'Middleware': The hidden layer to enable evolutionary automatic traffic management

Abstract There is an indisputable urge for pro-active network wide traffic management. The path to implementation, however, is too often blocked by fundamental discussions. Discussions on methodology to coordinate the traffic management equipment along the road, on the most optimal medium to bring information to the road users (via road side or in-vehicle systems?), et cetera. A way to overcome the fundamental discussions and bring the focus back on implementation is to implement a hidden middleware layer. Such layer enables evolutionary development of pro-active network wide traffic management. The middleware layer as will emerge the coming decade is described in this paper.