Government agencies must make rapid and informed decisions in wildfires to safely evacuate people. However, current evacuation simulation tools for resource-strapped agencies largely fail to compare possible transportation responses or incorporate empirical evidence from past wildfires. Consequently, we employ online survey data from evacuees of the 2017 Northern California Wildfires (n=37), the 2017 Southern California Wildfires (n=175), and the 2018 Carr Wildfire (n=254) to inform a policy-oriented traffic evacuation simulation model. We test our simulation for a hypothetical wildfire...
This paper analyzes the observed decision-making behavior of a sample of individuals impacted by Hurricane Irmain2017(n = 645) by applying advanced methods based in discrete choice theory. Our first contribution is identifyingpopulation segments with distinct behavior by constructinga latent class choice model for the choice whether to evacuate or not. We find two latent segments distinguished by demographics and risk perception that tend to be either evacuation-keen or evacuation-reluctant and respond differently to mandatory evacuation orders.Evacuees subsequently face a multi-...
This working paper is part of a larger project examining how the State of California should respond to the National System Architecture (NSA) for Intelligent Transportation Systems. The specific focus of this paper is on the role of standardization in managing and controlling the transportation system. The paper reviews activities and processes used by standards setting organization in transportation. We conclude that national and international standards will continue to address the needs for defining common interfaces...
This paper describes the specifications and the determinants for inclusion of a deliberative process to support intelligent transportation planning. Specifications for a system suitable for transportation planning have been defined, as have the determinants of a prototype for inclusion in early versions of an intelligent transportation planning process. The PLANiTS ( Planning and Analysis to Integrate Intelligent Urban Transportation Systems) framework is utilized in this project.
This document presents an evaluation plan for the TravInfo project, a field operational test of a centralized database in the San Francisco Bay Area. The TravInfo Evaluation Plan is prepared in accordance with the Mitre guidelines adopted by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for IVHS Operational Test Evaluation Plans. The report consists of five major sections: introduction, traveler response component, institutional component, technology assessment, and system evaluation.
This paper presents the findings of a survey conducted among callers of a San Francisco BayArea telephone information service. A Bay Area traveler information system, TravInfo, has beenin operation since September 1996. In April 1997, a survey of TravInfo callers was conductedover a two-week period. The paper compares the call making and demographic characteristics ofthose who asked for traffic information and of those who asked for transit information. Changesin travel behavior after the calls were made were also investigated. The key findings of the studywere that the people who called...
This paper reports on the first phase of the location technology evaluation for probe vehicles. Two technologies were evaluated, Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and the cellular phone tracking technology developed by US Wireless. Although GPS has shown great potential for vehicle probes, much of the previous research is theoretical in nature. Very little work has been done in the areas of experimental research, implementation or deployment. Most of the field tests were anecdotal; a systematic approach is highly desired to develop a vehicle probe system that is reliable and efficient for...
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...
This research investigates the feasibility and the business case for purchasing third‐party probe data and fusing it with Caltrans’ existing data for the purpose of estimating travel times. The intent was to demonstrate an efficient and cost-effective use of alternative traffic data sources to complement the detection systems currently installed and operated by Caltrans.
Traffic data is used to estimate current traffic conditions so that travelers and agencies can make better decisions about how to use and manage the transportation network. This research explores the fusion of probe data (vehicle speed and direction) with loop data (density, speed, and count) in the context of producing overall network speed and travel time estimates. Speed and travel time estimates are useful in many circumstances, but current system control strategies (ramp metering, for example) require density data. While it is difficult to significantly increase the quantity of loop...
