Travel Time on Arterials and Rural Highways: State-of-the-Practice Synthesis on Rural Data Collection Technology

Travel time to a destination is a key piece of information that motorists want and need, and is vital for good decision-making by travelers. Technology now makes it feasible to provide drivers with real-time information about how long it takes to reach a given destination. The collection of travel time data is a challenging problem that deserves a systematic review. The purpose of this project was to identify, review, and synthesize information on current and potential future efforts in real-time travel time on rural highways. The current report focuses on rural highway travel time data technology considerations and is not a primer for general travel time best practices. Also, a companion report on arterial travel time data collection technology can be found in Singer, Robinson, Krueger, Atkinson, & Myers (2013). The core of the report discusses available and emerging rural travel time (RTT) data sources as well as implementation considerations, advantages, and limitations of each. These technologies researched include Bluetooth detectors, toll tag readers, in-pavement magnetic detectors, automatic license plate readers (ALPR), machine vision, connected vehicle, radar/microwave/LIDAR, inductive loops, crowdsourcing, and cell phone signal monitoring. Several implementations of RTT data collection are also discussed. In addition, two case studies are reviewed in detail (in Minnesota and Maine). The report then emphasizes key lessons learned based on questions for a practitioner to consider at each step of the planning, implementation, and management process. Although RTT data collection is a relatively new and rapidly evolving area, RTT can be successfully implemented when a project is properly planned and executed. Successful implementers have carefully considered project objectives and have provided detailed implementation plans. Regardless of the latest specific data collection technology, asking the right questions is paramount, beginning with planning, continuing to selection, and culminating with execution and evaluation. Practitioners who focus on asking the right questions and heed lessons learned by colleagues will greatly increase the chances of a successful implementation.

• Record URL:
  http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop13029/fhwahop13029.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  Westat

  1650 Research Boulevard
  Rockville, MD  United States  20850

  SAIC

  8301 Greensboro Drive
  McLean, VA  United States  22102

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Singer, Jeremiah
  • Robinson, A Emanuel
  • Krueger, Jessica
  • Atkinson, Jennifer E
  • Myers, Matthew C
• Publication Date: 2013-4

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Synthesis Report
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 58p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Arterial highways; Case studies; Data collection; Intelligent transportation systems; Real time information; Rural highways; Technology; Travel time
• Geographic Terms: Maine; Minnesota
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; I70: Traffic and Transport;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01489963
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA-HOP-13-029
• Files: TRIS, ATRI, USDOT
• Created Date: Aug 16 2013 11:39AM