Economics and Finance

Transportation Opportunities and Constraints: The Performance of Urban Highway Transportation

Garrison, William L.
1987

This report is the first in a series. The objective of the series is the definition of opportunities for shafp improvements in highway system performance, say, improvements on the order of two or more. Toward that objective, this first report considers system performance as such and the status of the economic and social services enabled by the system.The report presents a first-pass analysis. Revisions are intended as the work continues.

High Occupancy Vehicle/Toll Lanes: How Do They Operate and Where Do They Make Sense?

Dahlgren, Joy
1999

Motivated by the need for better utilization of existing high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes and the potential of high-occupancy/toll (HOT) lanes to increase utilization, this paper examines the circumstances in which HOT lanes could provide a more desirable alternative to HOV lanes. First, it compares the HOT and HOV lane concepts, showing how they are similar and how they differ. Both involve finding some type of equilibrium in which no additional people are motivated to use the lane. However, in the case of the HOT lane, the agency operating the facility can affect the equilibrium point...

An Economic Analysis Of Network Deployment And Application To Road Pricing

Levinson, David
1998

This paper develops an economic framework for developing strategies necessary to deploy networks, and applies the framework to the deployment of road pricing. The cost structure of highways are discussed. A graphical method for measuring welfare with road pricing is presented. The relationship of space and financing mechanism is reviewed. A network model of the economy is presented. This is followed by a discussion of network externalities, and how those relate to both the deployment and emergence of technologies. Finally, the deployment of three main elements relating to road pricing: use...

Los Angeles Fot Spread Spectrum Radio Traffic Signal Interconnect Evaluation Task: Final Report On Full Deployment

Li, Victor O. K.
Sengodan, Senthil
Chan, Tat-keung Ken
Zhuge, Lei
1998

This report presents the results of an evaluation of project in which spread spectrum radio networks (SSRN) were used for traffic monitoring and control in the City of Los Angeles. The focus of SSRN is to reduce construction costs, construction time and future plant maintenance costs. A field operational test was conducted to test and evaluate the applicability of SSRN communications in traffic control.

Impacts of Computer-Mediated Communication on Travel and Communication Patterns: The Davis Community Network Study

Balepur, Prashant Narayan
1998

This report examines the interactions among different forms of communication, where travel is also considered a form of communication. Data for this study comes from 148 respondents to the "Activity Diary" survey instrument of the Davis Community Network (DCN) project, which obtained information on 636 uses of DCN. Generation, elimination and modification were considered to be the three major potential results of the present DCN communication and the five major types of communication considered were: in-person, physical object, electronic, in-person with travel, and physical object with...

The Economics Of Traffic Information: A State-of-the-art Report

Malchow, M.
Kanafani, A.
Varaiya, P.
1996

This working paper is a preliminary review of the state of the art in the study of theeconomics of traffic information. The focus is on the different methods used to model thedecision process of drivers in a traffic system, and on the effect of traffic information on thisprocess. In addition, the review includes the characterization of information in terms of contentand accuracy. The purpose is to develop an understanding of the market for different types oftraffic information. The paper also includes some preliminary models that can be used to modelthe demand and supply of traffic...

Some Aspects of the Market for Broadcast Traffic Information

Malchow, Matthew
Kanafani, Adib
1999

In recent years, planners have looked toward traffic information systems as an immediate solution to the congestion on U.S. highways. ITS systems are low-cost relative to many alternatives, and simple implementation allows for quick results. Alongside these investments has been research investigating the use of information systems by drivers and the results to be expected. Many studies have shown that the primary source of information for drivers has been broadcast systems such as the radio (e.g. Yim et al., 1997). Additional research has addressed other media which are used to transmit...

Lessons From Case Studies Of Advanced Transportation And Information Systems

Dahlgren, Joy
Weissenberger, Stein
Hickman, Mark
Lo, Hong
1996

This paper poses two key questions regarding ATMIS implementation: how are ATMIS services successfully implemented?, in what circumstances are ATMIS strategies cost-effective? The authors attempt to find answers by examining case studies of twelve jurisdictions. The answers should help others judge where and how ATMIS should be implemented. The first section of the paper identifies the requirements for successful ATMIS implementation and operation based on the case study findings. The second describes a diffusion pattern found in the case studies. The final section concludes that more is...

A Methodology for Developing a Traffic Surveillance Investment Program: An Application to Caltrans District 4

Dahlgren, Joy
2000

A method for determining how to develop the most effective traffic surveillance investment program given available resources is developed. The complicated decision structure for deciding where and when to install traffic surveillance and what type of surveillance to install is broken down into a series of steps: identifying information needs, determining which can be met by traffic surveillance, setting criteria for and evaluating the benefits of surveillance in various locations, identifying alternative surveillance methods and estimating their capabilities and costs, comparing the ratios...

Using Technology to Improve Transportation Services

Garrison, William L.
1988

Today's transportation systems are well deployed in the developed nations, and they and their supporting activities are technologically and institutionally mature. This situation is exceptional in the perspective of the last 200 years of transportation development, during which new systems were innovated and wave after wave of construction undertaken.An examination of the ways technologies were shaped and adopted in the past reveals that today's view of technology-based opportunities is also exceptional. Consistent with system maturity, the search for improvements is focused on marginal...