Stakeholders
The Regional ITS Architecture resulted from the consensus input of a diverse set of stakeholders, encompassing traffic, transit, public safety, and many other operating agencies at local, state, and national levels. It includes both public and private sectors and spans the organizations that manage, support, or are impacted by the surface transportation system, with particular focus on agencies that operate transportation systems in the region.
| Stakeholder | Description |
|---|---|
| Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation Study (AMATS) | AMATS is the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for Summit and Portage Counties and a portion of the Wayne County (Chippewa and Milton Townships). |
| Akron–Canton Airport Authority | Responsible for operating the Akron–Canton Airport, which is located in the City of Green. |
| City of Akron | County seat for Summit County, Ohio. Represents the various government departments and agencies of the City of Akron. |
| City of Akron Department of Public Safety | The Department of Public Safety is responsible for managing operations for the following departments: Fire, Police and Safety Communications. |
| City of Akron Engineering Bureau | The Engineering Bureau is responsible for the planning, design, and construction of public improvement projects within the City of Akron. Includes the Traffic Division and Construction Division, among others. |
| City of Akron Public Works Bureau | The Public Works Bureau is responsible for providing maintenance and upkeep of public infrastructure within the City of Akron. Includes the Street Cleaning Division and Highway Maintenance Division, among others. |
| City of Barberton | Represents the various government departments and agencies of the City of Barberton. |
| City of Barberton Department of Public Safety | Includes the following departments: Fire/EMS and Police. The Department of Public Safety provides emergency call–taking and dispatch services to the City's residents. |
| City of Barberton Engineering Division | The Engineering Division is responsible for the design and construction of public improvement projects within the City of Barberton, including streets, sidewalks, sewer/water utilities, bridges, and facilities. |
| City of Barberton Street Department | The Street Department is responsible for providing maintenance and upkeep services for the City's roadways, including snow plowing and road resurfacing, among others. |
| City of Cuyahoga Falls | Represents the various government departments and agencies of the City of Cuyahoga Falls. |
| City of Cuyahoga Falls Engineering Department | The Engineering Department is responsible for the design and construction of public improvement projects within the City of Cuyahoga Falls, including street paving storm sewers, sanitary sewers, and water lines. |
| City of Cuyahoga Falls Police Department | The Police Department provides various public safety services to the City's residents, including 911 call–taking and dispatch. |
| City of Cuyahoga Falls Street Department | The Street Department is responsible for providing maintenance and upkeep services for the City's roadways, including snow plowing and road resurfacing. |
| City of Cuyahoga Falls Technical Service Department | The Technical Service Department is responsible for the maintenance and repair of electro–mechanical and electronic devices. The Department consists of three divisions: Traffic Division, Radio Communication Division and Telephone & Landline Division. The Traffic Division designs, installs, and maintains the City's traffic signal control system and all related traffic control infrastructure. |
| City of Green | Represents the various government departments and agencies of the City of Green. |
| City of Green Communications Department | The Communications Department is responsible for disseminating City government information to the media and residents of Green. Communications tools utilized by the Department include: community text alerts, emergency alerts, newsletters, social media and website. |
| City of Green Engineering Department | The Engineering Department is responsible for the planning, design, and construction of public improvement projects within the City of Green. |
| City of Green Public Service Department | The Public Service Department is responsible for providing maintenance and upkeep services for the City's roadways, including snow plowing and road resurfacing, among others. |
| City of Hudson | Represents the various government departments and agencies of the City of Hudson. |
| City of Hudson Department of Public Works | The Department of Public Works is responsible for providing maintenance and upkeep services for the City's roadways and public infrastructure, including snow plowing and road resurfacing, among others. |
| City of Hudson Engineering Department | The Engineering Department is responsible for the planning, design, and construction of public improvement projects within the City of Hudson. |
| City of Hudson Police Department | The Police Department provides various law enforcement services to the City's residents, including 911 call–taking and dispatch. |
