Abstract
The intelligent transportation systems (ITS) industry has undergone a series of defining changes since its inception nearly two decades ago. The communications and computer technologies which form the foundation of ITS have advanced dramatically, as have the problems which make ITS solutions ever more necessary. Worldwide demographic shifts toward urbanization, more car owners, and greater movement of goods along our roads are straining transportation infrastructures throughout the world, from industrialized nations to more developing regions of the world. Public officials and private car owners are arriving at the same conclusion: ITS applications can help mitigate some of the most pressing problems we face as we approach the millennium by optimizing traffic flow, reducing congestion, and making transportation more environmentally sound.