A multiattribute analysis of goals for intelligent transportation system planning

Abstract

Transportation planning in general, and planning for Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) in particular, are notable both for multiple goals and for multiple constituencies. In response to this policy environment, multicriteria decision analysis has often been utilized to evaluate alternative transportation investments. This approach is extended here to assess stakeholder valuation of broad goals of an ITS planning process, the FAST-TRAC operational field test in Oakland County, a suburban region of metropolitan Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A. Representatives of stakeholder groups, ranging from emergency response firm employees to city managers to environmental groups, were interviewed. Using a modified Analytical Hierarchy Process, implicit preference weights for transportation planning goals were derived, and inter- and intragroup comparisons made. Overall, collision reduction emerged as a dominant goal accounting for nearly 35% of the overall valuation of all goals. In contrast, travel time reduction and energy/environmental impacts each accounted for about 20% of the total valuation. Stakeholder group affiliation appeared to affect transportation system preferences most strongly with regard to environmental preferences and reduction in commercial travel time; with regard to other goals, individual interests seemed to dominate those of the ostensible stakeholder group. In an environment such as that of ITS, in which policy goals are diverse and potentially conflicting, the methodologies presented here can aid in policy and system design by gauging the relative preferences of strongly interested individuals and groups. While the specific findings presented here are not generalizable to other regions, they underscore the relative importance of a range of ITS goals apart from simple reductions in travel times.