Commercial Operations

FleetForward is an operational test designed to demonstrate the impact of real-time traffic information on commercial vehicle operations, such as dispatching and routing. While real-time data is an important element of transportation condition information, its availability in the operational test also highlights the need for forecasted information. One specific need in FleetForward is the ability to forecast the duration of a current traffic incident.

This paper describes research focused upon forecasting incident duration using nonparametric regression. This forecasting technique is data-driven, as it searches a database to find a neighborhood of past incidents similar to the current incident. The data source for developing this model was the Information Exchange Network (IEN) of the I-95 Corridor Coalition. The general conclusion of this paper is that the quality and scope of the data in the incident database is a major factor in the performance of a forecasting model.

University of Virginia: Smart Travel Laboratory - Department of Civil Engineering

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

This study was performed with a main goal in mind. The goal was to understand and predict “red-lines” and “yellow-lines” in terms of what the commercial vehicle operations (CVO) driver can process without hindering the primary task of driving. An on-the-road experiment was performed with the help of 12 truck drivers. Type of task, presentation format, information density, and age were the independent variables used in the experiment. The 22 dependent measures collected were grouped into the following categories:eye glance measures, longitudinal driving performance, lateral driving performance, secondary task performance, and subjective assessment.

The findings of this study strongly suggest that under no circumstances should Paragraphs be used to present information to the driver while the vehicle is in motion. On the other hand, the Graphics with Icons represent the most appropriate format in which driving instructions and information should be presented for IVIS/CVO tasks. In order to avoid a high visual attention demand to the driver due to a secondary task, only simple search tasks with the most important information should be presented. Although the suggested format, type of task, and information density represent a higher visual attention demand than a conventional secondary task, these characteristics seem to bind a task with a moderate attentional demand. Other combinations of format, type of task, and information density will cause an increase in the driver’s attentional demand that will consequently deteriorate his/her driving performance causing unsafe driving situations.

Virginia Tech Transportation Institute

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

In May, 1997 the Strategic Plan for Early Deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems on Interstate 40 Corridor was completed. In that report there were short-term (1997 – 1999), mid-term (2000 – 2005), and long-term (2006 – 2010) time frames set to deploy the ITS-I40 market packages. Success has been limited in terms of what was proposed for deployment due to several factors. This paper focuses on not only what has actually been done in terms of the plan, but is a report on some of the obstacles that were not initially recognized and subsequently impacted the original deployment plan. The short-term market packages that were identified generally focused on traveler and traffic information. The mid-term market packages expanded the short-term deployment packages with a focus on incident management and traveler safety. The long-term market packages included the preceding packages and vehicle – roadway interactive packages. The short-term successes include the installation of VMS (Variable Message Signs), RWIS (Remote Weather Information Systems), implementation of HCRS (Highway Closure and Restriction System), the deployment of the VRAS (Voice Remote Access System), and entering into a Traveler Information Partnership. The areas where there has been no success is the interface with the public media, deployment of kiosks, performance monitoring and evaluation, real time coordination in CVO (Commercial Vehicle Operations), and the deployment of FM Travel Advisory Radio. The first limiting factor and probably the one with the most impact is that of funding. The Holbrook, Flagstaff, and Kingman Districts have funded some of the VMS and RWIS projects with their own funding and there is now funding in the capital improvement program for VMS over the next five plus years, but many of the other items are having to be funded through maintenance and other sources. Another funding issue is that of operations and maintenance which is estimated to cost $41 million over 15 years. Other factors include lack of buy in from the critical stakeholders on what needed to be done and how it would be accomplished; lack of coordination between Districts regarding capital improvements and projects along with an infrastructure to share information; and, line personnel have been slow to use available information to make tactical decisions. Other obstacles include the change in the stakeholders. Approximately half the ITS-I40 coalition has changed in some way and there has been very little effort to continue to have the coalition help educate and inform others as to the advantages of the planned deployment. The lack of continuing feedback to the stakeholders has limited the success of the deployment plan. Another factor is information dissemination to the users in the corridor. We gather a lot of information but have not found a way to get information in a form for others to use. The ITS-I40 deployment plan is not dead. The factors affecting deployment are being addressed along with the reactivation of the coalition to help guide the effort. To make the deployment plan work there will be a need for a concentrated effort to seek out and address all obstacles.

Arizona Department of Transportation

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

This paper presents a quick overview of four microscopic traffic simulation models and evaluates their performances using a case study of modeling a coordinated signal system. Four models used are CORSIM, Paramics, SIMTRAFFIC, and VISSIM. In order to provide reference performance measures for various traffic signal settings including pretimed and actuated, SYNCHRO program is utilized.

Keywords: Traffic Simulation, Microscopic Simulation, Signalized Intersections, Evaluation, Performance measure, SIMTRAFFIC, CORSIM, VISSIM, and Paramics

University of Virginia

Ajou University

Presented at the ITS America Annual Conference and Exposition, May 19-22, 2003 Minneapolis, Minnesota

Recently developed laser-based systems have the capability to effectively assist drivers in lane keeping without the drawbacks of previous technologies. One of these laser-based systems, serving as a predictor display, was recently tested in a large truck field study. The results suggest that this technology may provide a benefit to novice drivers, serve as a useful training tool, and potentially reduce the number of lane departure crashes.

Virginia Tech

Presented at the ITS America Annual Conference and Exposition, May 19-22, 2003 Minneapolis, Minnesota