Intelligent Transportation System Solutions in Disadvantaged Communities

Many cities across the world are looking to use technology and innovation to improve the overall efficiency and safety for their residents. At the heart of these smart-city plans, a variety of intelligent transportation system technologies can be used to improve safety, enhance mobility measures (e.g., traffic flow), and minimize environmental impacts of a city’s mobility ecosystem. Early implementations of these ITS technologies often take place in affluent cities, where there are many funding opportunities and suitable areas for deployment. However, it is critical that we also develop smart city solutions that are focused on improving conditions of disadvantaged and environmental justice communities, whose residents have suffered the most from unmitigated urban sprawl and its environmental and health impacts. As a leading example, Inland Southern California has grown to be one of the largest hubs of goods movement in the world. Numerous logistics facilities such as warehouses, rail facilities, and truck depots have rapidly spread throughout these communities, with the local residents bearing a disproportionate burden of truck traffic, poor air quality, and adverse health effects. Further, the majority of residents have lower-wage jobs and very few mobility options, other than low-end personal car ownership. To improve this situation, UC Riverside researchers have focused their smart city research on these impacted communities, finding innovative solutions to eco-friendly traffic management, developing better-shared (electric) mobility solutions for the community, improving freight movements, and enhancing the transition to vehicle electrification. Numerous research and development projects are currently underway in Inland Southern California, spanning advanced smart city modeling and impact analysis, community outreach events, and real-world technology demonstrations. This chapter describes several of these ITS solutions and their potential for improving many cities around the world.