| City of Kent | Represents the various government departments and agencies of the City of Kent. |
| City of Kent Engineering Division | The Engineering Division is responsible for the planning, design, and construction of public improvement projects within the City of Kent. |
| City of Kent Public Safety Department | Includes the following departments: Fire/EMS and Police. The Public Safety Department provides emergency call–taking and dispatch services to the City's residents. |
| City of Kent Public Service Department | The Public Service Department is responsible for all improvements to public works and improvements, construction, engineering, and inspections. The Department consists of six divisions: Central Maintenance, Engineering, Trash Services, Vehicle Maintenance, Water Reclamation and Water Treatment. |
| City of Stow Department of Public Service | The Department of Public Service is responsible for all improvements to public works, including road construction, engineering, street maintenance, snow removal, storm water management and water distribution. |
| City of Stow Police Department | The Police Department provides various law enforcement services to the City's residents, including 911 call–taking and dispatch. |
| City of Twinsburg Division of Public Works | The Division of Public Works is responsible for providing maintenance and upkeep services for the City's roadways, including snow plowing and ice removal. |
| City of Twinsburg Engineering Division | The Engineering Division is responsible for the design and construction of public improvement projects within the City of Twinsburg, including roads, sewers, waterlines, stormwater facilities and public buildings. |
| City of Twinsburg Police Department | The Police Department provides various law enforcement services to the City's residents, including 911 call–taking and dispatch. |
| Counties and Cities | Represents the various government departments and agencies of municipalities and counties other than those specifically called out in the architecture. |
| County and City Law Enforcement Agencies | Represents county and city level law enforcement agencies throughout the state. |
| County and City Public Safety Agencies | Represents public safety agencies at the county and city level, including fire and rescue departments throughout the state. |
| County and City Public Works Departments | Represents county and city level public works departments, including engineering/road/traffic departments, throughout the state. |
| Cyclists | Represents those using non–motorized travel modes, and in particular bicyclists that sometimes share motor vehicle lanes. |
| DriveOhio | DriveOhio is Ohio's center for smart mobility. Ohio is home to dozens of public and private entities all involved in the design, development, testing, use and regulation of autonomous and connected technologies. DriveOhio brings all of these organizations together under one umbrella, serving as the hub for all things autonomous and connected in Ohio. Supported by the Ohio Department of Transportation, DriveOhio also works to ensure Ohio's regulatory environment and public policies are conducive to the development of the infrastructure and technologies needed for smart mobility. |
| Driver | Represents the person that operates a vehicle on the roadway, including operators of private, transit, commercial, and emergency vehicles. |
| EZfare | |
| Fleet and Freight Managers | Represents the people that are responsible for the dispatching and management of commercial vehicle fleets and freight equipment assets. |
| General Public | Represents the collection of all end–users of the transportation system within the Akron region. |
| Local Media | Television, Radio, and Print Media. Includes TV network affiliates. |
| METRO Regional Transit Authority (METRO) | Public transportation provider for Summit County. As of 2019, METRO's fleet totaled 188 passenger revenue vehicles. Also has fixed–route service called the Northcoast Express that take riders from METRO's downtown transit center to Cleveland. |
| NOAA | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which includes the National Weather Service. NOAA forecasts weather and monitors oceanic and atmospheric conditions in the U.S. |
| ODOT | The Ohio Department of Transportation is responsible for developing and maintaining all state and federal roadways in the state of Ohio with exception of the Ohio Turnpike. In addition to highways, the department also helps develop public transportation and public aviation programs. The Ohio DOT is headquartered in Columbus and has divided the state into 12 districts in order to facilitate regional development. Each district is responsible for the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of the state and federal highways in their district. |
| Ohio Department of Public Safety | The Ohio Department of Public Safety serves and protects the safety and security of Ohioans through six divisions: Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Emergency Management Agency, Emergency Medical Services, Homeland Security, Highway Patrol, and Office of Criminal Justice Services. One of their tasks includes obtaining all crash data for the State of Ohio. |
