Motorists in many U.S. cities are already familiar with the perks of intelligent transportation systems. Depending upon their degree of sophistication, ITS technologies include variable message signs, traffic signal and lane controls, real-time weather information, ramp metering and video monitoring of traffic and highway security. ITS data can be sent to first responders and mobile apps to help drivers navigate around accidents and peak-period snarls.
But the Colorado Dept. of Transportation aims to take ITS a step further. CDOT says that early next year it will pilot key pieces of an advanced traffic management program developed in Australia. The system—dubbed Managed Motorways by traffic engineers in Melbourne—uses a slate of ITS technologies to reduce congestion: on- and off-ramp metering, variable speed limits, dynamic lane control, expedited incident management and the use of hard shoulder lanes during peak periods, among others.