Cross-cutting Issues

This paper details information on the development of a guidance document for implementing real-time transit information systems that is scheduled to be published by the Federal Transit Administration in the second quarter of 2003. The guidance document is intended to provide relevant and practical information on planning, implementation, operational, and maintenance issues along with any solutions to the challenges faced by transit agencies that have successfully implemented real-time information systems. The background research for this guidance document included a literature review on existing systems and site visits and telephone interviews of key staff at selected transit agencies that have successfully deployed real-time transit information systems.

Battelle Memorial Institute

Multisystems

Federal Transit Administration

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

This paper presents an application of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) to road pricing. Two possible ITS technologies applying Global Positioning Systems (GPS) are examined. A case study of electronic road pricing for Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) is described, showing the potential benefits to be achieved with its introduction. The paper also presents the estimated costs to implement the proposed ITS technologies. It concludes showing that ITS applications to road pricing can decrease possible equity distortions among HGVs operators.

DIW - German Institute for Economic Research

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

Many operating agencies, throughout the world, have implemented computerized, traffic adaptive, signal control systems in the last several decades. Many latest traffic signal control and management methods, currently being used, are somewhat inadequate to handle the dynamic traffic demand growths in most rural tourist attractions in the ever-changing rural environment. On the other hand, tremendous advancement has been made in the traffic control system hardware, system optimization/simulation software, local signal controller, traffic data collection, and system performance evaluation technologies to support the implementation of these advanced traffic management strategies. This paper reviews recent computerized traffic signal control system technologies, growing users’ operational needs, and implementation considerations for the increasingly critical rural traffic management.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

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

The Chicago Traffic Management Center (Chicago TMC) Preliminary Design Study initiated by the City of Chicago Department of Transportation’s (CDOT) Bureau of Traffic (BOT)moves the City of Chicago (City) closer to coordinating vital traffic services and information in a more efficient manner. The improvement on existing services will provide the residents and visitors of the City more accurate travel information and improved mobility along City streets during special events and incidents by coordinating City transportation service personnel.

The goal of the study was to develop preliminary design documents at approximately the 30% level. These design documents would include both architectural and system specifications. This paper highlights the milestones of the Chicago TMC study and presents key information concerning the direction and design of the Chicago TMC.

Chicago DOT

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

Many technological advances have enabled new methods of collecting transportation data that can be used to plan and maintain effective roadway policies. Automated license plate reading technologies are beginning to gain acceptance because of the wide range of applications to which they can be applied. Typically, automatic license plate reading (ALPR) systems are used for enforcement type applications and data collection applications including parking lot management, origin-destination studies, traffic flow studies, high occupancy vehicle analysis, and weigh in motion systems. An ALPR system consists of three main components; a device for detecting vehicle presence, a digital video camera and an image processor. The image processor identifies the license plate according to embedded pattern recognition algorithms. The accuracy of the pattern recognition algorithms used in the image processor is an important concern when evaluating ALPR systems. The required accuracy depends on the application. For example, an enforcement application may require a high degree of accuracy while a traffic flow study may only require that an image obtained at an entry point be matched to an image obtained at an exit point. Other issues for consideration when evaluating ALPR systems are mobility and simplicity of use, range of vehicle types that can be read, necessary lighting conditions, range of states of origin that can be read, range of vehicular volumes and speeds that do not overload the image processor, and human impact/public relations.

Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Arkansas

United States Navy

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