Abstract:The Innovative Corridors Initiative (ICI) is a multi-year project designed to encourage the early deployment of innovative technologies for Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) in California. ITS technologies are defined through a broad array of information and vehicle control technologies that are designed to improve traffic and transit management including safety, user choice, congestion, and incident response. For over a decade, ITS technologies have been gaining acceptance and are now utilized in every major metropolitan area in the United States to enhance transportation system management.

However, the full potential of ITS technologies to revolutionize transportation system management and enhance individual decisions remains to be fulfilled. A critical impediment to realizing the full potential of ITS is the dichotomy between the public sector owning and operating the roadways and transit systems for the public benefit and the private sector inventing and operating ITS technology and services with a profit motive. The ICI project was designed to address this separation between public sector mandate and private industry motivation by creating a forum where the mutual benefits to both sectors could be realized.

Working closely with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) in the San Francisco Bay Area, and the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), ICI project staff at the California Center for Innovative Transportation (CCIT) coordinated a process by which the public agencies opened up access to their rights-of-way and other facilities for the private sector to deploy innovative ITS technologies on a demonstration basis. The benefits that the public agencies expect include: 1) improved transportation system management through the deployment of advanced ITS on California roadways and transit; 2) better utilization of the system by individuals who can make informed decisions about choice of mode, time of travel and route; 3) accelerated deployment of ITS systems in California; and 4) the development of a new business model for how public agencies can work with industry to maximize benefits for all parties involved.

An additional partner in the project is the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITSA), which hosts the North American ITS World Congress'. Through this partnership the private sector will have an opportunity to showcase their innovative demonstration projects during the 2005 ITS World Congress in San Francisco.

The full multi-year project includes:

• Partner development;
• The development of a process to solicit industry to deploy innovative demonstration ITS projects;
• Coordination with ITSA to create an opportunity to showcase the pilot demonstration projects during the 2005 ITS World Congress;
• Management and coordination among the partners and industry for the duration of the project (through the November 2005 World Congress in San Francisco);
• A comprehensive literature review on mainstreaming ITS and relevant public-private partnerships;
• An evaluation of the relevant regulatory arena and current Caltrans business models for allowing industry to access right of way;
• Periodic interviews and surveys with project partners and industry partners (through 2006) to identify lessons learned, and;
• Completion of a final report detailing the process and the lessons learned (December 2006)

MOU 4151 (the subject of this report) encompasses the first year of this multi-year ICI project as outlined in the May 7 and July 16, 2004 memos to Caltrans to clarify the scope of work. Year one included; 1) Partner development (Tasks I and II); 2) The development of the Call for Submissions (CFS) to solicit industry participation (Task III); 3) Outreach for the CFS (Task IV); 4) Report on the initial results of the CFS (Tasks V and VI); 5) Coordination with ITSA to create opportunities to showcase the pilot demonstration projects (Part II, Task I), and; 6) Ongoing coordination among the partners (Part II, Task II).