Intelligent transportation as the key enabler of smart cities

Smart Cities include the concept of large, intelligent systems coming together cooperatively to enable better living conditions in future urban areas. Reduction in fuel/electricity usage, crime, improved economies, less waste, and overall better living conditions are primary goals. A key enabling technology is the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS), in which various transportation mechanisms cooperate to improve quality of life by reducing fuel/electricity usage, decreasing congestion, and decreasing travel time. Studies have shown that enormous resources are wasted by congestion alone in transportation systems. In this position paper, we present the ITS as a major factor in facilitating the smart city of the future.