BUILDING UP TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM FOR URBAN EXPRESSWAY

The first Japanese metropolitan expressway was opened in 1962 and was approximately 4.5 km long. Initially, the expressway carried about 11,000 vehicles per day. Later extension of service lines and links with interurban expressways, such as Tomei Expressway, increased volume to about 1,110,000 vehicles per day. Since 1969, chronic traffic congestion, disabled vehicles, and traffic accidents have caused temporary blockage of traffic flow. In these circumstances, the traffic control system should efficiently operate the metropolitan expressway network as a whole, promoting various measures for achieving smooth traffic management and securing a reasonable level of traffic flow, safety, and comfort. The Metropolitan Expressway Public Corporation (MEPC) operates and maintains the traffic control system that uses computers to perform traffic control activities and provide real-time traffic information. Although a quarter of century has passed since the first traffic control system was introduced, its initial purpose and spirit of securing smooth traffic flow, safety, and comfort to expressway users has remained the same. This report describes the fundamental concepts and goals of the traffic control systems that have been introduced and completed, together with their chronological backgrounds. It outlines the plan under which the current system was introduced, the details of enhancements and extensions up to the present time, and possible courses of action for the traffic control system in light of current transportation problems.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Five volumes of papers and one volume of abstracts comprise the published set of conference materials.
• Corporate Authors:

  VERTIS

  TORANOMOM 34 MORI BUILDING 1-25-5
  TORANOMON, MINATOKU, TOKYO 105  Japan 
• Authors:
  • Morikawa, K
  • Kondo, M
  • Shimada, S
  • Kojima, M
• Conference:
  • Steps Forward. Intelligent Transport Systems World Congress
  • Location: Yokohama, Japan
  • Date: 1995-11-9 to 1995-11-11
• Publication Date: 1995-11

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 345

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Expressways; Highway traffic control; History; Intelligent transportation systems; System design; Traffic congestion; Traffic control; Traffic flow; Traffic volume; Urban areas
• Geographic Terms: Japan
• Old TRIS Terms: Traffic control systems
• Subject Areas: Highways; History; Operations and Traffic Management; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00721100
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: Volume 1
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 22 1996 12:00AM