DETECTORS FOR FREEWAY SURVEILLANCE AND CONTROL: FINAL REPORT

The purpose of this research project was to review, evaluate, select and field test presence-type detector technologies for freeway surveillance and control which are readily available and which don't require lane closures for their installation and maintenance. The project consisted of several major tasks, the highlights of which are as follows. The first task was concerned with identification and description of currently available detector technologies. This work included a brief history, current research assessment, and a description of characteristics and application experience of available detector technologies. The next tasks included a paper evaluation of these detector technologies and the selection of the most promising detectors for field testing. A major portion of the research dealt with the establishment of an automatic freeway data collection station and a series of three field experiments. The first experiment was with inductive loop detectors alone, and a traffic pattern data base was developed. The second experiment was with loop and ultrasonic detectors and the results of each were compared. The third and last experiment consisted of data from the loop and ultrasonic detectors as well as a videotape from which direct measurements of flow and occupancy could be obtained. The ultrasonic detectors, under the conditions and time periods tested, were within five percent of manually measured counts for 15 minute intervals. These detectors missed few vehicles and very seldom recorded phantom vehicles. While the on times and percent occupancies appeared consistent, their values were questioned because of unexpected resulting detection zone lengths. Further research is recommended and specific research suggestions are made.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/10551417
• Corporate Authors:

  University of California, Berkeley

  Institute of Transportation Studies Library
  Berkeley, CA  United States  94720

  California Department of Transportation

  Transportation Laboratory
  5900 Folsom Boulevard
  Sacramento, CA  United States  95819

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Labell, L N
  • May, A D
• Publication Date: 1990-8

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 249 p.
• Serial:
  • Publication of: California University, Berkeley
  • Publisher: University of California, Berkeley
  • ISSN: 1055-1417

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Detectors; Field tests; Freeways; Future; Loop detectors; Performance evaluations; Research; Traffic control; Traffic surveillance; Ultrasonic detectors; Ultrasonics; Vehicle detectors; Videotapes
• Uncontrolled Terms: Future research
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Research; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00621545
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: UCB-ITS-RR-90-18, F88T035
• Files: TRIS, ATRI, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Apr 30 1992 12:00AM