Commercial Operations

This paper describes  in detail  some of the essentials of the  Ethernet  standard, common
misconceptions of the technology, and key issues that need to be addressed prior to deployment of it for  Intelligent Transportation Systems.  Since Ethernet is the most prevalent networking standard in the world today due to its flexibility, reliability and cost effectiveness, it is these same features that have made Ethernet a solid choice for many ITS communications networks being implemented in the new millennium.  However, there are certain portions of the standard that are actually constraining for ITS networks, but innovative techniques and methods of implementation enable ITS engineers to maintain compliance with the standard while accommodating the  rigorous  demands of ITS communications networks.  Some of these constraints include transmission distances, the CSMA/CD algorithm, and the fact that many ITS field devices are not “Ethernet-ready”, or Ethernet devices are not “ITS ready”.   Another constraining factor includes the lack of environmental, shock and vibration  tolerance for outdoor applications with most Ethernet gear.  Cities such as San Francisco, California, Orlando, Florida and Arlington, Texas are utilizing it for their new city-wide ITS networks, and many others are considering it as part of their ITS Master Plans.

DKS Associates

City and County of San Francisco

Presented at the ITS America Annual Conference and Exposition, April 26 - 28, 2004 San Antonio, Texas

Transit Operations Decision Support Systems (TODSS) are systems designed to support
dispatchers and others in real-time operations management in response to incidents, special
events, and other changing conditions in order to improve operating speeds, reduce passenger
wait times, and restore service when disruptions occur.  As part of a joint Federal Transit
Administration (FTA) and ITS Joint Program Office (JPO) project the “Transit Operations
Decision Support Systems (TODSS): Core Functional Requirements For Identification Of
Service Disruptions And Provision Of Service Restoration Options 1.0” were completed in April
2003.  This paper provides a overview of the TODSS Core Functional Requirements, their
development, and potential next steps.

Mitretek Systems

FHWA ITS Joint Program Office

Federal Transit Administration Office of Mobility Innovation

Presented at the ITS America Annual Conference and Exposition, April 26 - 28, 2004 San Antonio, Texas

This paper analyzed the spatial and temporal evolution of non-recurrent congestion occurred
on  a  3-lane  freeway  in  peak  hour  using  microscopic  simulation  software  VISSIM.  Time
series  data  of  vehicular  speed,  travel  time  delay,  queue  length  and  propagation  speed  of
accident impact were extracted from a developed VISSIM model. The results enabled a better
understanding of the spatial-temporal congestion characteristics such as queue length. This is
instrumental  for developing Advanced Traveler  Information Systems  (ATIS)  and  advanced
incident management system such as where to place a Variable Message Sign (VMS), or how
to update upstream ramp control strategies. In addition, this information can also be used for
Benefit-Cost (B/C) analysis for project development purposes.

Parsons Corporation

California Department of Transportation

Presented at the ITS America Annual Conference and Exposition, November 16-20, 2008, New York, New York

States have the responsibility of carefully monitoring commercial vehicles. Commercial vehicles must be registered in states where they intend to operate. Then the operators of these vehicles are required to pay the appropriate registration fees and taxes and abide by state and federal safety regulations. Various enforcement techniques are used to insure that commercial vehicle operators are abiding by these rules and regulations.

Most states use some combination of fixed inspection stations and mobile enforcement teams to accomplish this task. Mobile teams typically consist of temporary roadside inspection locations and/or roving patrols. These different enforcement methods are used to target as many commercial vehicles as possible. For instance, fixed stations are located on major roadways where commercial vehicle traffic is heavy. Temporary locations and roving patrols are used in areas where there is no fixed station and enforcement is still needed. The commercial vehicle traffic is typically not as heavy in these locations.

The Remote Monitoring System (RMS) was developed to supplement commercial vehicle monitoring programs. The RMS is an image capture system that takes images of commercial vehicles and sends them to a nearby weigh station. The RMS is working 24 hours a day. Therefore, in a sense, it is a “fixed” station. Commercial vehicle operators can’t be sure when the system is being monitored however. The system is relatively inexpensive and can be deployed at a variety of locations.

University of Kentucky - Kentucky Transportation Center

Presented at the 11th ITS Annual Conference and Exposition, June 4-7, 2001 Miami Beach, Florida

As we can expect that in a near future many vehicles will embed a front camera,
using the onboard camera for traffic density and flow measurement is a desirable feature for
traffic management systems. In this paper, we describe the implementation of the embedded
traffic flow measurement subsystem of the REACT and COM2REACT European Projects.
The “Traffic Sensor” includes a vehicle detection subsystem, a lane detection subsystem, and
proposes a flow estimation method. This application has been implemented and tested on a
fleet of 4 Citroën C3 vehicles, and is currently in a validation phase.

Mines Paris / ParisTech

Presented at the ITS America Annual Conference and Exposition, November 16-20, 2008, New York, New York