[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 141 (Monday, July 23, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38338-38340]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-18246]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


National Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Architecture; 
New User Service Procedure

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is to announce that the U.S. 
Department of Transportation, through the ITS Joint Program Office 
(JPO), has developed a procedure for the introduction and integration 
of a new user service into the National ITS Architecture, as well as 
other significant changes encompassing several existing user services 
in the National ITS Architecture . This procedure will aid stakeholders 
in determining how to articulate their transportation needs for 
integration into the National ITS Architecture. Additionally, this 
procedure will increase public awareness of the incorporation process 
and will enable all interested parties to participate in the user 
service integration into the National ITS Architecture.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the National ITS 
Architecture User Service Procedure: Mr. Lee Simmons, (202) 366-8048, 
ITS Joint Program Office (HOIT-1). For Legal Questions: Ms. Gloria 
Hardiman-Tobin, (202) 366-1397, Office of the Chief Counsel (HCC-40). 
Office hours are from 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., e.t., Monday through 
Friday, except Federal Holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Access

    An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded by using a 
computer, modem and suitable communications software from the 
Government Printing Office's Electronic Bulletin Board Service at (202) 
512-1661. Internet users may reach the Office of the Federal Register's 
home page at: http://www.nara.gov/fedreg and the Government Printing 
Office's web site at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara.
    The entire National ITS Architecture may be reviewed and retrieved 
from the ITS web site: http://www.its.dot.gov. Follow the available 
link to Architecture.

Background

    The National ITS Architecture provides a common framework for 
planning, defining, and integrating intelligent transportation systems. 
This common framework represents the starting point for more detailed 
regional and/or project architectures in which local characteristics 
are more appropriately addressed. The scope of the National ITS 
Architecture is defined by a set of user services. Each user service 
represents the most common activities and operations that 
transportation stakeholders perform to sustain efficient and safe 
travel.
    The National ITS Architecture began as a program in 1993 to 
incorporate the 29 user services that were defined in the National ITS 
Program Plan. That stakeholder-based consensus effort was completed in 
1996. Since that time, three new user services have been defined as 
follows: Highway Rail Intersection User Service was incorporated into 
the National ITS Architecture in January 1997, Archived Data User 
Service was incorporated into the current version (version 3.0) of the 
National ITS Architecture in December 1999, and the Maintenance and 
Construction Operations User Service, published in the Federal Register 
on April 18, 2001, at 66 FR 20026, has been defined and is in the 
process of being incorporated into the National ITS Architecture. The 
stakeholders involved represent a broad cross section of the ITS, 
construction, and maintenance communities, including transportation 
practitioners, systems engineers, system developers, technology 
specialists, and consultants.
    The National ITS Architecture describes, for each of the user 
services, the functions required to perform the

[[Page 38339]]

services, and the key interfaces required to perform these functions.
    The current set of user services can be grouped into the following 
categories:
    1. Travel and Traffic Management;
    2. Public Transportation Management;
    3. Electronic Payment;
    4. Commercial Vehicle Operations;
    5. Emergency Management;
    6. Advanced Vehicle Safety Systems;
    7. Information Management; and
    8. Maintenance and Construction Management.
    The DOT recognizes that the current set of 32 user services do not 
cover all possible aspects of transportation systems, and there could 
be additions made to enhance the National ITS Architecture or to add 
new user services. Because the National ITS Architecture is a consensus 
architecture, the DOT would like to encourage continued involvement by 
the stakeholder community that best understands the need for enhancing 
the National ITS Architecture.
    The following paragraphs describe a procedure for the development 
of a new user service and the introduction and integration of this new 
user service into the National ITS Architecture. It may also be used 
for a significant change cutting across a number of existing user 
services that does not call for the specific addition of a new user 
service. The procedure is not intended to be all-encompassing, nor is 
it intended to be restrictive. It should serve only as a guide to 
stakeholders who are interested in amending the National ITS 
Architecture to incorporate additional transportation practices and 
activities that are not currently reflected.

National ITS Architecture New User Service Procedure

    The procedure consists of two phases. Phase one of the procedure is 
the principal responsibility of the stakeholder community and involves 
addressing its transportation system needs, formalizing them in an 
acceptable user service, and securing acceptance for integration into 
the National ITS Architecture. Phase two of the procedure is the 
principal responsibility of the ITS JPO and involves its actions to 
integrate the user service into the National ITS Architecture, 
coordinate its activities with the stakeholders, and ensure that the 
final product has stakeholder consensus and support. In both phases, it 
is necessary to engage in public outreach activities to ensure adequate 
awareness among the stakeholder and ITS communities and to offer the 
opportunity for them to participate.

