Advanced Traffic Management System

Beginning with the passage of the federal “Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century”, more than $1.2 billion in ITS funding was made available to assist states in investing in technology to better manage the existing surface transportation system. In 1999, the State of Louisiana began developing their first coordinated ITS Business Plan in cooperation with the Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Northwest Louisiana Metropolitan Planning Organizations. This effort provided a roadmap for integration of ITS solutions in the state’s routine transportation infrastructure planning and deployment processes.

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development has made a significant investment in building an Intelligent Transportation Systems infrastructure during the past decade. The goal of the ITS program is to improve transportation mobility, safety and reduce traffic congestion. Each of the transportation management centers throughout the state have various software and hardware tools to monitor and control the ITS devices in the field.  In 2013, DOTD deployed a single Advanced Traffic Management System software platform to improve the efficiency in statewide ITS TMC operations.

DOTD currently uses ATMS as the platform for all traffic management activities statewide, a critical tool in the Traffic Management Centers, and is used to monitor and respond to traffic and incidents by using various ITS devices and traffic data throughout the state.  The system is in operation 24x7x365 and is integrated with 530+ traffic cameras, 100+ dynamic message signs and several vehicle detection devices connected via DOTD’s fiber optic network and wireless/cellular technology.