82 PART | II ITS users
6.5 Impact of the development of ITS on local residents and
businesses
The third group of users that has many benefits from the use of ITS comprise the
people that live or work on the areas covered by an ITS. The smart operation of
private and commercial vehicles and the efficiency of mass-transportation ser-
vices affects the quality of living, working, walking or playing, and socializing.
The effects from the use of ITS services are positive for the people, the vehicles
and the road network and infrastructure. Controlled access roads in residential
areas are quieter and safer for children to play. The smooth flow of traffic results
in reduced noise levels and fewer exhaust emissions.
On the other side, in areas that combine residential and commercial features
it is important to keep a balance between the two groups, to make sure that the
benefits of ITS for one of the two does not imply an unacceptable cost and a
large inconvenience for the other. ITS can be beneficial for local businesses
since it can reduce delivery and shipping times and increase their reliability.
Visitors and tourists will increase in an area that offers multiple alternatives to
reach, and can be for the benefit of local shops. The overall cost for the delivery
of goods can decrease and the mobility of citizens can increase thus increasing
the visibility of the local market.
6.6 Impact of the development of ITS on vulnerable road
users (VRUs)
Another group that can have significant benefits from ITS is the VRUs. People
with impairments can be supported by advanced-mobility services and user-
friendly mobility design, small children and the elderly can be safer when they
walk around the city and bikers can enjoy increased safety with dedicated lanes
or VRU warning systems for car drivers. VRUs is still an open issue for ITS,
since the number of VRU casualties is decreasing but much slower than the total
number of severe and fatal accidents is decreasing, Apart from the passive safety
systems that already exist in most vehicles, the protection of VRUs needs an ad-
ditional behavioral change from the drivers’ side and a VRU-oriented road and
transportation design that prioritizes pedestrians, people with impairments and
other vulnerable groups. It also needs warning systems and fully autonomous
systems that aim to minimize the impact of accidents on VRUs (ERSO, 2017).
The development of ITS was for a lot of years focused on drivers, passen-
gers, and pedestrians, whereas during the last 10 years, VRUs have started play-
ing a significant role in the development of ITS. Several companies have been
dealing with this issue, as well as the European Commission, whose directives
describe the goals of ITS with regards to the protection of VRUs, summarized
in the following:
• improve monitoring of findings resulting from road infrastructure safety
management procedures;