Greater Madison MPO

TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM MANAGEMENT

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)

The Greater Madison MPO worked with the City of Madison Traffic Engineering Division/Parking Utility, Metro Transit, and other stakeholders to prepare a Regional Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Strategic Plan for the Madison Metropolitan Area. Transportation systems management and operations strategies, including ITS, must play a major role in managing congestion in the Madison area due to the region’s unique geographic constraints and lack of freeway access to downtown. In addition, much of the region’s congestion is non-recurring from crashes, work zones, weather conditions, and special events. ITS is particularly effective in dealing with this type of congestion.

ITS involves the application of advanced sensor, computer, electronic, and communications technologies and management strategies in an integrated manner. Aside from congestion management, ITS strategies also have the ability to provide many other benefits, including improved traveler safety, emergency management, improved transit speed and reliability, parking management, inter-agency communication, and data management.

A consultant team led by HNTB was hired to prepare the ITS plan. An advisory committee consisting of representatives from key local and state transportation and first responder agencies was created to guide the process and lead implementation of the plan following its adoption (see committee list below). Two workshops were also held with committee members and other stakeholders, the first one to identify ITS needs and the second to discuss agency ITS roles and responsibilities in transportation operations, either as information providers or receivers.

See links below to the executive summary of the plan and the complete plan report. A separate document includes the plan appendices. For more information, email Alexandra Andros.

ITS Plan Materials


Madison Area Congestion Management Process (CMP)