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The Southern California Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Priority Corridor (Priority Corridor) represented a unique opportunity for the region. During the course of this federally sponsored six-year program, the region was able to develop a set of cooperative plans and actions that ensured the ongoing integration of the surface transportation system in Southern California. These directions are set forth in the Southern California ITS Priority Corridor Strategic Deployment Guide (Strategic Guide) and Southern California ITS Priority Corridor Action Summary (Action Summary).

This report describes possible objectives for a Field Operational Test (FOT), to be conducted following the completion of the National Automated Highway System Consortium (NAHSC) mission in 2002. At that time, it is anticipated that there will be one or more FOTs in which ordinary drivers will use automated vehicles on a real roadway, under test conditions. The report also identifies potential test sites in California, and evaluates the merits of these sites for conducting different types of tests.

This report provides an overview of the key institutional challenges that could affect the development and deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems/Advanced Transportation Systems (ITWATS) technologies in California. The findings of the study are based on a series of in-depth interviews and review of research related to “non-technical” constraints both in California and at the national level. Based on this review, the study outlines three core areas that require attention: research collaboration--which focuses on public/private partnerships in the development of new technologies; regional management--which focuses on the coordination of metropolitan planning and deployment of ITS/ATS systems, and stakeholder acceptance--which focuses on the institutional and user acceptance needed for ITS/ATS systems to be successful. After describing how each of these three areas are manifest in California, the report then provides an inventory of relevant lessons that could be learned from other experiences occurring around the country, including at the national level. The report also highlights various social science methods that could be utilized in addressing these key institutional constraints. The study concludes by outlining major research implications of the findings, and provides summary recommendations for developing a broad-based, robust program in California aimed at the resolution of these constraints.