'ITS Roadway Equipment' represents the ITS equipment that is distributed on and along the roadway that monitors and controls traffic and monitors and manages the roadway. This physical object includes traffic detectors, environmental sensors, traffic signals, highway advisory radios, dynamic message signs, CCTV cameras and video image processing systems, grade crossing warning systems, and ramp metering systems. Lane management systems and barrier systems that control access to transportation infrastructure such as roadways, bridges and tunnels are also included. This object also provides environmental monitoring including sensors that measure road conditions, surface weather, and vehicle emissions. Work zone systems including work zone surveillance, traffic control, driver warning, and work crew safety systems are also included.
'Roadway Data Collection' collects traffic, road, and environmental conditions information for use in transportation planning, research, and other off-line applications where data quality and completeness take precedence over real-time performance. It includes the sensors, supporting roadside infrastructure, and communications equipment that collects and transfers information to a center for archival.
'Roadway Passive Monitoring' monitors passing vehicles for a signature that can be used to recognize the same vehicle at different points in the network and measure travel times. Depending on the implementation and the penetration rate of the technology that is monitored, other point traffic measures may also be inferred by monitoring the number of vehicles within range over time. Today this approach is implemented most commonly using a Bluetooth receiver that passively monitors Bluetooth devices on-board passing vehicles and license plate readers that record the vehicle license plate number, but any widely deployed vehicle communications technology or feature that can be passively monitored to uniquely identify a vehicle could be used.