Executive Summary

The Nashville Regional Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)
Architecture was prepared to guide the implementation of ITS systems in
the Nashville region, with a goal of improved system-wide traffic and
incident management. The Nashville region is defined to include
Cheatham, Davidson, Robertson, Rutherford, Sumner, Williamson and Wilson
Counties. The time frame considered in the Plan is a 20- year horizon.

The Plan was developed through a consensus process that involved a
variety of ITS stakeholders in the study area. This included
representatives from the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT),
the Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), local
traffic management agencies, emergency service providers, transit system
operators, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), local planning
agencies and other transportation stakeholders.

In conducting this effort, a systematic approach was taken that utilized
nationally available information on ITS deployment along with the
results of several recent ITS related studies that have taken place in
the Nashville region. This included the *Nashville*

*Area ITS Early Deployment Plan* and the *Nashville Regional Incident
Management Plan*.

As an initial step, traffic performance measures were generated and user
service needs were defined, leading to the selection of ITS deployment
locations and market packages that would meet the priority traffic and
incident management needs of the Nashville region.

Over the 20-year planning horizon, the following ITS elements are
recommended for implementation in the Nashville region:

-   Freeway surveillance, covering 320 centerline miles

-   Surface street control and surveillance, covering 296 centerline
    miles

-   Freeway service patrols, covering 320 centerline miles

-   Construction of a regional transportation management center and nine
    traffic operations centers

-   Use of electronic fare boxes and automated tracking on transit
    vehicles

-   Operation of two transit management centers

-   Installation of 19 transit traveler information sites

-   Communications to support the private broadcast of interactive
    traveler information

-   Communications to support regional traffic control

-   Communications to improve railroad highway grade crossing safety

-   Installation of ten roadside weather stations

-   Communications to support emergency response/routing

-   Traffic signal preemption on selected surface streets

-   Implementation of a virtual data warehouse for traffic/safety
    information storage and transfer

-   Support for traffic forecasting and demand management

-   Parking facilities management in downtown Nashville

-   Reversible lane management on selected surface streets

As with any major transportation initiative, ITS deployment should be
implemented incrementally, both to maximize system effectiveness and to
recognize limitations on available funding. With this in mind, the
recommended implementation schedule was divided into three phases: 0-5
years, 5-10 years and 10-20 years. Projects were assigned to each phase
based on a desire to address the most critical traffic and safety needs
first.

For each phase, estimates of capital, operations and maintenance (O&M),
and capital replacement costs were developed, as shown below:

# ITS Funding Requirements

**(millions of 1999 dollars)1**

+---------------------+----------+------------+------------+---------+
|                     | #        | **O&M**    | **Capital  | **      |
|                     |  Capital |            | Rep        | Total** |
|                     |          |            | lacement** |         |
+---------------------+----------+------------+------------+---------+
| **0 to 5 Year       | \$42.49  | \$14.65    | \$ 0.00    | \$57.14 |
| Increment**         |          |            |            |         |
+---------------------+----------+------------+------------+---------+
| **5 to 10-Year      | \$30.22  | \$29.20    | \$ 0.00    | \$59.42 |
| Increment**         |          |            |            |         |
+---------------------+----------+------------+------------+---------+
| **10 to 20-Year     | \$58.91  | \$69.18    | \$36.96    | \       |
| Increment**         |          |            |            | $165.05 |
+---------------------+----------+------------+------------+---------+
| **20-Year Plan**    | **\$     | **         | *          | **\$2   |
|                     | 131.62** | \$113.03** | *\$36.96** | 81.61** |
+---------------------+----------+------------+------------+---------+

1The discount rate used was 7.00%

These cost estimates are inclusive of funding requirements for the
entire integrated system, recognizing that different stakeholders will
be bearing the cost of different ITS components. Moreover, it includes
consideration of existing and programmed ITS projects.

The approach recommended for the Nashville region assumes decentralized
management and operation of ITS components that are integrated into an
overall regional system. As a result, providing a ITS system that
appears seamless to the traveling public becomes an important
institutional challenge. To successfully implement ITS within the
region, agreements must be reached between involved parties to ensure
that respective roles and responsibilities are clearly understood and
that a full commitment of all involved has been made.

This is considered a living document that should be updated on a regular
basis to reflect changes in travel patterns, gains in local ITS
knowledge and experience, advances in ITS technology, access to improved
cost estimates and changes affecting funding availability. The preferred
update schedule is every three years, to be consistent with the Long
Range Transportation Plan updating process.