Cross-cutting Issues

This paper presents a research of an adaptive information system to provide designated information to selected pedestrian groups, aiming to reduce congestion and achieve better system efficiency. This approach, in a broader sense, suggests the possibility of changing travelers’ route-choosing behavior and improving transportation system effectiveness by distributing designed information to selected groups in an adaptive manner, rather than distributing homogeneous information to the whole population as in traditional information systems. Both conceptual analysis and simulations show that this approach could alleviate congestion and reduce pedestrian journey time in transit facilities.

Authors: Xi Zou, Lei Guo

Presented at the 18th World Congress on ITS, October 2011, Orlando, Florida

In this paper, we present adaptations of the A* algorithm for computing shortest paths between an origin node and a destination node in dynamic networks for one or multiple departure times. We give some properties of dynamic networks on which the dynamic adaptations of the A* algorithm are based. We develop efficient lower bounds on minimum travel times that exploit these properties. These lower bounds are then exploited to design efficient adaptations of the A* algorithm to solve instances of the one-to-one dynamic shortest path problem. The adapted algorithms are implemented and their computational performance is experimentally evaluated and tested. Using randomly generated networks, we show that the computer implementations of these adaptations can lead to a saving ratio of 11, in terms of number of nodes selected, and a saving ratio of 5 in terms of computation times for a network with 3000 nodes 10000 links and 100 time intervals. It is also shown that the savings increase with the network size.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Presented at the 10th ITS Annual Conference and Exposition, May 1-4, 2000 Boston, MA

Many “players” have been involved in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) for a long time, beginning in earnest with the USDOT Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII) program.  Each player has a vision for their role in the future of ITS.  In recent years, with the declining economy and more conservative investments in technology research, the ITS landscape has changed.  Players have had to adapt, evolve and innovate to stay relevant in the ever-changing ITS puzzle.  This paper presents the story of one such ITS technology evolution.  From the 2008 World Congress demonstration success of a Cooperative Pedestrian Warning System, to a stand-alone prototype Universal Pedestrian Warning System, to a new Infrastructure Basic Safety Message (BSM) Generator in support of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) safety applications being showcased at the 2011 World Congress on ITS, the key to success has been adapt, evolve and innovate.

Author: J.R. Richardson

Presented at the 18th World Congress on ITS, October 2011, Orlando, Florida

As part of the Virginia Department of Transportation’s operations program, a significant emphasis is being placed on deploying Active Traffic Management (ATM) tools in both urban and rural areas. Two projects have attracted the attention of the governor, which has resulted in the projects reaching the highest level of priority – a full ATM deployment along I-66, the most congested corridor in Northern Virginia (just outside Washington, DC), and a fog warning system with variable speed limit and queue warning signage on I-77 in western Virginia. This paper presents an overview of these two projects, which demonstrate how ATM could provide benefits both for recurring and non-recurring congestion in metropolitan areas as well as weather-related traffic conditions in rural areas.

Virginia DOT

Iteris Inc.

Presented at the 18th World Congress on ITS, October 2011, Orlando, Florida

The Illinois Department of Transportation’s (IDOT’s) ITS Program Office has served
as the home for the Gary-Chicago-Milwaukee (GCM) Corridor’s Gateway Traveler
Information System and www.gcmtravel.com web site. In 2007, IDOT completed a
transition of Gateway hardware, software, communications and operations to IDOT’s
Traffic Systems Center (TSC) in Oak Park, Illinois. The transition required that little
or no impact be experienced by the traveling public and the partner agencies sharing
Center-to-Center data via the Gateway. The effort required a carefully designed and
executed plan that addressed all partner agencies, third party traffic information
service providers, and a variety of IDOT departments, while recognizing the traveling
public reliance on www.gcmtravel.com for traveler information.

Illinois Department of Transportation

University of Illinois

Delcan

Presented at the 15th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems, November 16-20, 2008, New York, New York