Traveller Information and

Traffic Management

TNK052 Jan Lundgren

 Why information?
• People have an imperfect knowledge of the
network and of the travel conditions
• Travel conditions are variable
• Demand exceed capacity at certain locations and times

Information can help

• individuals to make better travel decisions
Advanced Travel Information Systems (ATIS)
• operators to improve the network conditions
Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS)
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 ATIS and ATMS

Static
info Dynamic
info
General
strategy
Control
ATMS Network

Historical
info
Information Changed
ATIS Behavior

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 The traffic market

Traffic management

Traveller
Information Traffic control
and Guidance

Demand Monitoring Supply

Network

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 Types of information
Static
• Pre-trip
• Routes, fares and schedules
• En-route for transit services
• Average traffic conditions
• Yellow page services
Based on
• the past (historical) Dynamic
• the present (current) • Real time traffic conditions
• the future (predicted) • Real-time transit schedules
• Construction sites, events
• Descriptive • Incidents
• Weather conditions
• Recommendations
• Parking lot availability
TNK052 Jan Lundgren
TNK052 Jan Lundgren
 The ITS Information Chain

Transportation system

Data Data Information Information

acquisition processing distribution utilization

ITS user

TNK052 Jan Lundgren

 Important questions

• How do we collect data about the traffic

flows, conditions, in the network?
• How do we process it into information useful
to travellers and operators?
• How do we disseminate the information to
the travellers?
• Of what value is the information?

TNK052 Jan Lundgren

 Data acquisition

What is interesting to know about the traffic system?

• Travel times
• Speeds, flows and densities
• Degree of congestion
• Occupancy, queue-length
• Deviation from normal conditions (incident
detection)
• Hazardous conditions

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 How can we collect data?
From infrastructure
• Loop detectors
• Video image detectors
• Closed circuit television
• Traffic conditions (weather) detectors

From combination of infrastructure and vehicle

• Non-intrusive traffic detectors (ultrasonic, radar, infrared)
and transponder in vehicle

From vehicles (independent of infrastructure)

• Floating cars
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 Using vehicles as probes (1)

Who is the vehicle?

Automatic Vehicle Identification (AVI)
• Coded radio signal (transponder)
• Image processing (number plate)
• GSM

Where is the vehicle?

Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL)
• Transponder
• GPS + digital map

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 Using vehicles as probes (2)

Challenges:
• How can localisation be accurate?
• Which kind of data should be sent? When?
• How do you recognize ”unnormal” conditions?
• How do you build a picture of the overall traffic
conditions from vehicle data?
• How many equipped vehicles are needed?

Relevance/completeness Communication cost

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 Data processing

input Network Prediction Generation action

state of future and selection
estimation state of action

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 Travel time prediction (1)
Who benefits?
• Individuals: commuters, business, non-working
Trip planning, trip chaining, pre-trip and during trip
• Public sector users
Transportation network operators
Emergency service (dispatching and evacuation)
• Freight movers and shippers
• Private passenger fleet operators

TNK052 Jan Lundgren

 Travel time prediction (2)
Key factors for success
• Fare distribution of revenues, costs and risks
• Cooperation between public and private actors
• High quality data fusion and modelling

Discussions
• How can the value be defined and measured?
• Is there really a value? How much do you want to pay?
• Do we need to predict? Historical information OK?
• Can “wrong” information kill the market?
• How can we specialize information for the customer?

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 Types of network modelling

Historical Current Historical

Link flows Link flows Network flows

Predicted Current

Link flows Network flows

Predicted

Network flows

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 Incident detection and management
• What is an incident?
– Recurrent
– Non-recurrent
• Restore traffic conditions in a systematical way
– Detection and verification
– Assessment of severity, identification of resourses needed
– Determination of respons plan
– Clearance and recovery
• Goal:
– Reduce action times and impact of incidents
– Develope effective respons strategies

TNK052 Jan Lundgren

 Information distribution
How do travellers receive information and
guidance?
• Internet, kiosk
• TV (interactive TV)
• Variable Message Signs (VMS)
• Radio (RDS-TMC)
• Portable communication (PC, Cellular phone)
• In-vehicle route guidance systems

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 Information utilization
Traffic control
• Adapted signal control
• Ramp metering
• Lane management
• Speed control

Route guidance
• Variable message signs (VMS)
• In-vehicle systems
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 Route guidance (1)

Why?
• Navigation help in unknow traffic situations
• Choice of route in variable traffic conditions

What is the ”best” route? Criteria?

Guidance can be based on

• Historical information
• Current traffic situation (real-time information)
• Predictions of future traffic situation

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 In-vehicle Route Guidance

Source: CITE – Fundamentals of ITS and Traffic Management, Module 10

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 Route guidance (2)

Discussion:
• How many follow the recommendations? How many ignore?
• How many do the opposite?
• What is the objective for the traffic managers?
• Should all drivers have the same information?
• Who is the winner? Who is the looser?
• How much do you want to pay for the information?

TNK052 Jan Lundgren

 Route guidance (3)
Given a very good prediction of future traffic
condition…..
If a significant number of travellers change their
decision (route)……
…….. the prediction will no longer be valid!

Take the change of behaviour into account when

making the prediction!!!
Æ consistent prediction
Otherwise, conditions may be worse…….

TNK052 Jan Lundgren