Rural ITS deployments have become increasingly complex in order to adequately address the challenges that rural transportation presents. A greater number and variety of field devices are being utilized to improve the safety and operations of rural travel. To realize the full benefits of rural ITS, engineers as well as technicians must not only be aware of what technologies are available, but especially how to best select, implement, and maintain those technologies. Due to challenges presented by rural ITS communications, there is a clear need for an educational curriculum that addresses rural ITS communications engineering across the board with a hands-on approach. At the least, this curriculum should be designed to address underlying rural ITS engineering and design principles, available technologies, and practical applications for those technologies. To best present the curriculum the literature suggests it should be taught by subject matter experts who can bring their own experiences and best practices into the classroom.

This project is the fourth phase of an ongoing collaboration with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to determine the detailed content of prospective courses for Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) engineers at Caltrans, identify suitable contractors to deliver the courses, and evaluate the courses.