Cross-cutting Issues

This paper discusses an on-line, trail-and-error implementation of marginal-cost pricing for networks with users whose values of travel time vary, whose demand functions are unknown, and whose route choices conform to random-utility maximization. It is an extension of Yang et al’s (2003) calculations of optimal congestion tolls with homogenous travelers and hortest-path
choices. The numerical example suggests the iterative procedure does converge in searching the optimal tolls.
Key Words: Marginal cost pricing, congestion pricing

Wilbur Smith Associates

The University of Texas at Austin

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

The Indianapolis Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) is part of a statewide intelligent transportation system (ITS) implementation. Known as TrafficWise, the system is being commissioned by the Indiana Department of Transportation. The Indianapolis ATMS will be the largest ITS deployment in the state, covering over 125 miles of expressway in and around the Indianapolis metropolitan area. The system will employ nearly 200 detector stations, 100 cameras, 20 dynamic message signs (DMS), 5 highway advisory radio (HAR) transmitters, and 12 HAR flasher signs.

Northrop Grumman Corporation

HNTB Corporation

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

TransCore ITS, Inc. was selected by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works
(County or LACO DPW) to establish a coordinated network for sharing information and control
of the various traffic control systems along the I-210/Foothill Freeway using a common network
backbone based on the Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA).  Sharing
information and control along the I-210 Corridor is intended to improve coordination between
systems along the arterial street system, improve response management in the event of an
incident or special events along the freeway or surface streets, and provide a seamless view of
traffic flow between jurisdictions throughout Los Angeles County.  TransCore has overall
technical responsibility to design, develop, and implement the San Gabriel Valley Pilot Project’s
Information Exchange (SGVPP IEN).
This paper discusses the project history behind the IEN’s development, lists the IEN’s
operational goals, identifies participating Stakeholders, describes the IEN’s system design,
presents the IEN’s functionality and graphical user interfaces (GUIs), and identifies the IEN’s
“Next Steps”.

TransCore

Los Angeles County Department of Public Works

Metropolitan Transportation Authority

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

Simulation is being used increasingly as an off-line tool for testing
various controls and for selecting/evaluating alternative designs before actual
implementation. Several traffic simulation models have been developed for different
purposes over the years. In order to validate the simulation models as effective and
appropriate tools, many studies have contributed to simulator evaluation. However, the
majority of the evaluation studies were qualitative based on feature availability. This
paper presents a comprehensive procedure for selecting a microscopic simulator among
several alternatives. The procedure uses both qualitative and quantitative evaluation
criteria and incorporates room for user’s priorities by assigning weights to each feature of
evaluation. The proposed procedure was used by two different users to select a simulator
of their preference based on their modeling priorities from two widely used simulators,
AIMSUN and VISSIM. Although both simulators are reasonably accurate in simulating a
real freeway of medium complexity it can be easily seen from the results selection of the
best in this case is highly subjective since the simulators are at the top of the ones
available in practice.  

University of Minnesota

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

The introduction of Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) systems in toll plazas has greatly benefited travelers using toll facilities.  At the same time, the segregation of customers into ETC and CASH vehicles has the potential to create queue formations under high traffic demand conditions that can interact with the spatial limitations of the plaza. These interactions could produce significant inefficiencies within the plaza, and could promote safety problems. This paper presents a description of a new microsimulation model named GENTOPS that describes traffic flow within toll plazas of virtually any geometric configuration.  The major design features of GENTOPS are presented.  Then model calibration and validation issues are discussed.  To illustrate some of the model’s capabilities, an analysis conducted with GENTOPS of a toll plaza in New York State is presented.

KLD Associates, Inc.

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