This paper examines the role of travel time in the choice of transportation technologies. First, the components of travel time are introduced and compared among alternative modes. Next, a series of highway automation concepts is created, and the time benefits of each are discussed. Finally, the effects of automation on highway performance are modeled and evaluated, first looking at the space efficiency of highways, then measuring the benefits of increased capacity and increased velocity.The paper demonstrates that even simple forms of highway automation can provide important travel time...
This report summarizes the need for (dedicated) radio spectrum for IVHS communication services. It concludes that, if efficient architectures can be developed, several MHz of spectrum will be needed for large-scale introduction of IVHS services. Compared to most other reported estimates of the spectrum requirements, this report gives a more detailed discussion of the relation between message volume (bit/sec), the required grade of service and spectral bandwidth (Hz).
Urban sprawl makes conventional transit less competitive and points to the need for more innovative and flexible demand-responsive transit systems in the future. To increase their efficiency, such systems can take advantage of the emerging advanced public transportation systems technologies, e.g., vehicle location and information systems. However, little is known about how consumers might respond to such systems and what they desire. This paper explores the demand for a consumer-oriented Personalized Demand Responsive Transit (PDRT) service in the San Francisco Bay Area. Such a system...
The objective of this paper is to design the network layer of a communication stack to be used in Automated Highway Systems (AHS). The communication model we propose allows cars to form private subnets, the configuration of which can change dynamically. Each car be part of multiple subnets and can send broadcast, multicast and point-to-point messages to other vehicles (both on the same subnet and on others, through a routing mechanism). Each subnet is managed by a server: a car that is in charge of accepting/rejecting join requests and of keeping a consistent state within the subnet....
With the advent of emerging technologies, urban intersections are being increasingly equipped with various types of video-based and in-pavement sensing systems to facilitate round-the-clock monitoring and optimization of multi-modal flows. In comparison, the assessment of the safety performance of these facilities continues to be largely based on either crash history or citizen grievances. Herein lies an opportunity to apply advanced sensing platforms to proactively monitor safety-critical events of multi-modal road users. This work presents a traffic safety monitoring framework which...
This project develops machine learning algorithms and methods for processing of cell phone location logs to generate travel behavior data. The project initially focuses on bias correction and activity inference for generating activity-based travel demand models. Inferred activity chains are used to calibrate an agent-based traffic micro-simulation for the SF Bay Area, and validated on loop detector counts.
In recent years, technological and social forces have pushed smartphone applications (apps) from the fringe to the mainstream. Understanding the role of transportation apps in urban mobility is important for policy development and transportation planners. This study evaluates the role and impact of multimodal aggregators from a variety of perspectives, including a literature review; a review of the most innovative, disruptive, and highest-rated transportation apps; interviews with experts in the industry, and a user survey of former multimodal aggregator RideScout users. Between February...
In recent years, “smart city” technologies have emerged that allow cities, counties, and other agencies to manage their infrastructure assets more effectively, make their services more accessible to the public, and allow citizens to interface with new web-and mobile-based alternative service providers. This project developed an innovative user-friendly web interface for local and state policymakers that tracks and displays information on the adoption of such technologies in California across the policing, transportation, and water and wastewater sectors for a comprehensive set of local...
In recent years, “smart city” technologies have emerged that allow cities, counties, and other agencies to manage their infrastructure assets more effectively, make their services more accessible to the public, and allow citizens to interface with new web- and mobile-based operators of alternative service providers. This project reviews the academic literature and other sources on potential strengths, weaknesses, and risks associated with smart city technologies. No dataset was found that measures the adoption of such technologies by government agencies. To address this gap, a methodology...
The increasing use of transportation network companies and delivery services has transformed the utilization of curb space, resulting in a lack of parking and contributing to congestion. No systematic method exists for identifying curb usage patterns, but emerging machine learning technologies and low-tech data sources, such as dashboard cameras mounted on vehicles that routinely travel the area, have the potential of monitoring curb usage. To demonstrate how video data can be used to recognize usage patterns, we conducted a case study on Bancroft Way in Berkeley, CA. The project collected...
