CHAPTER 1.  INTRODUCTION

 

 

            CVISN (Commercial Vehicle Information Systems and Networks) is a collection of information systems and communication networks used by government agencies, motor carriers, and other stakeholders involved in commercial vehicle operations (CVO).  CVISN services and technologies consist of

 

·        Safety Information Exchange technologies to facilitate the collection, distribution, and retrieval of motor carrier safety information at the roadside.  These data help enforcement staff focus scarce resources on high-risk carriers and drivers, in turn helping to reduce the number of crashes involving commercial vehicles.

 

·        Electronic Screening systems, which allow transponder‑equipped commercial vehicles that maintain good safety and legal status to bypass roadside inspection and weigh stations.  This saves time and money for participating carriers and allows states to devote more resources toward removing unsafe and noncompliant carriers.

 

·        Electronic Credentialing systems for electronic submission, processing, approval, invoicing, payment, and issuance of credentials; electronic tax filing and auditing; and participation in clearinghouses for electronic accounting and distribution of registration fee payments among states.

 

            Other intelligent transportation systems (ITS) of interest in the area of CVO include (1) fleet and freight management systems, which are private‑sector ITS/CVO initiatives, and (2) electronic commerce (e‑commerce), which promises to have a great effect on CVO in the years ahead.  However, CVISN is concerned only with the three roadside and credential administration systems discussed above.

 

            Commercial vehicles are defined at 49 CFR as those used for interstate or intrastate commerce to transport passengers or property.  Such vehicles are greater than 10,001 pounds gross vehicle weight, or are designed to transport more than 16 passengers, or transport federally regulated hazardous materials in quantity requiring placarding.  In general, the focus of CVISN has been on the motor carrier industry, heavy trucks in freight hauling service, and the government agencies that regulate the operation of such vehicles.

 

            In 1996, the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) sponsored the CVISN Model Deployment Initiative (CVISN MDI) to demonstrate the technical and institutional feasibility, costs, and benefits of CVISN user services and to encourage further deployment.  The initial participants included two prototype states (Maryland and Virginia) and eight pilot states (California, Colorado, Connecticut, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington).  CVISN services and technologies are expected to improve highway safety, simplify government administrative credentialing operations, enhance productivity, and reduce delays for safe and legal carriers.  An important component of the CVISN MDI is an independent evaluation of these benefits as well as the costs to deploy and maintain the systems on a national level.

 

            Currently, all 50 states and the District of Columbia are in various stages of CVISN planning and deployment.  Most states are still in the planning and development stages.  Therefore, the evaluation approach taken was to estimate benefits and costs of CVISN under various deployment scenarios using results from studies conducted in the states that were among the first to successfully deploy specific CVISN services.  Results from these focused studies were used in various analyses, including a safety benefits model and comprehensive benefit-cost analyses, to estimate the future benefits and costs of CVISN when it becomes more widely deployed.

 

            The remainder of this chapter presents a brief background on USDOT’s ITS program; the history of the CVISN MDI; and an overview of the scope, expectations, and organization of this evaluation.

 

 

1.1       Intelligent Transportation Systems

 

            The national ITS program, managed by USDOT, was formally established by the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) and further supported by the Transportation Equity Act for the Twenty-first Century (TEA-21) of 1998.  The ITS program promotes the development and application of electronics, communications, and information systems to improve the efficiency and safety of surface transportation systems.  ITS technology has been evolving over the last 15 years with deployment in field tests, in pilot applications, and in state and local transportation systems.

 

            In 1995, USDOT produced its national ITS program plan, covering 1995 to 2015, which describes USDOT’s program organization and outlines the Department’s role in promoting the development and deployment of ITS.

 

            The goals of the national ITS program are to

 

·        Improve the safety of the nation’s surface transportation system

 

·        Increase the operational efficiency and capacity of the surface transportation system

 

·        Enhance the personal mobility and the convenience and comfort of the surface transportation system

 

·        Enhance present and future productivity

 

·        Reduce energy and environmental costs associated with traffic congestion

 

·        Create an environment in which the development and deployment of ITS can flourish.

 

These broad goals were intended to represent aspirations across ITS user services in three application areas:  metropolitan transportation, rural transportation, and CVO.

 

            ISTEA also empowered the ITS Joint Program Office (JPO) of USDOT to provide strategic leadership for ITS research, development, testing, and deployment.  Working with the federal agencies responsible for various surface transportation modes [the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), the Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA), and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)], the JPO provides guidance on investment decisions and program activities, promotes coordination among public and private partners, focuses programs and activities on deployment, and facilitates the assessment of ITS programs.

