Economics and Finance

Evaluation of ITS Technology for Bus Transit Systems

Hall, Randolph
Dessouky, Maged
Zhang, Lei
Singh, Ajay
Patel, Vishal
1999

Recently, bus transit service providers have begun to adopt Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) technologies such as Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Mobile Data Terminals. These systems taken together have the potential to reduce the cost of providing transportation services through the execution of real-time control strategies, performance monitoring systems and data collection to support service realignment. We evaluate bus control strategies using ITS against those without ITS. Two levels of ITS are considered: (1) system with centralized tracking and (2) system with...

Survey on Status of Knowledge and Interest of Smartcard Fare Collection Systems Among US Transit Agencies

Iseki, Hiroyuki
Yoh, Allison C.
Taylor, Brian D.
2006

This study analyzes data collected from an on-line survey of U.S. transit agencies to (1) gauge current levels of interest in smart card technologies, (2) document the current status of smart card system adoption among transit agencies, the degree of planning and implementation, and levels of participation in interagency collaborations, and (3) examine factors common to agencies that have adopted smart card technology and those that have not.Reflecting significant diversity in their goals and objectives, operating environments, financial conditions, and clients served, transit agencies...

TASK A-3: Examining the Linkages between Electronic Roadway Tolling Technologies and Road Pricing Policy Goals

Demisch, Alexander
Iseki, Hiroyuki, PhD
Taylor, Brian D.
2009

The surge of road pricing projects in the U.S. and around the globe over the past fifteen years has been enabled by a set of new communication and transportation technologies. There is currently a wide array of technical configurations ranging from systems based on “tried and true” short-range radio communications to experimental systems relying on global positioning satellites. These technologies provide for a more efficient collection of simple tolls, and also facilitate a movement toward more dynamic, variable user fees.In this study, we provide a comprehensive literature review of...

Deploying Electronic Tolls

Levinson, David
Chang, Elva
2000

This paper examines the deployment of electronic toll collection (ETC) and develops a model to maximize social welfare associated with the toll plaza.

Cooperative Multiple-Sensor Fusion for Automated Vehicle Control

Hedrick, J. K.
Jang, J.
Potier, A.
2004

The number and quality of sensors available for both on-board vehicle and infrastructure-based sensing is increasing while the cost of these sensors is rapidly decreasing. On-board vehicle sensors can be utilized for both individual vehicle safety as well as automated vehicle control. It is becoming imperative that "fusion" techniques be developed, i.e., methods to combine the wide variety of sensors available so that reliable and accurate information can be obtained even though individual sensors may fail or become extremely noisy. The process of sensor fusion combines multiple sensor...

Automatic Steering For Conventional Truck Trailers: Development and Assessment of Operating Concepts for Improving Safety, Productivity and Pavement Durability

Tsao, H.-S. Jacob
Dessouky, Yasser
Rangavajhula, Krishna
Zeta, Joseph Benjamin
Zhou, Lihong
2006

Trucking productivity can be significantly increased by moving freight with longer combination vehicles (LCVs). However, LCV operations not only raise safety concerns for the surrounding traffic and the LCV drivers themselves but also can damage roadways and bridges not equipped to support the operations. All the discussion about truck size and weight limitations or about the pros and cons of LCV operations is predicated on the use of conventional tractors and trailers. We however observed that a root cause of several major issues associated with LCV operations is the problem of off-...

An Investigation Of The Costs Of Roadway Traffic Congestion: A Preparatory Step For IVHSBenefit's Evaluation

Miller, Mark A.
Li, Kayin
1994

This report focuses on traffic congestion under current road conditions with the objective of developing a quantitative understanding of their costs. The work is intended to provide a foundation upon which to build later estimates of the benefits that could be attributable to the use of Intelligent Vehicle Highway Systems (IVHS) technologies. The report gives an overview of traffic congestion and summarizes the principal sources of research in the areas of quantifying the costs of congestion. It reviews this past work relative to the usage of data, methodological approaches used in the...

An Exploration Of The Market For Traffic Information

Chan, Shirley
Malchow, Matthew
Kanafani, Adib
1997

This report attempts to derive a more accurate economic model to describe the supply and cost mechanisms that influence the market for traffic information. It first gives a history of the traffic information market, its economies-of-scale, and its potential for future development.e history of current The report discusses recent developments of value-added-resellers, the differences that exist in the marketing of their products, and factors influencing their success . Suggestions are presented for commercial broadcast stations and public agencies in terms of maximizing the total benefits of...

Planning the Development of a Commercial Motor Vehicle Virtual Weigh Station Technology Testbed

Miller, Mark A.
Sharafsaleh, Ashkan
2010

This report describes the issues associated with planning the development of a technology testbed for Virtual Weigh Stations in California. These issues may be organized into the following categories: system design and architecture, operational environment, siting & location, data collection, functional requirements and options, technology requirements and options, identification  of  stakeholders,  operational  testing  and  evaluation  (operational  scenarios,  performance measures, benefits &amp...

Evaluation of Truck and Bus Automation Scenarios: Operations Cost Analysis

Botha, Jan
Day, Jennifer E.
Adibhatla, Nagabhargavi
2004

Automated bus and truck systems hold the potential to improve road safety by eliminating some human error, increase the vehicle throughput by allowing vehicle convoying to shorten headways, and reduce costs associated with infrastructure, user time, and drivers. In this study, an automated bus system (ABUS) was compared with more-conventional light rail and bus-on-dedicated-lane (BDL) alternatives. A cost comparison (excluding accident costs) was also made among an automated freight trucking system (AHS-Truck), a no-build base condition, and configurations involving the addition of a...