The ATLANTIC Project

ATLANTIC – PROJECT SUMMARY

What Does ‘ATLANTIC’ Stand For?

A Thematic Long-term Approach to Networking for the Telematics and ITS Community

What Does the Project Aim to Do?

• The ATLANTIC project is a ‘thematic network’, the main aim of which is to bring together recognized experts working in Transport Telematics and Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) in Europe (including Central and Eastern Europe and the Baltic States), the United States and Canada.
• The main trans-Atlantic activity is to review the coverage, content and results of European, American and Canadian ITS research and development programs as a benchmarking exercise.
• To facilitate this, the project operates a website and associated Forum, where discussions take place. Face/face meetings and workshops with participants will also be arranged to coincide with international events such as the ITS World Congress, Sydney in October 2001, Transportation Research Board Conference, Washington D.C. in January 2002 and the ITS World Congress, Chicago in October 2002.
• The project runs for 18 months, from June 2001 to December 2002.

What are the Project’s Objectives?

• To stimulate an active debate amongst experts on research taking place on Transport Telematics and ITS for surface transport.
• To distil the lessons of experience of ITS research to inform decision-making among policy-makers, practitioners and other stakeholders concerned.
• To identify barriers to progress with ITS research and make recommendations on the level at which it is most appropriate to address them.
• To identify subjects where trans-Atlantic co-operation on ITS research would bring added value.
• To make available to principal players and stakeholders the results of these discussions.
• Within Europe, to support the eEurope Transport 2002 Initiative by the development of best practice and policy on Telematics-based information and services for cities and regions.

How is the Project Being Funded?

• Funding for European members of the consortium is provided by the European Commission (Directorate General for Information Society).
• American and Canadian network members are being funded by, respectively, The US Federal Highways Administration and the Federal Government of Canada (Transport Canada).

  Who is Involved?

  • Individuals, organizations and groups of stakeholders from the public, private, academic and research sectors in all three regions. All are known to have a close interest in ITS research and deployment issues.
  • Forum members are invited to join on the basis of their recognized interests or expertise. They are entitled to take part in the ITS Forum discussions and will have full access to all ATLANTIC working documents. The target number of correspondents is 250 individuals.
  • To date, committed organizations include:

  Europe; Partners

  ARTTIC (Brussels); Ankerbold International Ltd (UK); Ian Catling Consultancy (UK); ISIS (France); POLIS Cities and Regions Network (pan-European); Rupprecht Consult (Germany);

  USA: University of Michigan (Regional coordinator)

  Canada: University of Montreal; University of Toronto (Regional coordinators)

  Europe: Other participants/target members

  Aspen Enterprises (UK); Austin Analytics (UK); Babtie (Prague); Carte Blanche (France); City of Rome (Italy); City of Rotterdam (Netherlands); City of Cologne (Germany); National Assembly for Wales (UK); Paris Metropolitan Region Public Transport Authority (STP); Transver (Germany); Stuttgart Public Transit Authority (Germany); TRL (UK); UITP European (Brussels); University of Athens (Greece); University of Southampton (UK)

  How Does ATLANTIC Operate?

  • The ATLANTIC ITS Forum is organised and coordinated via 3 geographically based Network Coordinators, one for each of Europe, Canada and the US.
  • Forum Working Groups (8 initially) will be set up around the 3 main ATLANTIC themes. Each Working Group will address a program of topics in its own specialist field:
    • Integrated Transport, including Travel and Traffic Information
      • Three Working Groups:
        • Telematics-based Traffic and Travel Information Services
        • Network Monitoring and Traffic Management and Control
        • Intermodal Collective Transport Information
    • Technologies and Services
      • Three Working Groups:
        • Intermodal Freight Information Pre-clearance and Logistics (logistic chains)
        • Intelligent Vehicles and Intelligent Vehicle Highway Systems
        • Electronic Road User Charging and Integration with Other Payment Systems
    • Assessment and Evaluation of ITS
      • Two Working Groups:
      • ITS User Acceptance and Impact Assessment
      • Human Machine Interface/User Friendly ITS
  • The project’s Policy Advisory Group will review output from the Working Groups and help provide strategic direction.
  • Contributions to the Electronic Forum are summarised and the resulting documents are available to registered members. Some documents will also be available to the public.

  What Will the Key Milestones and Results Be?

  • A roundtable meeting of the project partners will take place at the Washington Transportation Research Board Conference in January 2002.
  • A Discussion Paper on the results of the Electronic Forum debates, comparing the EU, USA and Canadian ITS research will be available in Spring 2002.
  • Two International Workshops on ITS benefits, evaluation and costs are planned, for October 2001 (ITS World Congress, Sydney) and October 2002 (ITS World Congress, Chicago).
  • A Forum event on the development of TTI services will be held in Europe, Autumn 2002.
  • Internet and hard copy publications on good practice on ITS-based travel and traffic information.

  How Will we Know if the ATLANTIC ITS Forum is Successful?

  The project output will be judged against the following four key criteria:

  • Delivery of in-depth comparisons of ITS research in the United States, Canada and Europe.
  • Generation of opportunities for trans-Atlantic research collaboration.
  • Reaching agreed conclusions on best research methodologies.
  • Development of operational skills to enable sustainability of the network.

  How Can I Find Out More?

  If you would like to find out more about the project and/or are interested in taking part, have a look at the project website at www.atlan-tic.net or email us at enquiries@atlan-tic.net You can also contact one of the regional co-ordinators:

  Canadian Coordinators:

  Dr. Baher Abdulhai, Director of ITS Centre, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Toronto. Email: baher@ecf.utoronto.ca

  Prof. Teodor Gabriel Crainic, Director, ITS Laboratory, Centre for Research on Transportation, University of Montreal. Email: theo@crt.umontreal.ca

  European Coodinators

  Mr Paul Crompton, ARTTIC in Brussels, 25 ave de Beaulieu Bte 19, Auderghem Brussels B-1160, Belgium. Tel: +32 2 672 3339, Fax +32 2 672 1646. Email: pdc@arttic.be

  Dr John Miles, Ankerbold International Ltd, 20 Cleveden Drive, Earley, Reading, Berkshire, UK. Tel: + 44 (0) 118 962 0011, Fax: +44 (0) 118 975 1566. Email: john.miles@atlan-tic.net

  USA  Coordinators:

  Prof. Chelsea White, Chair, Intelligent Transportation Systems Committee. University of Michigan Industrial & Operations Engineering Dept. Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2117, USA. Tel: +1 734 764 5723, Fax +1 734 764 3451. Email: ccwiii@umich.edu

  Prof. Kan Chen, Professor Emeritus of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan. Email: kanchen@home.com