| 3.Making Smartway a Reality |
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| (1) |
Approaching the Project |
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| 1) |
Building Social Consensus |
|
<1> |
In moving forward with Smartway, the national infrastructure for the 21st century, the broader public must be provided with the necessary information so that a social consensus can be built. As part of this process, each project involved with Smartway must be evaluated quantitatively, and the results of that evaluation and the necessity of the project explained in readily understandable terms. Maintaining accountability to the public is essential. |
|
<2> |
A series of public tests must be vigorously pursued, to test public and user receptivity. The specific form of the services to be provided will also need to be spelled out to build the necessary public consensus. Public tests should be conducted at events such as exhibitions and sports tournaments where large numbers of attendees can be anticipated. |
|
<3> |
To garner better understanding of the significance of Smartway in the public mind during the development phase, it will be important to publicize the project, both in Japan and overseas, including the various processes involved in the project, the details of the tests and their results. Public demonstrations of the advanced cruise-assisted highway system technology, slated to begin in 2000, are expected to be implemented with full consideration of their significance. |
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| 2) |
Establishing a Program with Clear Orderly Goals |
|
<1> |
Smartway is a leading-edge national project in the 21st century. As such, the national government must begin its studies early in order to establish clear objectives, including objectives for each phase and a chronology for each objective, and to implement each phase in an effective and efficient manner. In doing so, it will be necessary to consider carefully what networks will be used, what services are to be provided, and how levels are to be specified, in view of the limited resources and time available and the status of technological development.
Also, it is absolutely essential that the details and levels of these services be clearly indicated, so that technological development, including both basic and advanced research, can be promoted in a consistent fashion.
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|
<2> |
The following is a rough outline of the schedule for implementation of the Smartway project.
| 2000 |
Testing of advanced cruise-assist highway system with the participation of domestic and overseas partners |
| 2001 and thereafter |
Testing at events in various locations to address specific regional needs; full-fledged implementation of public tests |
| 2003 |
Introduction in No. 2 Tomei and Meishin Expressways and in the expressways of major cities |
| 2004 and thereafter |
Smartway implementation in tandem with every kind of road traffic and regional characteristic. |
| Circa 2015 |
Implementation of Smartway in all trunk road networks |
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|
<3> |
The shape of Smartway and the level of accomplishment at each phase, its effects and other information must be aggressively publicized and a detailed program established, to ensure understanding in the citizens who will be its users and in others in various fields connected with the project. Appropriate follow-up is also essential, taking into careful consideration the status of development of technologies such as IT. |
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| 3) |
Cooperation by the Regions |
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Smartway represents an excellent means of solving many regional problems and improving life in many areas. This is the perspective from which Smartway must be built out and ITS applied in every region of Japan. Local and regional authorities will also have substantial planning responsibilities. The government and participants must do everything in their power to provide the relevant technical data, training and research to develop the skilled personnel and technology transfers required, so that each region can devise its own concept for Smartway in accordance with local prerogatives. Similarly, the national government will have to provide full support by preparing guidelines for the regional introduction of Smartway. |
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| 4) |
The Smooth Introduction of Smartway |
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Installing Smartway throughout the country will be an enormously time-consuming effort. This is likely to cause variances among regions in the progress of system development and in the rate of completion of the Smartway network. Bearing in mind that the focus of the project is not technology but people, various scenarios will have to be constructed, positing troubles that could occur and ways of avoiding them, to ensure that implementation proceeds with maximum effectiveness. |
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| (2) |
Early Provision of Systems and Standards |
|
<1> |
It is essential that Smartway be available everywhere in Japan and inspire complete confidence in its users. Interchangeability and of course safety are therefore essential features. The system architecture must be tailored to Japan's specific needs, and a system and standards must be prepared in proper sequence to put structure, functions and conditions in place before the work of building Smartway can begin. The environment under which Smartway is to be used, and how it will be established, must also be carefully examined. |
