1. Intelligent
Transportation
Systems for
Airports
Intelligent Devices, Inc
4411 Suwanee Dam Rd, Suite 510
Suwanee, Ga 30024
Phone: 770.831.3370
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2. AIRPORT INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION
SYSTEMS ( ITS), INCLUDING PARKING
GUIDANCE AND INCIDENT MANGEMENT
Executive Overview:
All major airports have similar needs with regard to traffic management in the
airport surroundings, as follows:
• Traffic congestion is always a factor in the airport access roads. In
particular, parking problems and traffic incidents are major contributing
factors in airport congestion.
• The lack of intelligent parking guidance results in increased re-circulation
and delays, while the motorist searches for a parking space.
• Incidents may be triggered by vehicle activity (such as an accident on an
access road), maintenance (a road being dug up) or external factors
(such as a national or terminal emergency). These incidents require
incident management to alert the public, as well as to guide the operators
in the activities required to manage the incidents.
All the above needs are met with the appropriate application of Intelligent
Transportation Systems (ITS) technologies. This guide provides the important
factors to consider when applying ITS to airport environments.
What are the benefits of Intelligent Transportation Systems to Airport
stakeholders?
Travelers: Better informed about incidents and delays in the airport, reduced
time looking for parking, and reduced frustration at delays.
Venue Operators: Increase in customer satisfaction, increased ability to detect,
verify and manage incidents.
Parking Operators: Increased space occupancy, and increased revenue
Environmental: Reduced air pollution, reduced congestion, reduced illegal
parking.
Technologies used in Airport Intelligent Transportation Systems
The following technologies are typically used in airport ITS systems. These will
be tailored to suit the requirements of the particular airport.
1) Dynamic Message Signs. Electronic signs are used to provide incident
information, congestion information, detours, as well as parking guidance
information.
2) Parking Guidance: A combination of sensors, signs and electronic
indicators are used to guide the motorist from the freeway to the car park,
then to the floor, then the aisle and finally to the vacant bay.
3) Cameras: CCTV systems are used to provide security, as well as incident
verification.
4) Sensors: Traffic sensors placed on the various roadways provide
information about congestion, which is then displayed to the operator.
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3. 5) Central Software System: A computer system provides an interface for
operators to:
a. Manage incidents as they occur, including implementing response
plans and placing messages on the electronic signs.
b. Manage the parking process, including the parking reservations
process.
c. Monitor and manage traffic congestion.
d. Data logging for reporting and analysis, for future system
improvement.
Approach to Johannesburg Airport, showing parking availability with NTCIP
conformant signs
The Importance of Standards in Intelligent Transportation Systems
Implementation
Typically, ITS systems will be deployed at an airport in a number of phases over
several years. It is very important for success of the overall system that field
devices, communication systems and computer software all conform to the same
set of Standards. The applicable standards are the open, internationally accepted
set of standards called NTCIP (National Transportation Communication for ITS
Protocol).
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4. Provided that devices and systems are properly tested for conformance against
the standards, then these systems will enjoy the following advantages:
• Signs and other ITS devices (cameras, sensors) can be purchased “off-
the-shelf” via open bid from a number of vendors.
• Standard “off-the-shelf” ITS software can be purchased from a number of
vendors and system integrators.
• The adoption of the standards allows a phased approach. The airport may
add signs, sensors, cameras and parking guidance over a number of
phases, with the assurance that they will all work together.
• This approach reduces deployment time and cost by eliminating (or at
least reducing) custom development.
• Airports increasingly will make significant investment in ITS systems. If an
open standards approach is adopted then the investment will protected by
not being dependent on proprietary interests, as future development and
support for the system will not be dependent on one company.
Typical Bay Sensor parking guidance installation, with individual bay indicators
(Spot the single open bay!)
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5. Case Study 1: Implementation of Intelligent Transportation Systems at OR
Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, South Africa
OR Tambo International Airport has taken the first steps to implementing an ITS
system. Phase 1 of an Intelligent Parking system, with individual bay sensors and
indicators, has been successfully implemented. The stakeholder (operators and
public) perception and feedback to this deployment has been very positive. As
part of this implementation, an integrated software suite has been deployed in
the operations room, which includes Intelligent Parking (the parking guidance
software), Intelligent Control (sign, camera, traffic sensor and device monitoring
and control software) and Intelligent Incident (incident management software). In
this first phase, Intelligent Parking has been implemented and set to work.
Importantly, the software and systems that have been installed all conform to the
open, internationally recognized NTCIP standards, so that the additional ITS
deployments can be undertaken on a “plug and play” basis.
Approach to JF Kennedy Airport in New York, showing incident and traffic
information on NTCIP conformant signs
Case Study 2: Implementation of Intelligent Transportation Systems at JF
Kennedy Airport, New York
JF Kennedy Airport is completing the implementation of an ITS system, based on
the open, internationally recognized NTCIP standards. A total of 50 electronic
signs have been installed, from two different manufacturers under three different
procurements, of ten different sizes. The Central Software, from Intelligent
Devices, has integrated the control of these different signs without any custom
code. This has demonstrated the power of the standards, as the installation of a
further 20 signs is progressing, under yet another procurement, with the
confidence that these new signs will be integrated without any software change.
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6. The focus of this ITS system is on incident management, and the prompt supply
of information to the public.
Intelligent Control user interface, showing incident and traffic information with
NTCIP conformant signs
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