Intelligent transportation systems in transportation policy of the cities

Abstract

A transportation policy of a city defines the directions and means of functioning of a specific urban transportation system within a given timeframe. The notion of functioning includes both the operation of the system as well as the implementation of the relevant plans. The shape of the policy depends on a number of interrelated factors, the set of which defines the options of the policy. The multi aspect nature of an urban transportation policy reveals itself in the way it is approached as required from a number of angle points: social, political, environmental, economic, spatial and time related. This multi aspect nature of the transportation policy of a city causes a number of objectives and tasks to be defined which concern a number of operating areas of the urban transportation system. A consequence of this multi aspect character of the policy is the use of a range of methods and means in the implementation process. Therefore, the relevant toolset becomes extensive. The present paper undertakes the discussion aimed at defining the place of an ITS in the transportation policy of the city within the context as outlined above. Starting with the opportunities created by the ITS for the development of modern urban transportation systems, the constraints created by the city transportation policy are pointed out. Those two groups of factors determine the current position of the ITS. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.