Project Details

Project goal

Objectives of the ATLANTIC Thematic Network have been to:

• Stimulate an active debate amongst a key group of experts on the research taking place on ITS for surface transport;
• Distil the lessons of experience of ITS research to inform decision-making among policy-makers, practitioners and other stakeholders concerned;
• Identify barriers to progress with ITS research and make recommendations on the level at which it is most appropriate to address them;
• Identify subjects where trans-Atlantic co-operation on ITS research would bring added value;
• For TTI services, analyse the framework conditions in Europe, carry out Good Practice case studies, formulate policy recommendations and practical guidelines for implementation;
• Facilitate debate and analysis of key issues in TTI service deployment emerging from the analysis through discussions with key stakeholders (Focus Groups)
• Make all results available to principal actors and stakeholders

 Organisation The ATLANTIC project had three parts:

(1) Operation of an Internet-based Forum on Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), involving key individuals working in this field. The Forum sub-groups compare the coverage, content and results from the European ITS programmes against similar activities in the USA and Canada.

(2) International meetings with American and Canadian partners in the project, who are self-funded. This includes round table discussions on the results of ITS benchmarking at the Transportation Research Board meetings in 2002 and 2003, and international workshops on ITS Cost-Benefit at the ITS World Congress in 2001 and 2002.

(3) Analysis of Good Practice and policies on TTI services for cities and regions in Europe (including CEE countries). ATLANTIC works together with key stakeholders from the public and the private sector, and with the POLIS network of European Cities and Regions for Transport, thereby supporting the "eEurope 2002" initiative of the European Commission.

Results

The ATLANTIC Thematic Network was operated as an Internet Forum, with one responsible network co-ordinator for the regions of Europe, Canada and USA, complemented by expert meetings and workshops. The Forum Working Groups clustered around three main themes:

• Integrated Transport (including TTI services)
• Technologies and Services;
• Assessment and Evaluation of ITS.

Each theme was organised into sub-groups addressing a programme of topics in their field. Established experts in the respective fields from Europe, USA and Canada were enrolled for the sub-groups as Convenors and Rapporteurs. For the European component, the project thus helped to create a reference panel of experts to provide strategic assessment and support decision making.

On the subject of TTI services ATLANTIC undertook the following activities:

• Review the state-of-the-art in TTI service delivery in Europe, focusing on framework conditions, trends, barriers and potentials for implementation (D 5.0)
• Carry out semi-structured interviews with key actors in the TTI sector; (D 5.1)
• Prepare Good Practice Case studies (D 5.1)
• Facilitate expert discussions on key issues through the Internet Forum, Focus Group meetings, and sessions/presentations at international conferences;
• Develop policy recommendations and practical guidelines for TTI deployment; (D5.2 + D6.4)
• Provide an information base on current TTI service activities across Europe as a single contact point for stakeholders

Milestones

• Trans-Atlantic meeting of project partners (01/02)
• International Workshops on ITS benefits, evaluation and costs at the ITS world congresses Sydney (10/01) and Chicago (10/02)
• 5 European Focus Group meetings on TTI services (03 to 12/02);
• 3 final validation workshops (04/03)
• ATLANTIC Forum at the POLIS annual conference Brussels (11/02)
• Presentations at the eSafety congress Lyon (09/02) * Presentations at the TRB annual meetings Washington (01/02 & 01/03)
• Discussion papers on the results of the Internet Forum debates comparing the EU, USA and Canadian ITS research (on-going)
• Internet and hard-copy publications for the dissemination of results concerning TTI service delivery (see below)

Project partners

• Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CERM)
• Ankerbold International Ltd., Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
• Ian Catling Consultancy, Chipstead, United Kingdom
• Polis, European Cities and Regions Networking for Innovative Transport Solutions, Brussels, Belgium
• Rupprecht Consult GmbH, Cologne, Germany
• ARTTIC, Brussels, Belgium