VEHICLE TUNNEL SURVEILLANCE TO IMPROVE THE LEVEL OF TRAFFIC SERVICE
AIMED AT MAINTAINING FREE MOVING TUNNEL TRAFFIC THROUGHOUT PEAK PERIODS IN ORDER TO KEEP OVERALL DELAYS TO MOTORISTS AT A MINIMUM, THE PORT OF NEW YORK AUTHORITY IS NOW EQUIPPING THE FIRST OF ITS FIVE TUBES CONNECTING NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY WITH A NEWLY DEVELOPED TRAFFIC SURVEILLANCE AND CONTROL SYSTEM. MOST OF THIS SYSTEM WILL BE COMPLETE IN JANUARY 1965. MAJOR ELEMENTS OF THE SYSTEM INCLUDE: (1) PAIRS OF PHOTOCELL VEHICLE DETECTORS AT 480 FOOT INTERVALS IN EACH LANE OF THE 8000 FOOT LONG LINCOLN TUNNEL SOUTH TUBE. THE DETECTORS DRIVE TRAFFIC SPEED AND FLOW MEASURING DEVICES DESIGNED BY THE AUTHORITY STAFF TO AUTOMATICALLY SIGNAL TUNNEL POLICE AT CONTROL CENTERS WHEN AND WHERE TRAFFIC NEEDS ATTENTION, (2) A CONTROL CENTER AT THE POLICE DESK AND LOCAL CONTROL ROOMS AT TWO POINTS INSIDE THE SOUTH TUBE, EACH DISPLAYING INFORMATION ON TRAFFIC CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT THE TUNNEL, (3) CLOSED CIRCUIT TELEVISION ENABLING POLICE TO EVALUATE THE EXTENT OF AND ACTION NEEDED TO CLEAR ANY EVENT WHICH INTERFERS WITH GOOD TRAFFIC MOVEMENT. CAMERAS WILL BE EQUIPPED WITH MIRRORS TO SIMULTANEOUSLY VIEW TRAFFIC IN TWO DIRECTIONS, AND WILL BE INSTALLED AT 800 FOOT INTERVALS IN THE TUBE, (4) RADIO COMMUNICATION AMONG ALL POLICE CONCERNED WITH TUNNEL OPERATION, (5) FAST, LIGHTWEIGHT CARS OF A UNIQUE DESIGN TO CARRY POLICE AT SPEEDS UP TO 30 MPH ALONG THE NARROW CATWALK TO QUICKLY REACH ANY POINT IN THE TUNNEL WHERE THEIR PRESENCE IS NEEDED. THESE SINGLE WHEEL CARS ARE GUIDED AND PARTLY SUPPORTED BY A SINGLE RAIL, AND (6) A SPECIAL COMPUTER CONSTANTLY SENSING AND EVALUATING TRAFFIC PATTERNS INSIDE THE TUNNEL, AND CONTROLLING TRAFFIC TO ANTICIPATE AND PREVENT CONGESTION. BASED ON AN AUTOMATIC TRAFFIC FLOW CONTROL SYSTEM OPERATING ON A PILOT BASIS IN THE HOLLAND TUNNEL SOUTH TUBE SINCE 1961, THIS COMPUTER IS BEING DESIGNED THROUGH CONTINUING TRAFFIC RESEARCH BY AUTHORITY ENGINEERS USING THE ADVANCED INSTRUMENTATION AND TRAFFIC DATA PROCESSING SYSTEM DEVELOPED FOR THIS PURPOSE. /AUTHOR/
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Supplemental Notes:
- Rpt Tbr 7-64, 16 PP, 11 FIG, 8 REF
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Corporate Authors:
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
225 Park Avenue South, 18th Floor
New York, NY United States 10003-1604 -
Authors:
- Foote, R S
- Publication Date: 1964-9
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Closed circuit television; Communication systems; Computers; Photocells; Radio; Traffic control; Traffic regulations; Traffic signal control systems; Traffic signal hardware; Traffic surveillance; Vehicle detectors; Vehicular tunnels
- Old TRIS Terms: Traffic control systems
- Subject Areas: Highways; Law; Operations and Traffic Management;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00225767
- Record Type: Publication
- Files: TRIS
- Created Date: Jun 29 1970 12:00AM