| Ohio Emergency Management Agency | A division of the Ohio Department of Public Safety, the Ohio Emergency Management Agency coordinates activities to mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters, both natural and man–made. The agency interfaces with local, state and federal agencies in an effort to bring resources of recovery and support to Ohioans impacted by the disaster. Ohio EMA agency activities, in addition to disaster response and recovery include: education, training, planning, preparedness, strengthening Ohio's first responder capabilities and improving communication across the state. Ohio EMA's current staffing roster includes nine field liaison positions, each responsible for liaison with and assistance to approximately nine county emergency management agencies. The state is separated geographically into the following sections: northwest, west north central, west central, southwest, central, northeast, north central, east central, southeast and south central. |
| Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) | The Ohio State Highway Patrol is an internationally accredited agency whose mission is to protect life and property, promote traffic safety and provide professional public safety services with respect, compassion, and unbiased professionalism. The Patrol offers statewide emergency response services, investigates criminal activities on state–owned property, and provides security for the Governor and other dignitaries. The Ohio State Highway Patrol is comprised of 8 offices: Field Operations, Finance and Logistic Services, Licensing and Commercial Standards, Technology and Communication Services, Recruitment and Training, Strategic Services, Investigative Services, and Human Resource Management. |
| Ohio State University | Represents the various departments of the Ohio State University. Departments represented include the Department of Public Safety, the Transportation and Parking Services Department, and the Engineering Department. The Department of Public Safety provides law enforcement, security services, emergency management planning and other public safety services designed to enhance a safe and secure environment on campus. Transportation & Parking Services provides services and support to help create and maintain a safe and orderly campus environment for pedestrians and vehicle operators while also providing a broad range of parking and transportation services. Transportation & Parking consists of many different services designed to address the needs of the University community. These include Campus Area Bus Service; Charter Bus services; construction coordination as it relates to impacts to streets and parking areas; Handivan paratransit services; Vehicle rental services for departmental business; motorist assistance for campus customers; parking enforcement and traffic support; parking and vehicle maintenance services; special events management; traffic signal coordination and repair. The Engineering Department provides transportation research utilizing data from the Columbus Traffic Management Center (TMC). |
| Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission (OTIC) | Represents the agency responsible for operation and maintenance of the 241–mile Ohio Toll Road. Agency is a separate organization from the Ohio DOT. |
| Other Municipalities Maintenance/Service Departments | Represents the public service/maintenance/street departments of other municipalities and townships located in the region that are not specifically called out in the Architecture. |
| Other Municipalities Public Safety Departments | Represents the public safety (i.e., Police, Fire, EMS) departments of other municipalities and townships located in the region that are not specifically called out in the Architecture. |
| Other Municipalities Public Works/Engineering Departments | Represents the public works/engineering departments of other municipalities and townships located in the region that are not specifically called out in the Architecture. |
| Passengers | Represents passengers riding in motorized vehicles. |
| Pedestrians | Represents people who travel by foot. |
| Portage Area Regional Transportation Authority (PARTA) | Regional transportation authority for Portage County. PARTA currently operates 8 fixed routes that service Akron, Brimfield, Cleveland, Franklin Township, Garrettsville, Hiram, Kent, Ravenna, Ravenna Twp., Rootstown, Stow, Streetsboro, and Windham. Routes run Monday – Friday from 6 AM to 11 PM and Saturday from 8 AM to 7:30 PM. Also operates 4 on–campus fixed routes at Kent State University. |
| Portage County | |
| Portage County Emergency Management Agency | The Portage County EMA is responsible for the coordination and management of crisis situations, such as hazardous materials and disasters, among others. The EMA serves as the daily representatives for the Portage County Local Emergency Planning Committee, which oversees the collaborative that includes the Portage County Fire Chiefs' Association, the Hazardous Materials Response Team, and Urban Search & Rescue funding. |
