Act-IT Architecture

Introduction
The Architecture Reference for Cooperative and Intelligent Transportation (ARC-IT)
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.) over many years.

ARC-IT, previously called the National ITS Architecture, was first developed in 1996
and has been updated many times over the years to reflect changes in technology
and define new ITS services.

This revision includes content from the Connected Vehicle Reference Implementation
Architecture (CVRIA), which until now was the repository of all Connected Vehicle
architecture-related material. The Architecture has been renamed in recognition of
these major revisions to content and underlying structure.
Introduction..
 Introduction
ARC-IT contains material that will assist agencies in the development of regional ITS
architectures, which will help regions understand how an individual project fits into a
larger regional transportation management context.

It was developed to support ITS implementations over a 20-year time period in urban,
interurban, and rural environments across the country. Accordingly, general names were
given to the physical transportation system components in order to accommodate a
variety of local design choices and changes in technology or institutional arrangements
over time.

This allows the general structure of ARC-IT to remain stable while still allowing flexibility
and tailoring at the local implementation level. This difference in language can be easily
overcome with a better understanding of how ARC-IT is organized and how it relates to
familiar systems of today.
Components
Views
 Service Packages
The scope of ARC-IT is defined by a set of ITS Services, meaning transportation
services that can be provided through the use of ITS. The range of services covered
by ARC-IT V8 is broader than the original set of 33 user services defined in earlier
versions, incorporating all the applications of the CVRIA as well as additional ITS
services defined internationally to create a larger set of transportation services
that can be provided by ITS.

ARC-IT uses the concept of Service Packages to describe the portion of the
architecture needed to implement the service. Service Packages include the
portions of each of the four views needed to describe the service.
Service Packages are not intended to be tied to specific technologies, but of course
depend on the current technology and product market in order to actually be
implemented. As transportation needs evolve, technology advances, and new
devices are developed, Service Packages may change and new Service Packages
may be defined. Service Packages provide a key method for entering into ARC-IT
and can be used as a foundation for the development of regional ITS architectures.
 Service Packages
ARC-IT V8 includes 133 Service Packages.
 Example: Service Package
Traffic Signal Control (TM03)
This service package provides the central control and monitoring equipment,
communication links, and the signal control equipment that support traffic control at
signalized intersections. A range of traffic signal control systems are represented by this
service package ranging from fixed-schedule control systems to fully traffic responsive
systems that dynamically adjust control plans and strategies based on current traffic
conditions and priority requests. This service package is generally an intra-jurisdictional
package. Systems that achieve coordination across jurisdictions by using a common time
base or other strategies that do not require real time coordination would also be
represented by this package. Coordination of traffic signal systems using real-time
communications is covered in the TM07-Regional Traffic Management service package.
This service package is consistent with typical traffic signal control systems.
Example: Service Package
Example: Service Package