TRANSPORTATION. IN: DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURES: ENABLING CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS THROUGH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

This paper discusses the impact of new information technologies on the traditional surface transportation infrastructure. Over the past several decades, the digital infrastructure (composed of sensors, controls, communication systems, computers and data) has become an increasingly indispensable and integrated part of the transportation infrastructure. The rapidly expanding capabilities of the digital infrastructure are both a cause of and a response to a paradigm shift in how the physical surface transportation infrastructure is being managed and operated today, and the effect it is having on travelers. This shift is from relatively autonomous systems with little shared information and where operators focus on building physical structures, to a system where information sharing is pervasive, where travelers have a basis for making travel choices, and operators are focused on running the system efficiently and safely. By anticipating and taking advantage of the digital revolution, significant problems such as traffic congestion can be mitigated. The idea of relying on almost instantaneous, real-time data, both for system operations and individual trip-making decisions, is a relatively new concept made possible by the digital infrastructure. However, significant institutional and organization adjustments will be required to take advantage of the continued integration of digital and physical infrastructure.