Bill Could Increase US Federal Funding for ITS in 2003
IVsource.net
8 January 2003

In the US, the coming year in intelligent transportation systems (ITS) will be dominated by work on Congressional reauthorization of the surface transportation bill.  IVsource passes on a brief update provided by “Inside ITS” editor Mike Curran.

The coming year in intelligent transportation systems (ITS) will be dominated by work on Congressional reauthorization of the surface transportation bill.  "Prospects for intelligent transportation systems (ITS) may get a significant boost from a proposal for a new categorical funding program to be included in the reauthorization bill," says Mike Curran, editor of the influential "Inside ITS" newsletter.

Significant aspects of the proposal, Curran adds, are that "it is being developed with Congressional and administration input, it will increase funds for deploying and operating ITS, and it will not be subject to earmarks."

Funding for ITS could be in the "hundreds of millions of dollars," and would cover two areas.  One is for additional deployment of ITS technologies by state and local authorities, and the other is for the creation of a national transportation information system to integrate all the information sources on transportation.  The latter would assist not only in congestion relief and safety, but also in security.

The final bill will chart the course of intelligent vehicle research sponsored by USDOT over the next several years.   Look for more coverage from IVsource as things “heat up” this year.

For the full text of the report, "2003: The Year of Reauthorization," which appears in the January 1, 2003, issue of "Inside ITS", go to www.SAnewsletters.com/ITS/itsreport.asp.

"Inside ITS" provides news and informed analysis about the developments in intelligent transportation systems and services across North America.

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