no legislation or mandate yet in place. What we're trying to do is figure this out as an industry so we can move to a national, integrated system as painlessly as we can."

He says DOT officials have the leadership skills, but are currently caught up in trying to get Congress to reauthorize funding for a new highway bill that's coming up in 2003. Ideally, Jannetta wants to see some sort of government/private sector partnership to promote development of a national infostructure that would allow passengers and commercial vehicles to utilize the same technology nationwide.