Personal Mobility

In recent years, a growing number of metropolitan areas around the world have
introduced electronic payment media, particularly smart cards, as a means of linking fare
payments among the various transit agencies – and in some cases with other entities as
well. In addition to transit fare payment, smart cards are being introduced for an
increasingly wide range of applications, including toll and parking payments, financial
services, mobile commerce, security/access/identification and loyalty purchase programs.
The processing and storage capabilities of these cards have made it possible to consider
multiapplication programs, including two or more of these uses on a single card. Such
arrangements offer the potential to increase customer convenience – for all participating
applications – as well as to spread card issuance costs. There is considerable potential to
link transit payment with one or more other types of function in a multiapplication
arrangement.  

The use of smart cards has thus created the opportunity for establishment of new types of
partnerships – while also facilitating the introduction of new (i.e., automated) fare media
distribution methods. This paper discusses smart card developments and impacts on
customers and agencies, also reviews related emerging applications and partnerships.

TranSystems Corp.

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

The Metropolitan Intelligent Transportation System Integration (MITSI) project was established to be a technology role model for sharing transportation data, so that transportation and device control could be exchanged among legacy systems such as those found in NaviGAtor, City of Atlanta E911, and the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA).   
This Case Study investigated the institutional issues and processes impacting MITSI as of the conclusion of Phase 1.  Recommendations to improve the project were prepared based on these observations and actions taken during Phase 2.  This process, recommendations and the results of actions taken are documented to share this information with sponsors of similar projects.

Georgia Department of Transportation

NET

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

Previous research using a simulated yoked trial evaluation methodology showed that commuter benefits from a notification-based pre-trip traveler information service are highly concentrated for congested PM peak trips.  One implication of this finding is that traveler information benefits increase with increasing congestion.  This paper explores how much benefit pre-trip traveler
information provides on some of the worst commuting days in Washington, DC.  The worst commuting days were determined as those having the highest system-wide aggregate travel times.  The impacts on the worst commuting days were significant for a simulated commuter who did not rely on traveler information; typically, the number of late trips doubled and travel disutility cost jumped by 30%.  The benefits of pre-trip traveler information were high on the worst commuting days; lateness risk was cut by more than half, and travel disutility cost was reduced by more than 20%.  The ten worst days garnered 9% of the total annual benefits, which was equivalent to a total savings of $17.  On the worst commuting days, simulated users of pre-trip traveler information changed routes or trip start time or both on nearly 70% of the trips. KEYWORDS:  Advanced Traveler Information Services, HOWLATE, travel time, on-time
reliability, benefits.

Mitretek Systems

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

Users of real-time traffic information want to know how long their trips are going to take in order to choose between alternate routes or modes, determine when to leave, or adjust their schedules if necessary. This has spurred interest among traffic managers to estimate point-to-point travel times as part of Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS). Of course, it is impossible to always predict point-to-point travel times with perfect accuracy. There are numerous sources of potential error including the reliability of sensors, the calculation of travel time from sensor measurements, and the inability to accurately forecast how conditions will change over the course of a pending trip.

In this paper we underscore the importance of measuring the accuracy of ATIS travel time estimates, discuss the pros and cons of different data collection techniques and provide cost estimates for sufficient studies. This may be as simple as driving a moderately-equipped probe vehicle to measure “ground truth” travel times. Probe vehicle techniques are the best approach to assess the accuracy of an ATIS that covers a number of segments in a metropolitan network. We estimate that 100 probe vehicle runs would comprise a sufficient study for an average sized metropolitan area. Collecting this much data would cost approximately $21,000.

Day-to-day travel time variability is a key indicator for how accurate ATIS travel time estimates need to be. An error of 20% is a suitable initial target, though this value may vary significantly by metropolitan area. Under ideal circumstances, one could calculate network-wide variability using archived ATIS travel time estimates. However, if these estimates are shown to be inaccurate based on the ground truth data obtained from the probe vehicle study, this would lead to an inaccurate estimate of variability. Therefore, if travel time estimation error is 20% or worse, additional field data using license plate matching techniques should be taken for the purpose of accurately characterizing day-to- day variability. For a single study, we estimate this would cost approximately $48,000.

Mitretek Systems, Inc.

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

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the types of information transit agencies can share as part of an integrated regional ITS solution and discuss technical keys to successful participation by transit agencies in a regional ITS solution.

Integration of intelligent transportation systems is still largely defined and implemented on a region-by-region basis. While much good work has been done to define a national ITS architecture and associated standards, ultimately the work of a region’s planners and agencies leads to a successful implementation of integrated intelligent transportation systems that will result in increased mobility, safety, and security for the people using a region’s transportation network. It takes a shared regional vision to implement a successful integrated regional ITS solution. Once a shared vision has been established and embraced, then a thorough understanding of the current state of ITS standards, technologies, and architectures is needed to make the vision a reality. This paper discusses the importance of a shared vision in the successful realization of an integrated ITS solution. It then turns it focus to transit’s role in an integrated ITS solution discussing the types of information a transit agency produces that is off value to a regional ITS solution and the types of information from other regional entities which a transit agency may wish to be a consumer. The author then addresses the issues of ITS standards, technologies, and architectures as they relate to transit. The paper concludes with a summary of keys to a successful regional ITS solution.

Siemens Transportation Systems, Inc.

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