Traffic Operations and Management

A Paramics Plugin for Actuated Signal Control and First Generation UTCS

Gomes, Gabriel
Skabardonis, Alexander
2006

This report serves as a user manual for a plugin developed under the Paramics API for simulating standard surface street traffic controllers. The strategies included are time-of-day, actuated signal control, traffic responsive, and traffic responsive with critical intersection control.

Bus Lanes/Bus Rapid Transit Systems on Highways: Review of the Literature

Miller, Mark A.
2009

This report presents the findings of a study of commercial motor vehicle inspection and screening station practices with a focus on the use of various technologies to help address problems related to safety, security, roadway infrastructure, and air quality. A review of industry literature identified the various types of inspection and screening practices that have been and are being implemented including weight and size management, on-board equipment checking, driver-related violations and cargo monitoring, credential checking, and exhaust emissions monitoring. The review also identified...

Development of a Dynamic Equilibrium Assignment Procedure for Network-level Analysis Of New Technology

Sullivan, Edward C.
Wong, Sun
1989

Recognizing that many of the new technologies under consideration in the areas of automation, navigation, and control require a system-wide perspective to evaluate their full impacts, this investigation sought to identify a suitable network analysis procedure which would, with acceptable accuracy, quantify the traffic redistribution effects of deploying new technologies in actual urban settings. The specific focus of the work was to identify a network traffic assignment procedure to be used in the analysis and evaluation of new technologies deployed in selected corridors containing High...

Traffic Control for Automated Highway Systems: A Conceptual Framework

Tsao, Jacob
1995

This paper proposes a conceptual framework for designing a traffic control scheme. It adopts a top-down approach to defining major design steps starting with high-level feature definition. With the desired features defined, the top-down approach then identifies and defines moves and related planning and movement functions that are required for supporting the desired features. The paper takes a systems view and identifies the safety issues regarding the movement coordination of the large number of vehicles on an Automated Highway System (AHS).

A Systematic Evaluation of the Impacts of Real-traffic Condition Information on Traffic Flow

Adler, Jeffrey L.
Recker, Wilfred W.
Mcnally, Michael G.
1993

The focus of this research effort is the study of driver behavior in the presence of real-time traffic condition information. The methodology adapted for this research involves three parts: development of a theoretical model for driver behavior under Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS), interactive simulation experiments, data analysis and behavioral modeling. FASTCARS, an interactive computer-based simulator that has been developed for in-laboratory experimentation to gather data for estimating and calibrating predictive models of driver behavior under conditions of real-time...

An Investigation in the Use of Inductive Loop Signatures for Vehicle Classification

Sun, Carlos
2000

This final report describes an advanced traffic surveillance technique based on pattern recognition and the use of current inductive loop technology. The focus of the investigation was a study of the feasibility of using inductive loop signatures for obtaining vehicle classification information on a network-wide level.

Inter-technology Effects in Intelligent Transportation Systems

Levinson, David M.
Kanchi, Seshasai
Gillen, David
2002

This project examines the expected benefits of varying combinations of ITS applications: Freeway Service Patrol, Changeable Message Signs, and Ramp Metering. The research analyzes the simulated results of a stylized network in a microscopic traffic simulator. The traffic network includes parallel roadways, ramp meters and changeable message signs.We have tested these technologies in various combinations. We measure effectiveness and define a measure of inter-technology economies.In brief, it is found that additional technologies are sub-additive, and more benefits come from each technology...

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Toolbox: BRT Person Throughput-Vehicle Congestion Tradeoffs

Jingquan, Li
Chan, Ching-Yao
Zhou, Kun
Zhang, Wei-Bin
2015

This report documents a research effort to understand the current practice and issues associated with Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) planning and deployment. It reviewed the design options incorporated into existing BRT deployments across California and the nation. The project team interviewed practitioners of California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Districts and transit agencies to understand the BRT project approval decision-making process, the impacts of BRT implementation and the Measures of Effectiveness (MOEs) for transit and non-transit system performance. The studies revealed...

Freeway Performance Measurement System (PeMS), Version 3 Phase II

Varaiya, Pravin
2004

This continuing PeMS project had four tasks: 1. Quantify the reduction in delay from optimum freeway operations; 2. Release travel time estimates to the public; 3. Training Caltrans staff in the use of PeMS; 4. Improve system robustness/maintenance. For task 1, we developed and implemented an algorithm that quantifes potential travel time reduction. The algorithm takes historical travel demand data from PeMS. It simulates the resulting traffic flow, based on an idealized ramp-metering algorithm, and calculates the resulting travel times on the freeway and waiting time at the ramps. As an...

Incidents and Intervention on Freeways

Heydecker, Bejamin
1994

This paper focuses on the spatio-temporal aspects of congestion caused by an incident and the way in which this can be alleviated by a traffic management intervention. A kinematic wave model of traffic is applied to investigate the issues of congestion. Expressions are derived in closed form for a number of quantities of interest, including the maximum extent of the region, the time at which that occurs, relevant times for an intervention, and the effects of that on the size of the congested region. Special forms of these expressions are established for the case of the linear speed-density...