Acadia National Park ITS field Operational Test: Evaluation strategic plan

Battelle

From executive summary: "This document provides a strategy for evaluating technologies known as Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) that will be implemented in Acadia National Park and Mount Desert Island, Maine. Acadia National Park was selected as a site for an ITS Field Operational Test (FOT) through collaboration of the U.S. Department of Interior and the U.S. Department of Transportation. Acadia National Park hosted 2.6 million recreation visits in 1999, drawn to the rugged beauty of Mount Desert Island and the many passive and active recreational opportunities it affords. During the summer months the Island’s population nearly triples, the roads become congested, and parking areas are overcrowded. Like Acadia, many National Parks are experiencing severe transportation problems, which frustrates their dual mission of preserving national and cultural resources while providing visitors with a meaningful and pleasant experience. Through technologies such as electronics, communications, and information processing, Intelligent Transportation Systems can help provide solutions to transportation problems and help maintain a positive experience for visitors. The ITS solutions appropriate to the needs of Acadia National Park and Mount Desert Island were developed through consensus of the key stakeholder organizations. The ITS system architecture includes nine system components in three general areas: transit management, traffic management, and traveler information. A team led by SAIC was selected by U.S. DOT to design and deploy the components as an integrated system. Full implementation of the system will take place prior to the summer of 2001. An independent evaluation of the ITS FOT is being sponsored by the U.S. DOT as part of the National ITS Evaluation Program. The purpose of the evaluation is to assess the efficacy of the ITS technologies and to document the lessons offered by the FOT so that other National Parks or locations with similar transportation problems can learn from the experience. U.S. DOT selected a team led by Battelle Memorial Institute to conduct the independent evaluation. The evaluation process consists of several steps, the first of which is the development of the overall strategy that guides the evaluation. The Battelle Team conducted a strategy workshop at Acadia National Park on May 24, 2000 with representatives from the National Park Service, Friends of Acadia, Southwest Harbor, Downeast Acadia Regional Tourism, the U.S. DOT, Maine DOT, and SAIC. Using six standard goal areas from the National ITS Evaluation Program, participants identified the objectives that they wanted the project to achieve and suggested measurements that could be used to assess progress toward objectives. Through a voting process, priorities for focusing the evaluation were recognized, with the highest priorities placed on achieving customer satisfaction and mobility. In addition, workshop participants assisted the evaluation team in identifying potential methods for collecting data. The evaluation team will use the guidance provided in the strategy document to develop the evaluation plan, which will specify the tests to be conducted, the resources required, the schedule, and roles and responsibilities. Development of individual test plans with detailed protocols will follow. Baseline data will be collected in 2000 so that the effects of ITS can be measured using the test plans in 2001."

Acadia National Park ITS field Operational Test: Evaluation strategic plan

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