Personal Mobility

Using a lateral driver assist system for snowplow operators as an example, the impact on driver performance of subtle changes in control laws was explored. The display for the driver assist system provided integrated information on current lateral position, road orientation and curvature, and a prediction of future location. Changes in driver performance were seen by modifying the gains for terms within the prediction control law. Most notably, removal of the prediction feature or road orientation led to substantially decreased performance. Gain increases above one in the road orientation term led to improved speed, lateral positioning, and steering wheel standard deviation due to the stability improvement of the driver assist system.

University of California, Berkeley - California Partners for Advanced Transit and Highways (PATH)

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

Freeway congestion is an ever-increasing problem. With limited funding, building bigger roads is not always an option. So we look to traffic management strategies in order to optimize traffic flow efficiency and safety. Of those strategies, this paper addresses Motorist Information. The Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) has been on the leading edge with their Motorist Information efforts.

Within this paper we will provide background information regarding Mn/DOT’s Traffic Management Center. Again, Mn/DOT was on the leading edge when it was opened in 1972. But the truly impressive expansion of the system came during the 1980’s and 1990’s. Our surveillance increased from 32 CCTV cameras to now more then 240. In addition, we have a fully automated system of more then 400 ramp meters, a continually expanding changeable message sign (CMS) system and the previously mentioned Advanced Traveler Information Systems are described.

This paper will also explain how the low power Highway Advisory Radio (HAR) was initially considered for dissemination of traffic information. But it was determined it would not be as effective as would be needed. So the concept of partnering with the Minneapolis Public Schools (MSP) was presented. There had been nothing like this previously or since. Mn/DOT’s Traffic Radio is the only one of it’s kind in the United States. The partnership includes an amount paid by Mn/DOT to MPS for traffic reports, originating from the Mn/DOT Traffic Management Center, to be broadcast at ten minute intervals from 6:00-9:00 A.M. and 3:30-7:00 P.M., Monday through Friday.

Once Traffic Radio was established it was decided that we needed to provide more options for motorists to receive our information. The idea was that we would provide the most accurate information to everyone regardless of where they were. So through our own development and partnerships we now have Motorist Information available through the Internet, television and the telephone. This paper will identify and describe each of these strategies. And finally, what the future holds.

Minnesota Department of Transportation

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

Real-time transit passenger information systems are intended to improve the level of service provided by transit agencies. Such systems provide real-time information on when buses on specified routes are expected to arrive to a bus stop. Although such information is assumed to be of benefit, methods for evaluating these benefits under various conditions are limited. This paper expands upon the functionality and application of an evaluation methodology recently developed by the authors. The methodology focuses on the potential benefits of bus arrival information systems to passengers waiting at bus stops under various supply and demand characteristics. Transit bus operations and passenger arrivals are modeled as a stochastic system where the operator uses real-time bus location data to provide to waiting passengers bus arrival time information that maximizes passengers’ utilities. Simulation results reveal the nature of the dependence of the value of such information systems on the type of real-time data available to the operator, bus operations characteristics, and demand patterns. These results indicate that while the first two influence the value of information to passengers, demand patterns do not have a significant impact.

Rabi G. Mishalani, Mark R. McCord, and Sungjoon Lee

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

Presentation

Project Objectives

- Improve customers satisfaction on bus operations

-  Monitor and track bus performance

- Improve bus schedule adherence

-  Maintain even headways between buses

- Assist bus operations planning

- Remote system management

Kang Hu, P.E.

Chun K.Wong, P.E.

Presented at the ITS America Annual Conference and Exposition, April 29 –May 2, 2002 Long Beach, California

The New York City, New Jersey Metropolitan area transit, highway, bridge, and tunnel systems are the arteries that move the life blood in the region. 37 million people live within a 30 mile radius, and tens of millions of annual tourists and business travelers using this transportation network make a significant contribution to the regional economy. Linking the myriad of payments systems into one unified electronic system will improve services, reduce costs, and encourage great use of transit for this market.

This year we will be testing smart cards for New Jersey Transit rail customers traveling to Newark International Airport. These smart cards will be used to access the AirTrain fare gates at the new Northeast Corridor station. Smart cards will also be incorporated next year into the fare payments system for the new John F. Kennedy International Airport AirTrain. At the same time, we are exploring a new PATH fare collection system incorporating both MetroCard and smart card capability. And in time, smart cards will be issued for other New Jersey Transit and Metropolitan Transportation Authority bus and rail riders.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

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