Consider for instance, heading to work knowing you are taking the quickest path given current traffic conditions. How would you like to be assured that busses, trains, and planes are keeping to schedule? These things and more are all possible and are happening now through Intelligent Transportation Systems, or ITS for short.

Today, in Rhode Island, we have taken a big step towards realizing the ITS vision for managing transportation. Thanks to technology you can now access roadway information by opening your Internet browser and viewing camera images statewide.

As the Rhode Island ITS program evolves, we will be adding more cameras to outlying areas and installing overhead dynamic message signs that can be updated from the Transportation Management Center as soon as conditions change. A national 511 direct information number now offers travelers and commuters real time information about roadway incidents that have the potential to create delays.

Commercial vehicle operators are linked together to receive vital information concerning roadway conditions that may require trucks diverting to alternate routes to ensure the delivery of goods and services.

ITS makes many things possible. In combination with an improved roadway infrastructure, ITS will save time, money, and lives, while offering a promising solution to the pressing problem of congestion.

Transportation Management Center

RIDOT's ITS program is housed at the Transportation Management Center in RIDOT headquarters, across the street from the State House in Providence. The Center currently operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is staffed with a combination of public and private sector employees who are working together to manage traffic and respond to incidents on Rhode Island's Highways. The project is funded by the Federal Highway Administration. Click here to learn more about the TMC.