-Yamagata Prefecture: ITS in mountainous area of heavy snowfall
The Gassan Road, a section of the National Route 112 connecting Yamagata and Sakata Cities, runs through a mountainous area of heavy snowfall in winter. The Ministry of Construction has installed 42 CCTV cameras, weather observation sensors and road icing sensors. The devices collect information on weather conditions, such as wind direction, velocity, atmospheric temperature and pressure, and on road conditions like dry, wet, icy or snowy surface. The information which is transmitted to the information control room through optical fiber cables is available in real time for drivers at the Gassan Road information terminal and the sub-terminal of the Michi-no-Eki (roadway station) "Gassan." Before the information system was installed, the Gassan Road was closed to traffic at night in winter. The system has made available round-the-clock management of the road, including snow removal, and the road is now accessible to drivers all the year round.

Gassan Road information terminal Using the latest equipment, the information control room gathers various data on weather conditions and natural disasters for round-the-clock management of the Gassan Road.

Gassan Road information sub-terminal, Michi-no-Eki (roadway station) "Gassan"

-Kochi Prefecture: KoCoRo
(Kochi Communication Road)
Kochi prefecture has paid attention to utilization of advanced information technology for Michi-no-Eki(roadway station) which provides a rest and exchange and information access in order to alleviate some of the problems associated with with depopulation and aging in Japan's rural regions. Under an experiment of the KoCoRo (Kochi Communication Road) '97 project, the prefecture installed information terminals at three roadway stations-Shimanto-Taisho, Nankoku and Ohyama-and the Nankoku Service Area as well as Harimaya underground parking lots in March 1998. The experiment will last until March 1999.

The themes of the experiment are a community information center, new tourism and environment services, and a road traffic information station. A variety of information services with wide-ranging contents are provided. During the experiment, information is consistently added and up dated to meet the needs of users. The experiment may bring about various applications, boosting expectations for multifaceted development.

Following the evaluation tests for this experiment which were conducted by a third party, the second phased experience will get underway in fiscal 1999 as "KoCoRo '99." The "KoCoRo '99" is aiming to provide a "seamless information service to drivers in the locality" as well as functions such as the Michi-no-Eki.
In 2001, the more practically functional systems referred to as "KoCoRo 2001" in rural ITS is scheduled to be operational to provide comprehensively advanced information, leading the subsequent model deployment across the country.

Overall image of "KoCoRo '97"

Information will be shared jointly by road management agencies, such as the Okayama Prefectural Government, the Okayama National Highway Work Office, the Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Authority, and Japan Highway Public Corporation. And the information will be utilized to its best benefits among the road management agencies. Besides this advanced information exchange among multiple road management agencies, a system using state-of-the-art technologies is planned to provide information for users. The system will combine road information, local parking facilities and other information with VICS and provide them in an integrated manner utilizing the Internet, a CATV network and optical fiber cables for road management. Information will be accessible at home, carriers, hospitals and public facilities like Michi-no-Eki (roadway stations) and airports. For the moment, request terminals and AV controllers are installed at Michi-no-Eki in Okayama Prefecture networking Michi-no-Eki (road ststion) in Kochi Prefecture.

The Okayama Information Highway Project is designed to expand road user services, computerize road management, improve public services and increase efficiency of administration, and help set up advanced local information systems.

To cope with the issue, the "Nagano Area ITS Showcase" was launched as Japan's first project to use ITS to its best advantage. A system was established to receive information through various projects (refer to the chart) while traveling from departure (home) to game sites. Following the launch of VICS services in January, a mechanism was set up to provide information at road information stations, Michi-no-Eki(roadway station), and service and parking areas in an effort for "advances in navigation systems." Operated in the area of "optimization of traffic management" were the Universal Traffic Management System (UTMS) and the operations management system for Olympics-related vehicles. The area of "increasing efficiency in road management" featured the information outlet, ITV and vehicle-mounted LED display panels, and the support system for road management vehicles. The systems featured transmission of video information using optical fiber, management of information for the location of vehicle using GPS, and instructions on road works through mobile communication. As a result, efficiency was increased in snow removal, road works, and handling of accidents and disasters, as well as in providing information. The systems proved effective in advanced road management and utilization.

After the Olympic Games, the projects under the Nagano Area ITS Showcase will be revised, if necessary, in order to promote smooth road traffic in Nagano district. As a test operation, an information kiosk was installed at the accommodation facilities, public facilities and stations, while information was provided for pedestrians through PDA portable terminals only during the Olympics.

The Nagano Area ITS Showcase consisting of various projects served as a harbinger of actual ITS deployment in the not-so-distant future.The experience of substantial effects of ITS has raised expectations for ITS deployment.

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