TravInfo. The San Francisco Bay Area intermodal traveler information system

TravInfo was chosen as one of the federal government's field operational tests under the Intelligent Vehicle Highway Systems (IVHS) program for Fiscal Year 1993. TravInfo is an advanced traveler information system (ATIS) for the San Francisco Bay Area. It will develop a comprehensive, region-wide, multi-modal, integrated database on vehicle traffic, incidents, road conditions, public transportation and ride-sharing to provide up-to-date information to travelers, both pre-trip and en route. This high-quality transportation data will enable private firms to develop and deploy additional innovative ATIS systems. TravInfo represents an exceptional opportunity to put many IVHS program objectives into practice: (1) testing acceptance of ATIS, (2) fostering new institutional arrangements, (3) promoting open systems, (4) building public/private partnerships to generate new IVHS products and services, and (5) applying rigorous evaluation techniques. In contrast to some other IVHS projects, TravInfo does not presuppose what consumers want or which specific technology is most responsive to those needs. Instead, TravInfo creates an evolutionary, adaptive environment in which market forces can shape the IVHS future, facilitated by a modest public investment in information coordination.