Researchers used workshops, surveys, and interviews with Montana DOT personnel to conduct a RWIS needs assessment. Findings included a number of key lessons including: Maintenance personnel need…

When procuring ITS technology, agencies should compare different procurement options to determine if one method could result in an overall cost benefit in terms of both immediate and future costs.…

Traveler information systems should include information that is timely, accurate, and useful to the travelers. In rural cold weather regions, like Montana, travelers have indicated that road…

The management team should have sufficient time for planning, management oversight, monitoring progress, and addressing issues. Large development projects require full time management oversight and…

Recognize that rapid technological advances are taking place in the ITS industry when selecting specific ITS technologies. Defining operational and implementation strategies requires reviewing,…

Include certain components to make the Regional ITS Strategic Plan useful in implementation The Regional ITS Strategic Plan should focus on a list of ITS projects to deploy, their implementation…

Minimize the risk and cost of ITS deployments by deploying ITS using the framework provided by the National ITS Architecture. The National ITS Architecture accommodates multiple designs using diverse…

Take advantage of FHWA's investment in the National ITS Architecture, training, and technical assistance to minimize the effort required to develop a Regional ITS Architecture. When defining the ITS…

Use the systems goal/objectives as the initial source of desired system functionality and then use concepts in the National ITS Architecture to develop appropriate ITS projects. The region should…

Make use of the National ITS Architecture's "Market Packages" and associate them with identified needs to streamline the decision-making process for regional ITS plans   The first activity…

Use the National ITS Architecture's "User Services" and "User Service Objectives" to reduce the effort required for planning and streamline the process of developing a regional ITS vision. By using…

Create multi-modal ITS plans focusing on needs and update them frequently, balancing process and projects and considering communication and coordination while ensuring that adequate resources are…

Ensure adequate time and resources are available at the end of the creation of the Regional ITS Strategic Plan for ongoing stakeholder outreach   Once the ITS Strategic Plan is complete, it is…

Identify regional needs "from the bottom up" and ensure that specific rural needs are not neglected in state/regional ITS strategic plans:   Needs Assessment and Regional Inventory Regional…