Overview
This report documents a range of business models for real-time traveler information services, and provides ‘real world’ examples of how States and regions are developing partnerships and business plans within the business model frameworks. Although there are numerous variations on these models, there is no question that there have been shifts in the fundamentals of these traditional business models, as well as new business model structures that have emerged. Included with this review is a summary of current prevalent business models, which include public-sector funded, franchise operations, private sector funded and business-to-business models. It addresses issues such as roles and responsibilities within the models, pros and cons of the various approaches, and provides case study examples of traveler information programs throughout the country.
This document also discusses the trends and impacts that have influenced current traveler information business model approaches, including the impact of 511 on the role of the public sector, trends in data collection and the new role of the private sector as data collector, and some of the resulting data ownership issues. With the prevalence of Web-based, business-to-business and supply-chain information bundling, there are increasing opportunities for private sector to be able to generate revenue either through subscription services or advertising.