Highway electronic systems—Today and tomorrow

The motoring public is increasingly conscious of the fact that the U. S. street and highway systems is rapidly becoming choked with vehicles. In many instances the answer to this problem does not lie in pouring more concrete. Instead it is necessary to first, ensure the proper balance between the various modes of transportation, air, water, road, guided or tracked vehicles, and in some cases the substitution of communications for personal travel; second, research and development (R&D) projects, both short and long term, must be intelligently implemented if the best use is to be made of highway resources: roadway, vehicle, and driver. More efficient highway systems of the future will, of necessity, require an increasing use of electronics. Both equipment and systems must be considered in implementing R&D projects. If only equipment R&D is undertaken, the overall improvement will be piecemeal. On the other hand, better systems cannot be created without improved technology. Four aspects of the highway system are considered: advisory, control, surveillance, and areal information and control. Ingrained in them is the continual pressure to develop methods that are designed to bring about better understanding of traffic-system needs. Implementation of future electronic systems, therefore, depends on an orderly transition to future systems, by utilizing all available R&D resources. Highway electronic systems must be adapted to the potential user, i.e., the man-machine interface, and the systems acceptability to the public. In all systems safety is the prime objective; and cost must be within an acceptable range.