 

            A Field Operational Test (FOT) program was established to conduct formal tests of ITS services, functions, and technologies in “real world” conditions.  As specified by ISTEA and TEA‑21, each FOT requires formal evaluations to determine how well the technologies work and to document their benefits and costs.  Two types of evaluations can be performed:  the participating organizations can perform a self-evaluation using guidelines provided by the JPO, or an independent evaluator may be selected by the JPO, in consultation with the participating organizations.

 

            In 1996, the USDOT announced several new initiatives aimed at accelerating the deployment of ITS.  The Metropolitan Model Deployment Initiative (MMDI) in four U.S. metropolitan areas (New York, Phoenix, Seattle, and San Antonio) will showcase deployment of an integrated ITS infrastructure.  As many as nine distinct ITS services for metropolitan applications are being deployed in each of the four MMDI sites.  The USDOT also initiated the Advanced Rural Transportation Systems (ARTS) program to plan and deploy ITS technologies in rural settings.  The ARTS strategic plan was developed in 1996, and a model deployment program began in 1997.  The third major initiative, aimed at promoting the deployment of ITS services in the area of CVO, is the CVISN MDI.

 

 

1.2       CVISN Model Deployment Initiative

 

            The CVISN MDI began in 1996 as a cooperative agreement among the USDOT; two “prototype” states, Maryland and Virginia; and eight “pilot” states, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington.  The FMCSA (formerly the Office of Motor Carriers of the FHWA) developed a three-step strategy for accomplishing the goal of the MDI:  planning, design, and deployment.  This strategy remains in place today for other states embarking on CVISN deployment.

 

            In the planning step, state officials attend two ITS/CVO training courses and the state develops an ITS/CVO business plan.  To support CVISN program design, state officials attend a third training course and participate in a series of three CVISN deployment workshops to complete a CVISN Program Plan and Top-Level System Design.  Once the plan is accepted by FMCSA, a state can proceed with deployment, based upon the availability of federal and state resources.  The goal of the CVISN MDI is to have each state reach an “ambitious but achievable” level of deployment, called Level 1, in each of the three technology areas shown in Table 1‑1 (Richeson 2000).  To accomplish Level 1 deployment, states must

 

·        Establish an organizational framework among state agencies and motor carriers for cooperative system development

 

·        Create a State CVISN System Design that conforms to the CVISN Architecture and can evolve to include new technology and capabilities

 

·        Implement all CVISN elements using applicable architectural guidelines, operational concepts, and standards.

 

Table 1-1.    CVISN Level 1 Deployment

 

Safety Information Exchange -          Use of Aspen (or equivalent software for access to centralized safety data) at all major inspection sites -          Connection to the Safety and Fitness Electronic Record (SAFER) system so that states can exchange “snapshots” of information on interstate carriers and individual vehicles -          Implementation of the Commercial Vehicle Information Exchange Window (CVIEW), or equivalent, system for exchange of intrastate snapshots and for integration of SAFER and other national/interstate data.

Electronic Screening -          Electronic screening at one or more fixed or mobile inspection sites -          Readiness to replicate electronic screening capability at other sites

Electronic Credentialing -          Automated processing (application, state processing, issuance, tax filing) of at least International Registration Plan (IRP) and International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) credentials; readiness to extend to other credentials [intrastate, titling, oversize/overweight (OS/OW), carrier registration, and hazardous material (HAZMAT)].  Does not necessarily include electronic payment of fees or taxes. -          Connection to IRP and IFTA Clearinghouses -          At least 10 percent of transaction volume handled electronically; readiness to sign up more carriers; readiness to extend to branch office where applicable.

   Source:  Richeson (2000)

 

            To date, four states (Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, and Washington) have demonstrated capabilities for Level 1 deployment in all three areas.  However, many others have made significant progress in one or two areas.  Currently a total of 38 states have indicated that they expect to achieve Level 1 deployment by September 30, 2003, dependent upon receiving federal ITS deployment or state resources.  CVISN deployment Level 2 is currently being defined.

 

            In addition to its oversight role, FMCSA participates directly in system development (e.g., Aspen, CVIEW software systems) and provides technical and project management assistance to states through the Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL).  Also, to help promote the deployment of CVISN, USDOT sponsored the CVO mainstreaming program to help states and the motor carrier industry work together to find common approaches to the development and deployment of CVISN services.  Regional “mainstreaming champions” were recruited to develop policies, plans, and agreements to expedite the regional deployment of CVISN.  The CVISN prototype, pilot, and mainstreaming champion states are shown in Figure 1-1.

