HITEC: fulfilling a key role in the evaluation of vehicle navigation and information systems (VNIS) technologies

The Highway Innovative Technology Evaluation Center (HITEC) opened for business in January of 1994 as a new service center to evaluate market-ready products for the highway and bridge markets. Applications are accepted from companies and entrepreneurs to evaluate innovative technologies and new products. HITEC hopes to assist the US become competitive into the next century by evaluating a wide range of highway products, including computer- and communication-based technologies. For these new technologies to be accepted by the highway community, it will be essential that credible, national evaluations of the emerging technologies be planned and conducted and their results be made available to practitioners.