PATH

Definition and Measurement of Transportation System Performance

Dahlgren, Joy
1998

Performance measures are needed to inform decisions regarding the overall level of resources to devote to transportation, where to allocate these resources, and how best to use them. The first two types of decision require regular monitoring of the system to reveal problems, which present opportunities for improvement. A few, easily measured indicators of the major benefits and costs of the system are appropriate for this task. For the third type of decision, how to best address a specific problem, a more comprehensive set of benefits and costs must be considered. Indicators must be found...

Benchmarking Best Practices of Demand Responsive Transit Systems

Dessouky, Maged
Palmer, Kurt
Abdelmaguid, Tamer
2003

Over the past 10 years, operating expenses for Demand Responsive Transit have more than doubled as demand for this mandated service has expanded. Many advanced technologies and management practices have been proposed and implemented to improve the efficiency of the service; but, evidence for the effectiveness of these actions has been based upon projections or small pilot studies. We present the results of a nationwide study involving 62 large transit agencies and 13 small transit agencies. We evaluate the impact of implemented technologies and practices upon productivity and operating...

Organizing For Its: Computer Integrated Transportation Phase 2: Results For Emergency Operations

Lo, H.
Rybinski, H.
1996

This paper extends research on Computer Integrated Transportation (CIT) to emergency operations (EOs). The objectives of the study are to examine EOs in California, identify their role in gathering and using traffic incident information, establish the basis of coordination between EOs and TMCs, identify Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) services and technologies that may be beneficial to their operations, and finally compare and contrast similarities and differences between the California emergency operations and the emerging ITS National Architecture. This report covers the...

Final Report: Mobile Surveillance and Wireless Communication Systems Field Operational Test Volume 3: Appendices A-J Containing Evaluation Data Gathered During the Anaheim Special Event and I-5 Tests

Klein, Lawrence
1999

The Mobile Surveillance and Wireless Communication Systems Field Operational Test(FOT) contained two evaluation tests, the Anaheim Special Event Test and theInterstate-5 (I-5) Test. The Anaheim Special Event Test assessed the ability of thesurveillance trailers to transmit video imagery to a traffic management center in supportof arterial traffic signal control. This test occurred during the Spring of 1997 inconjunction with heavy traffic experienced during hockey playoff games at theArrowhead Pond in Anaheim, CA. The I-5 Test evaluated the ability of the mobilesurveillance and ramp meter...

Evaluation of Coordinated Ramp Metering (CRM) Systems in California

Mauch, Michael
Skabardonis, Alexander
2021

Freeway on-ramp metering (RM) has been extensively used as a traffic control strategy to regulate the entry of the on-ramp vehicles to prevent congestion at the freeway merging areas and preserve the freeway capacity. Benefits of RM include improved freeway travel times, improved travel time reliability, and accident reductions. Fixed-rate ramp metering strategies are based on historical data and implemented by time of day. Traffic responsive RM strategies are based on real time freeway traffic data provided by loop detectors at the vicinity of the on-ramp. Coordinated RM determine the...

Low Speed Collison Dynamics And Control: Year One Report

Tongue, Benson H.
Moon, Ahrie
1995

This report discusses the issues investigated during the first phase of a project which focuses on the development of a simulation program which will allow the study of platoon dynamics in both nominal and emergency scenarios. Preliminary issues include collision detection between the vehicles within the platoon and determining the platoon's post-crash behavior. A two-dimensional vehicle has been developed to addresses these issues. The overall simulation program includes individual modules that supply control input force, aerodynamic drag force, and road-tire interaction forces....

Model of Human Vehicle Driving - a Predictive Nonlinear Optimization Approach

Prokop, Günther
2000

When driving a vehicle the human acts as a controller in a highly dynamic environment. Thus human behavior in that control loop has to a large extent been described using control theoretical methodology. We develop a driver model, in which driving is seen as a model predictive control task in such a way that the driver accumulates knowledge about his/her vehicle's handling properties. He/she builds a model out of that knowledge and uses it to predict the vehicle's future reactions on his/her control inputs. The human's behavioral optimization is reflected in the driver model by using that...

Methods to Address Headlight Glare

Christianson, Kent B.
Greenhouse, Daniel S.
Barton, Joseph E.
Chow, Christina
2009

The goal of this project was to design, implement, and validate a computerized Glare Meter Tool that could be used in the field to assess the level of glare from headlights of opposing vehicles in a variety of situations, without relying on subjective reports of observers. Both disability glare and discomfort glare were addressed. The net result is an instrument that is capable of acquiring an image of a scene with glare, then analyzing the image to output a number on the standard, widely-used De Boer Rating Scale for Evaluation of Discomfort Glare, and also an equivalent veiling luminance...

Feasibility of A Gyroscope-free Inertial Navigation System for Tracking Rigid Body Motion

Tan, Chin-Woo
Mostov, Kirill
Varaiya, Pravin
2000

We study the feasibility of designing an accelerometer-based gyroscope-free inertial navigation system (INS) that uses only accelerometers to compute the linear and angular motions of a rigid body.

Improving Mobility Through Enhanced Transit Services: Review of the Literature for Transit Taxis

Factor, Rachel J.
Miller, Mark A.
2006

This report, an interim deliverable for Task Order 5408: “Improving Mobility through Enhanced Transit Services”, reviews the literature on the background and current potential for transit-taxi services in the United States and abroad. It documents the early tasks of a project aimed at improving the mobility of people during off-peak, low demand times of the day through innovative and alternative public transport services. To identify optimal transit-taxi concepts, we have designed a classification system defined by combinations of three service design options–fixed route, fixed-route with...