National ITS Architecture
Version 6.0

Background

The National ITS Architecture provides a common framework for planning, defining, and integrating intelligent transportation systems.  It is a mature product that reflects the contributions of a broad cross-section of the ITS community (transportation practitioners, systems engineers, system developers, technology specialists, consultants, etc.). The architecture defines:

• The functions (e.g., gather traffic information or request a route) that are required for ITS
• The physical entities or subsystems where these functions reside (e.g., the field or the vehicle).
• The information flows and data flows that connect these functions and physical subsystems together into an integrated system.

As you navigate through the National ITS Architecture, additional background information is often only a click away. A comprehensive glossary of architecture terms is on the menu and is also linked with the architecture content. If a green highlighted and underlined term marked with an asterisk (*) is unfamiliar to you, hover over it to see its definition or click on it to see its definition and links to other related terms.

If you would prefer a summary document that you can print and read over coffee, a brief document is available that presents the key architecture concepts.  A training course provides a more comprehensive look at the National ITS Architecture and the ways in which it can be applied.

Where to Start

There are three ways to navigate through the National ITS Architecture:

1. The hypertext view provides immediate, interconnected access to all the elements of the architecture definition.
2. The document view presents the complete set of architecture documentation as it exists in printed format.
3. The database view provides developers direct access to the source material for the National ITS Architecture in several connected relational databases.

If you are wondering which view is best for you, we have a few suggestions.

What's New

Version 6.0 of the National ITS Architecture includes a host of new features that enhance the architecture definition and make it easier for you to access the information that you need.  The architecture will continue to evolve as new user services are developed, standards activities progress, and more and more ITS implementations put the architecture into action.