Technology Scan of Future Traveler Information Systems and Applications in Georgia

Statewide traveler information provided in Georgia through its NaviGAtor/5-1-1 system is primarily based on Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) related to freeway traffic management. The purpose of this study is to evaluate traveler information in Georgia and to provide recommendations on potential conceptual alternatives to the existing NaviGAtor system that could improve its effectiveness. The evaluation applies several different methodologies including website comparisons, a survey of NaviGAtor users, a feedback system and a futures workshop which applies a visioning process to the current state of the NaviGAtor system. Four proposed alternatives address information delivery to customers and methods through which data can be fed into the broader system. The final recommendation is a hybrid of those alternatives that suggests that the agency: (1) enters into third-party data agreements to cost effectively increase coverage of travel speeds; (2) pursues an open data approach that invites broader participation by web developers to improve information dissemination; and (3) incorporates static and real-time information from the Metropolitan Atlanta Regional Transit Authority (MARTA) and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. This research will be of interest to those researchers and practitioners involved in managing traveler information programs, especially those contemplating changes to existing traditional ITS systems.