Phase I

    a. The first step is for the interested group of stakeholders to 
determine their collective concerns. Although it is not required, there 
are three sources of advocacy where the stakeholders may go for advice 
before proceeding. They are the ITS JPO, the applicable office or modal 
administration in the DOT, and ITS America. Voicing stakeholder 
concerns to an advocate should lead to a partnership and understanding 
of these concerns, and a better stakeholder understanding of the 
process to cause the National ITS Architecture to be modified.
    b. The second step is for the stakeholders to review Volume II of 
the ``National ITS Program Plan, Intelligent Transportation 
Systems''.\1\ This volume describes each of the 29 original user 
services. The 30th and 31st user services, addressing highway-rail 
intersection and archived data, have been separately developed and 
approved, and have been added to the appendix of the ``National 
Intelligent Transportation Systems Program Plan, Five-Year Horizon.'' 
\2\ The description of the ``Maintenance and Construction Operations 
User Service'' represents the 32nd user service that is now being 
incorporated into the National ITS Architecture.\3\ The review of these 
three documents enables the stakeholders to better understand the user 
needs currently addressed by the National ITS Architecture and how they 
are described. If their current needs are not satisfied in the three 
plans, then the stakeholders may choose to propose actions to add a 
newly defined user service to the National ITS Architecture.
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    \1\ Volume II of the National ITS Program Plan, Intelligent 
Transportation Systems, dated March 1995 is available at the 
following URL: http://www.itsdocs.fhwa.dot.gov/jpodocs/repts_pr/2 x 601!.pdf
    \2\ The National Intelligent Transportation Systems Program 
Plan, Five-Year Horizon, dated August 2000, is available at the 
following URL: http://www.itsdocs.fhwa.dot.gov/jpodocs/repts_pr/97r01!.pdf2
    \3\ The Maintenance and Construction Operations User Service is 
available at the following URL: http://www.itsdocs.fhwa.dot.gov/jpodocs/repts_pr/13465.pdf
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    At this point, the ITS JPO, in conjunction with other modal 
administrations as appropriate, will make a decision regarding the 
appropriateness and viability of the proposed new user service. If the 
decision is to proceed, there will be a notification to the broader 
transportation community of the intent to modify the National ITS 
Architecture in response to stakeholder concerns. This can be 
accomplished through a notice in the Federal Register; press releases 
to other print media; notices posted on the ITS DOT and ITS America 
websites; \4\ notification to specific transportation committees 
including those of the Transportation Research Board (TRB), the 
Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), the American Association 
of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO), and the American 
Public Transportation Association (APTA); and notification to 
appropriate ITS America technical committees and task forces.
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    \4\ The URLs for the following web sites are provided: ITS JPO: 
http://www.its.dot.gov; National ITS Architecture: http://www.its.dot.gov/arch/arch.htm; ITS America: http://www.itsa.org
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    After reviewing the proposal for a new user service, the ITS JPO 
may determine that a new user service is not needed as the problem may 
be addressed by amending and/or modifying the existing user services. 
If they are not significant, recommendations in these areas should be 
forwarded to the ITS JPO for subsequent disposition and National ITS 
Architecture modification. If they are significant and cut across a 
number of existing user services, the same steps outlined below may be 
followed.
    c. The third step is for the stakeholders to identify their 
specific transportation needs. It should be noted that the National ITS 
Architecture is a consensus architecture, and no individual or small 
group of persons will be able to change it without the full consent of 
the larger stakeholder community.
    d. The fourth step is the development of the user service which 
will become an addendum to Volume II of the National ITS Program Plan, 
Intelligent Transportation Systems (see footnote 1) or an appendix to 
the National ITS Program Plan, Five-Year Horizon (see footnote 2). The 
definition of the new user service follows the general format shown in 
Volume II of the National ITS Program Plan, Intelligent Transportation 
Systems, and thus may require assistance from one of the advocacy 
sources. Prior to completing development, it is suggested that public 
outreach similar to the second step of Phase I be used again to invite 
reviews of the draft user service from within the known stakeholder 
community, as well as from the broader ITS community.
    e. The fifth step is an ITS screening process used by the ITS JPO, 
working in conjunction with other modal administrations as appropriate. 
This entails a review of the definition of ITS to ensure that the user 
service improves the availability, efficiency, and safety of operations 
of the transportation system.

[[Page 38340]]

The screening process also ensures that the user service is consistent 
with the goals of integration and standardization. The ITS JPO will 
make the appropriate changes to the draft user service to ensure that 
its scope is consistent with the other user services.
    f. The final step in Phase I is for the ITS JPO, with formal advice 
from ITS America, to determine whether or not to accept and include the 
completed user service into the National ITS Program Plan or the 
National ITS Five-Year Program Plan. Once accepted by the ITS JPO, the 
user service will be incorporated into the National ITS Architecture.

Phase II

     a. The first step is for the ITS JPO to coordinate the revision of 
the National ITS Architecture that will satisfy the intent of the 
stakeholder community.
    b. The second step is to develop a milestone schedule that includes 
a kickoff meeting and interim program review(s) to engage 
representatives of the stakeholder community, address the user service, 
and begin a formal National ITS Architecture integration effort.
    At this stage, it is appropriate to invite a group of stakeholders 
who, where possible, will be involved in the kickoff meeting and each 
of the reviews to lend continuity and understanding to the overall 
effort and to ensure stakeholder concerns and needs are met. This will 
require an outreach effort prior to the kickoff meeting, again similar 
to the second step in Phase I.
    c. The third step is to integrate the new user service into the 
National ITS Architecture. In addition to the technical work, the 
effort involves program reviews, and the possibility of outreach 
meetings with selected members of the stakeholder community.
    d. The fourth step is to render a final report to the stakeholder 
community representatives by the ITS JPO. This is a brief oral report 
highlighting the changes and indicating that the integration effort is 
complete.
    e. The final step is to post the changed National ITS Architecture 
on the ITS JPO and National ITS Architecture websites and to release 
the next version of the National ITS Architecture on CD-ROM, if 
appropriate.
    There will be an outreach effort to announce the change and new 
version of the National ITS Architecture through the same media used 
previously. Phase II of the ITS JPO integration activities should be 
accomplished within 6 to 9 months, depending upon the detail and 
complexity of the new user service.

    Authority: 23 U.S.C. 101, 106, 109 ,133, 315, and 508; sec 
5206(e), Pub. L. 105-178,112 Stat. 457 (23 U.S.C. 502 note); and 49 
CFR 1.48.

    Issued on: July 12, 2001.
Christine M. Johnson,
Program Manager, Operations Director, ITS Joint Program Office.
[FR Doc. 01-18246 Filed 7-20-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P