Application Areas

Application areas are deployment-oriented categories that focus on commonly deployed ITS services or systems. Application areas provide a starting point for identifying the ITS standards that may be relevant to a specific type of deployment.

The architecture flows in the National ITS Architecture may be categorized based on interface classes. Each interface class is further subdivided into application areas. Interface classes are defined by the type of system at each end of the architecture flow: center, field, vehicle, and traveler. An application area within the center-to-field interface class would include bidirectional communication between a center system (e.g., traffic management subsystem) and a field system (e.g., roadway subsystem).

To determine which standards may be applicable, first identify the interface class for which you are looking for a standard, then find the application area within that interface class that best describes the project component. ITS projects could include a single application area (such as a dynamic message sign deployment) or more than one application area (traveler information collection from various centers and dissemination of the information to travelers). Use the table below to learn more about application areas and associated standards.

Note that not all possible application areas in the National ITS Architecture are included in the table above. This is because application areas are only included if they are currently represented by an approved or published ITS standard. As additional ITS standards become available, more application areas will be added to the table.

Additional resources are available for ITS deployers on the USDOT ITS JPO's Standards Site. For each application area, there are references to fact sheets, ITS standards advisories, case study reports, and field support contact information.