Future Focus |
1994
A second edition followed
in our launch year, featuring
input from a fresh ITSWC
face, ERTICO’s Eric Sampson
1995
Traffic went quarterly – three
seasonal editions, followed
by a bumper 352-page
Annual Review
Traffic Technology International September/October 2019
www.TrafficTechnologyToday.c 008 om
1996
Traffic adopted its current
bimonthly frequency, in
addition to the giant
annual review
1997
Our ITS World Congress
preview focused on the event
in Berlin – and even had
a cover-mounted info CD!
1998
Advanced driver information
systems were in their infancy
in the late ‘90s. Traffic gave
a taste of the future
Rearview mirror
In 25 years, I see every road as a toll
road. The concept of tolling will
be in place but utilized very
differently. Drivers, or more
likely passengers, will use
mileage-based user fees in a
Mobility-as-a-Service setting,
where users pay to get where
they are going, and companies
with fleets of vehicles (like an
upgraded Uber) will be
responsible for paying mobility
usage fees much like a utility service
today.
I used to say this is an evolution, not a
revolution, but that’s changing. The addition of
first-and-last-mile solutions are revolutionizing
our current transportation markets. A quarter
century ago, most agencies were collecting cash
from US$100 million toll plazas. Fifteen years
ago, we had agencies converting to electronic
tolling. Today, most agencies have or are
switching to all-electronic tolling. AET sets up
dynamically-priced transportation options,
which reduces fixed roadside equipment
required for revenue collection. Reflecting on
the past 25 years, we have already seen toll
collection go through dramatic changes – would
we have believed back then that drivers would
never have to stop to pay tolls?
Changes the next 25 years will be far more
dramatic than the shifts we have already seen. A
key element for this disruption is the increased
availability of data to make more informed
decisions. Emerging technologies such as
electric cars and autonomous vehicles, selfservice
contact centers, and better mapping
systems will change mobility options. If we
don’t revolutionize the way we are preparing,
we will not be ready for the drivers of the future.
Trends in the electric car and autonomous
vehicle market will emerge, as
dependence on oil and gas imports
decline due to increased geopolitical
tensions. Ten years ago, we said we
must start with legislation, studies
and pilots. Today, we see
innovations deployed continuously
and consumers buying smarter
vehicles, actively pushing for
further advancement in the
industry. Politics and policy practices
are not keeping pace with consumer
demand. Technologies today are being
designed to be compatible with other user
systems to provide a connected and personal
experience that is consumer-centric. Many
products are now equipped with a personal
assistant like Alexa or Siri, helping guide
product use while personalizing the experience.
Companies provide convenience while
gathering empirical data from consumers to
build better products in the future. It will be as
simple as using voice recognition programs to
ask for a car to pick you up. Payment will be
linked to a biometric recognition system,
where you verbally confirm the expense
with a quick yes or no.
Road map to the future
A fundamental element to autonomous vehicles
will be accurate, crowdsourced, heuristic maps.
Mapping will transform from static routes that
guide drivers and vehicles to their destinations
into dynamically-enabled ecosystems that
optimize transportation networks and minimize
delays, conflicts and congestion.
There will not be a need for customer service
centers. Private companies will provide these
services through “fully automated multi-use
contact centers.” Infotainment systems built into
vehicles will contain location and identification
Changes in the
next 25 years
will be far more
dramatic than the
shifts we have already
seen. A key element for
this disruption is the
increased availability
of data to make more
informed decisions
JJ Eden, executive director,
North Carolina Turnpike
Q: What do you hope
will be the biggest
positive change in
transportation in
25 years’ time? And
what should we be
doing now to help
bring about this
change?
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