[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 33 (Tuesday, February 19, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7445-7446]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-3930]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Joint Program Office 
(JPO) Announcement of the Completed Integration of the Maintenance and 
Construction Operations User Service Into the National ITS Architecture

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

[[Page 7446]]


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 completed the integration of the Maintenance and 
Construction Operations (MCO) User Service into the National ITS 
Architecture. This user service was identified among stakeholders of 
the rural ITS deployment community as needed in order to develop more 
effective regional ITS architectures. The user service integration 
effort involved considerable stakeholder participation from the highway 
maintenance, construction, weather, and other rural communities from 
May 2001 through December 2001 at the kickoff meeting, program reviews, 
and separate discussions/meetings.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on National ITS 
Architecture Development and Evolution: Mr. Lee Simmons, (202) 366-
8048, ITS Joint Program Office (HOIT-1). For Information on the 
Maintenance and Construction Operations User Service: Mr. James Pol, 
(202) 366-4374, ITS Joint Program Office (HOIT-1), or Mr. Michael 
Freitas, (202) 366-9292, ITS Joint Program Office (HOIT-1); 400 Seventh 
Street SW., Washington, DC 20590. 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.
    An electronic copy of the Maintenance and Construction Operations 
(MCO) User Service can be retrieved from the ITS Web site at: 
http://www.its.dot.gov. The entire National ITS Architecture, including 
the integrated MCO User Service may be reviewed and retrieved from the 
ITS Web site at: http://www.its.dot.gov. Follow the available link to 
the 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. The Maintenance and Construction Operations User Service, 
published in the Federal Register on April 18, 2001, at 66 FR 20026, is 
the third additional user service and has now been incorporated into 
the National ITS Architecture.
    The functional areas addressed in the MCO User Service are those 
that involve Intelligent Transportation (ITS) technologies, integration 
with other transportation systems that are represented in the National 
ITS Architecture, and those that will benefit surface transportation 
efficiency and safety. The focus for the MCO User Service is in the 
following four functional areas:
    Maintenance Vehicle Fleet Management--systems that monitor and 
track vehicle location, support enhanced routing, scheduling and 
dispatch functions, and use on-board diagnostic systems to assist in 
vehicle operations and maintenance activities.
    Roadway Management--systems that provide automated monitoring of 
traffic, road surface, and weather conditions, contain coordinated 
dispatching, perform hazardous road conditions remediation, and have 
the ability to alert public operating agencies of changes in these 
conditions.
    Conditions and Work Plan Dissemination--systems that ensure safe 
roadway operations during construction and other work zone activities 
and communicate with the traveler.
    Work Zone Management and Safety--systems that disseminate and 
coordinate MCO work plans to affected personnel within and between 
public agencies and private sector firms.
    Two new subsystems have been added to the nineteen in existence, 
Maintenance and Construction Management, and Maintenance and 
Construction Vehicles. In addition, equipment packages, process 
specifications, architecture flows and data flows have been added to 
accommodate the new user service. Twelve new market packages have been 
defined to reflect the additional services described by the 
architecture. Finally, the addition of the MCO User Service brought an 
enhanced focus on weather information for the entire architecture.
    The National ITS Architecture Version 4.0, including the new MCO 
User Service, is planned to be posted on the U.S. DOT ITS Web site in 
February 2002 with CD ROMs available for distribution in April 2002.

    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: February 11, 2002.
Mary E. Peters,
Federal Highway Administrator.
[FR Doc. 02-3930 Filed 2-15-02; 8:45 am]
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