Vessel traffic service - A status report

The Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) became a viable, sustained program in the Unites States with the passage of the Ports and Waterways Safety Act (PWSA) of 1972. Substantial VTS activity predated the passage of this Act, noteably the Coast Guard´s Harbor AdVTSory Radar in San Francisco (1968), the St. Mary´s River System in Michigan which has operated for decades, and several private systems. However in 1971, anticipating passage of the PWSA, the Coast Guard launched its Vessel Traffic System Issue Study1 The results of this study form the basis for the operational concept of U. S. systems along with the hardware and information management structures used to implement them. Since passage of the Act, major Vessel Traffic Service installations have been undertaken in Puget Sound (1972, with a significant expansion to be completed in 1981), Houston/ Galveston (1975, with an expansion completed in 1977), New Orleans (1977), Valdez (1977), New York (to be completed in 1978) and less extensive systems on inland rivers including Louisville VTS (1973) on the Ohio River and Berwick Bay VTS (1974) on the Atchafalaya River. VTS operational experience has been closely monitored to guage the suitability of the conceptual framework developed in the Issue Study to widely differing operational settings. The concept has proved sound and VTS development has evolved into one of adapting existing technology in both the sensor and information processing areas to the traffic management problem. This paper will broadly describe VTS implementation to date, as well as major Coast Guard endeavors presently underway to expand marine traffic management services. Problems forseen in the areas of target acquisition and information processing are described with comments on the technologies being considered to address them.