|
<2> |
In preparing a system and standards, roles must be allocated appropriately in the private sector and a cooperative framework struck, in consideration of the status of many of the targeted Smartway zones as public assets, so that system implementation can proceed quickly and smoothly. Adherence to international standards is also important. |
|
<2> |
The establishment of such systems and standards will facilitate cost reductions by making the system easier to build out and increasing the size of the market. |
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| (3) |
Promoting Technological Development and Academic Research |
|
<1> |
Technological development in a wide range of fields, including communications and control systems, next-generation road configurations and materials, will have to be encouraged at an early date so that tangible progress can be made toward bringing Smartway to fruition. These efforts will require the establishment of a system of liaison among industry, academia and government. A general organizational framework is desirable, to coordinate research and development activities. To ensure that the private sector can proceed with R&D activities with confidence, clear policies and goals will have to be set through the tripartite liaison structure described above. |
|
<2> |
To develop Smartway in a manner that will serve the needs of the community, research must be conducted according to appropriate evaluation methods. Moreover, both advanced and basic technological research must be carried out continuously, with an open-minded perspective and conceptual framework that will not be captive to outmoded preconceptions. The national government has a duty to provide firm and consistent support for this effort. It will be also necessary to revise the educational systems by which personnel training is conducted. |
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| (4) |
Wide - Ranging Liaison and Cooperation at All Levels and in All Ranges |
|
| 1) |
Building a Framework for Strengthening Liaisons among Various Fields of Expertise |
|
<1> |
To promote Smartway before the project starts and to ensure smooth and efficient research and development, interdisciplinary liaisons in the creation of new technologies will need to be established in a broad range of fields. Appropriate roles must also be allotted to industry, academia and government. By forming a strong framework for cooperation, Smartway can be implemented with high efficiency and effectiveness. For that reason, processes such as system development must be open, and every consideration must be taken to ensure that a wide range of players can participate fully. Further strengthening of liaisons among the involved ministries and agencies is also desirable. |
|
<2> |
Roles must also be appropriately allotted to Smartway and smart cars, to avoid duplication of investment and carry out the development process efficiently. To ensure this, the project must be evaluated continuously and discussed openly with full disclosure, based on the feasibility of infrastructure development in terms of the state of technological development, the feasibility of investment, and the appropriateness of the roles of each. |
|
<3> |
To generate private-sector interest in the technological development and investment aspects of the Smartway project, a healthy competitive framework must be maintained. To accomplish this, information held by the public sector, such as research and development trends and the details of such efforts, must be published and disclosed thoroughly and completely. |
|
<4> |
Users will expect a wide array of services. To ensure that the private sector will be as free and creative as possible in its proposals for such services, a new framework of public-private partnership will have to be established for the 21st century. |
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| 2) |
Promoting International Harmonization and Liaisons |
|
<1> |
The project must be made convenient to users while restraining the development and usage costs of participating companies to the taxpayer. For this reason, the necessary international standards should be established at an early date and active contribution made to promote international standardization. |
|
<2> |
It is important to obtain international cooperation and an exchange of ideas at the concept evaluation, research and development, testing and implementation phases. A suitable forum for debate, such as workshops, will thus be needed to enable such an exchange of views. |
|
<3> |
As the first step toward achieving ITS, therefore, interested parties should be invited from around the world as well as Japan, in an open framework, to participate in the practical tests of advanced cruise - assit highway system slated for 2000. |
|
<4> |
In the interest of ensuring that a wide range of knowledge is gathered to make Smartway as effective as possible, technical and personnel exchanges will have to be conducted not only in Japan but internationally. Also, international partnerships will be of the essence in terms of training and education. |
|
<5> |
To stimulate the global spread and promotion of Smartway and its technology, a framework for training in the development and operation of the system should be prepared through collaboration with international agencies. The groundwork should be laid so that each country can prepare a curriculum in accordance with its own conditions and requirements. |