 

Figure 1-1. Prototype, Pilot, and Mainstreaming States

 

 

1.3       Overview and Scope of the CVISN MDI Evaluation

 

            The intent of the CVISN MDI evaluation effort was to furnish information to USDOT, Congress, states, public interest groups, the motor carrier industry, and others on the desirability of making CVISN investments and corresponding enhancements to national, state, regional, and local transportation programs.  As such, the evaluation had to permit comparisons and the development of priorities among alternative investments within the FHWA’s ITS program and between ITS and non-ITS programs.  For this reason, the evaluation includes a comprehensive benefit/cost analysis (BCA) to determine the economic worth of CVISN deployments.  However, it is equally important to document other benefits associated with the national ITS/CVO goals and to learn as much as possible about how CVISN changes the nature of CVO.  Thus, an evaluation strategy was developed to meet the data needs of BCA as well as the information needs of various stakeholders (states, motor carriers, federal agencies).

 

            The first step in developing the evaluation strategy for CVISN was to identify the key innovative features that would be deployed in one or more states, along with the major benefits that were expected to result from their deployment.  Key features and anticipated benefits of CVISN‑enhanced roadside enforcement (safety information exchange and electronic screening) and credentials administration technologies were established in collaboration with various CVISN stakeholders.  Initial priorities were established during the CVISN Planning and Evaluation Workshop (January 1997) involving more than 100 participants from state governments, USDOT, and industry.  It was agreed that the evaluation project would be organized around three study areas:  safety, costs, and customer satisfaction.  Safety was established as the number one priority.

 

            The second step in the evaluation strategy was to identify a subset of states that were most likely to deploy the key features during the timeframe of the evaluation.  As discussed earlier, the pace of CVISN deployment varies considerably from state to state.  In 1997 some states were on the verge of deploying certain CVISN components, while other states expected their planning activities to continue for some time.  Another concern was that some of the supporting systems (e.g., IRP and IFTA clearinghouses, SAFER, CVIEW, and Aspen) were not fully developed.  After considerable review, five states (Connecticut, Kentucky, Maryland, Oregon, and Virginia) out of the 10 prototype and pilot states were selected to support the evaluation data collection effort.  Each of these five states was expected to achieve Level 1 deployment status in at least one of the three CVISN user service and technology areas.  The bulk of state‑specific data and information in this report were drawn from these five states.

 

 

1.4       Organization of This Report

 

            As shown below, Chapters 2 through 4 present program background, detailed objectives, research goals, priorities, approaches, and methods.  Chapters 5 through 9 present results and implications, drawn mainly from the subset of five states selected to support data collection.

 

·        Chapter 2 contains a detailed description of the CVISN services and technologies.

 

·        Chapter 3 summarizes the deployment status of CVISN nationwide and in the 10 pilot and prototype states

 

·        Chapter 4 lists the evaluation goals, measures, and hypotheses and describes the technical approach of the evaluation.  Anticipated benefit and evaluation priorities, initially established at the Planning and Evaluation Workshop, were refined by establishing measures and hypotheses for each of the goal areas and developing detailed data collection and analysis plans to test the hypotheses.

 

·        Chapter 5 presents an estimate of CVISN safety benefits.  Estimated safety benefits include the number of crashes that may be avoided and number of lives saved when CVISN roadside services (safety information exchange and electronic screening) are more fully deployed.  Chapter 5 also presents additional details on the direct impacts of CVISN on roadside enforcement activities.

 

·        Chapter 6 details actual and estimated costs to deploy and maintain or operate CVISN systems compared to the baseline systems in place prior to CVISN deployment, and the potential cost savings that can be realized by states and motor carriers.

 

·        Chapter 7 presents the results of customer satisfaction studies, drawn from surveys, interviews, and focus groups with motor carriers, drivers, roadside inspectors, and state administrators.

 

·        Chapter 8 extends the results from Chapters 6 and 7 on safety and cost—supplemented with information from the literature—to build a comprehensive benefit/cost analysis (BCA) from a national perspective.  The BCA determines the net economic worth of CVISN deployments.

 

·        Chapter 9 presents the evaluation team’s perspective on the major factors that might influence the future success of CVISN and summarizes the team’s findings relative to the current status of CVISN deployment.  The chapter also identifies some potential impediments to the further deployment of CVISN.

 

Appendices in Volume II present further background information and detail on some topics covered in this report.

 

 

1.5       References

 

CVISN Planning and Evaluation Workshop.  Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, January 1997.

 

ISTEA (Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991).  Public Law 102-240, December 18, 1991.

 

Richeson, K.E., Introductory Guide to CVISN, POR-99-7186 Preliminary Version P.2, Laurel, Maryland, February 2000.

 

TEA-21 (Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century).  Public Law 105-178, June 9, 1998.

 

 

 

 

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