| Portage County Engineer | The Portage County Engineer is responsible for the planning, design, and construction of public improvement projects for all County–owned roadways and bridges. This includes providing services such as snow removal and pavement resurfacing, as well as operating and maintaining the County's ITS infrastructure. The Engineer also serves as advisor to the 18 Boards of Township Trustees for all townships within Portage County and is responsible for maintaining and repairing all Township highways, as well as bridges which measure a span of 10 feet or larger. |
| Portage County Sheriff Office | The Sheriff's Office provides law enforcement services, 911 emergency call–taking and dispatch, and other public safety services in Portage County. |
| Private Companies | Represents private companies that provide various transportation information and services to the transportation agencies and the general public traveling along roadways. Including towing and recovery service providers throughout the state. |
| Private Fleet and Freight Operators | Private owners of commercial vehicles that carry goods throughout the region. |
| Private Rail Operators | Private railroad companies that operate and maintain railroad systems in the region. |
| Public Agencies | This stakeholder group represents state, regional, county and city public agencies. |
| Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) | Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) regulates providers of all kinds of utility services, including rail and trucking companies. The PUCO and the Ohio State Highway Patrol work to ensure that commercial vehicles are traveling safely throughout Ohio. PUCO inspectors regularly conduct roadside safety inspections on CMVs and follow a thorough process to make sure both the driver and vehicle are compliant with state and federal regulations. |
| Regional Event Operators | Represents special event sponsors and organizers that have knowledge of events that may impact travel on roadways or other modal means. Examples of regional event operators include sporting events, conventions, motorcades/parades, and public/political events. These operators interface to the ITS to provide event information such as date, time, estimated duration, location, and any other information pertinent to traffic movement in the surrounding area. |
| Research Institutes | Represents research institutes or research centers that perform transportation–related research. |
| Social Networking Firms | Private firms that maintains websites and other social networking platforms that gather and distribute traveler information. |
| South Summit Council of Governments | The South Summit Council of Governments (SSCOG) was created in November 2020 with the City of Green and City of New Franklin as its founding members. SSCOG is governed by the Chief Executives of each City. The primary goal was to form a new regional emergency dispatch center to serve Green and New Franklin. This new center went into operation on May 11, 2021 as the South Summit Dispatch Center. |
| Southwest Summit Council of Governments | The Southwest Summit Council of Governments (SWSCOG) was created in January 2013 with the communities of Copley and Springfield Townships and the cities of Barberton and Norton as its founding members. The primary goal was to form a new regional emergency dispatch center, Southwest Summit Communications (SWSCOM), to jointly serve the four communities by handling all police, fire, and EMS calls for them. |
| Summit County Division of Public Safety | The Division of Public Safety develops and coordinates efforts to enhance public safety and well–being for Summit County's 31 communities. The Division of Public Safety consists of four entities: Emergency Management Agency, Office of Justice Affairs, Summit County – City of Akron 800MHZ Regional Radio System and the Consolidated Computer–Aided Dispatch System. |
| Summit County Engineer Office | The Engineer Office maintains nearly 200 miles of county roads and almost 300 bridges throughout Summit County. The Engineer Office's responsibilities include: design, construction, inspection, and maintenance of county highways, bridges, and dedicated ditches; installation, inspection, and maintenance of traffic safety equipment, signs, traffic control devices, and pavement markings on county highways and bridges; snow and ice removal on county highways and in other communities by agreement; engineering design and other services to Summit County's townships; intermodal and regional transportation planning; coordination of local efforts to procure state and federal funding for infrastructure improvements; among others. |
| Summit County Sheriff Office | The Sheriff's Office provides law enforcement, emergency call–taking and dispatch services. |
| University of Akron | Represents the University of Akron, which provides a fixed–route transit service called the Roo Express Shuttle Service. |