Traffic Operations and Management

Travinfo Evaluation: Institutional Element Phase 2 Results

Hall, R.
Loukakos, D.
Weissenberger, S.
Yim, Y. B.
1996

This report presents the results of year two of the institutional evaluation of the TravInfo Field Operational Test (FOT). Numerous core participants and committee members were interviewed. The second year was dominated by TravInfo implementation issues, chief among which were: resolution of public/private controversies in the design of TravInfo and the attempt to ensure the completion of Caltrans' Traffic Operations System (TOS) for meeting the TravInfo schedule. Based on the interviews, the TravInfo organization is viewed at having been effective in resolving these issues.

Data For Transportation Modeling In The Santa Monica Corridor

Dahlgren, Joy
1998

The City of Los Angeles and Caltrans would like a simulation testbed for testing alternate traffic management strategies in the Santa Monica corridor. This study assesses the data available for such a simulation and describes data needs, potential sources, and data preparation required. It presents a work plan and resource requirements for acquiring the necessary data. The Appendix analyzes the conditions under which a simulation testbed is worthwhile. This study supported another PATH project, Los Angeles Smart Corridor Simulation Feasibility Study (MOU 270), which analyzed candidate...

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...

On the Numerical Treatment of Moving Bottlenecks

Daganzo, Carlos
Laval, Jorge A.
2003

This report is part of PATH Task Order 4141 and shows how moving obstructions can be modeled numerically with kinematic wave theory. It shows that if a moving obstruction is replaced by a sequence of fixed obstructions at nearby locations with the same "capacity", then the error in vehicle number converges uniformly to zero as the maximum separation between the moving and fixed bottlenecks is reduced. This result implies that average flows, densities, accumulations and delays can be predicted as accurately as desired with this method. Thus, any convergent finite difference scheme can now...

Automated Highway Systems Operating Strategies and Events: A Driver’s Perspective

Tsao, H.-S. Jacob
Hall, Randolph
Shladover, Steven
1997

Automated Highway Systems (AHS) have the potential for offering large capacity and safety gains without requiring significant amounts of additional right-of-way. Since the general public will be the users of the AHS, human factors must play a pivotal role in the research and development of AVCS technologies and AHS operation. This paper focuses on fully automated AHS.To ensure the identification of all major human factors issues, we have identified major options for operating fully automated AHS. These options are categorized in the following four dimensions: separation of traffic,...

California System Architecture For Intelligent Transportation: Models For Transportation Systems Management

Hall, Randolph
Thakker, Viral
1998

In 1996, the Federal Highway Administration completed a program to develop a national system architecture (NSA) for intelligent-transportation-systems. This report presents recommendations on methodologies by which system architecture can be used to improve the deployment of transportation management projects, with emphasis on multi-jurisdictional projects. The report is part of a larger project addressing the deployment of an ITS system architecture in California. The project as a whole is led by Claremont Graduate School, and is documented in a separate report.

Supply Side Evaluation of Radio Traffic Information

Yim, Youngbin
Pfeifle, Brian
Hellman, Paul
1997

The study investigated data collection and dissemination processes of radio traffic information in the San Francisco Bay Area. Program directors from thirty two radio stations were interviewed to understand the processes and radio traffic reports were analyzed to evaluate the contents. The study showed that morning traffic conditions were broadcast most frequently. During morning peak hours from 6AM-9AM, the majority of the stations broadcast traffic conditions every 15 minutes. The content of the radio information is limited to traffic flow, incident conditions and transit schedule. The...

Travinfo Evalution (technology Element) Traveler Information Center (tic) Study (september 1996 - June 1997)

Miller, Mark A.
Loukakos, Dimitri
1998

TravInfo is a Field Operational Test of advanced traveler information systems for the San Francisco Bay Area, sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The project involves a public/private partnership which seeks to compile, integrate and broadly disseminate timely and accurate multi-modal traveler information through commercial products and services. The public sector component centers on the Traveler Information Center (TIC), which collects and integrates both static and dynamic traveler information. The TIC began operations in September 1996 and will operate as an FOT...

Travinfo Evaluation: Institutional Element Phase 1 Results

Hall, Randolph
Yim, Y. B.
Pfeifle, Brian
Weissenberger, Stein
1995

The TravInfo project aims to develop a multi-modal traveler information system for the San Francisco Bay Area, developing a partnership between the public and private sectors. This report presents the results of the first wave of institutional interviews, as part of the TravInfo evaluation.