Serving the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area of Southern California, one of the USA’s largest and most sophisticated regional transportation data and information platforms is due to be upgraded and modernized.
Leading infrastructure and engineering services consultancy, Parsons, has announced that the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) has selected it to modernize the Regional Integration of Intelligent Transportation System (RIITS) to facilitate and encourage near real-time transportation data exchange between more than 125 traffic, transit, emergency service, and other agencies to improve transportation in Southern California. Parsons will provide RIITS with unprecedented operational integration functionality through technologies that will deliver ‘big data’ analytics and reporting capabilities.
LA Metro administers RIITS on behalf of member agencies for the Southern California region. As well as Metro itself, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), the City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT), the California Highway Patrol (CHP), Long Beach Transit (LBT), Foothill Transit (FHT), the County of Los Angeles Public Works Department Information Exchange Network, and many others exchange information through RIITS. Participating agencies all contribute information collected through their own Intelligent Transportation Systems to the network using the Los Angeles County Regional ITS Architecture and USDOT’s National ITS Standards.
This exchange provides transportation operations with a consolidated, data-rich, and near real-time source of information for transportation in Southern California via an interface that allows for coordinated transportation management throughout the entire region. The RIITS network supports information exchange in real time between freeway, traffic, transit and emergency service agencies to improve management of the Los Angeles County transportation system and better serve the traveling public, allowing agencies to reach the widest possible audience. RIITS exchanges near-real-time transportation data with numerous traveler information services, including smartphone applications, in-vehicle devices, roadside message signage, and broadcast media.
Through the use of mobile technology, global positioning systems, beacon sensors, and other signals, Parsons helps transportation agencies capture, consolidate, and analyze real-time transportation patterns and usage in order to maximize transportation efficiency, performance, and safety. In addition, the company’s technology provides jurisdictions with historical and other types of big-data analytics that allow transportation agencies to improve operations and make better-informed and effective infrastructure investment decisions.
“Southern California has the most congested traffic system in the nation,” said Michael Johnson, Parsons Group’s president. “Modern, proactive transportation management is essential for meeting the region’s mobility, sustainability and emergency management needs. We welcome this opportunity to help move Southern California another step forward as a transportation-smart city.”
