DETERMINING SURFACE STREET LOS USING EXISTING DETECTOR INFRASTRUCTURE: MONITORING COMMUTER CONGESTION ON SURFACE STREETS IN THE SALT LAKE VALLEY

The Utah Traffic Operations Center (TOC) monitors freeway congestion using speed detectors spaced 800 m apart. The speed information for each freeway section is returned to the TOC and the data is displayed on an electronic map. TOC operators can quickly determine where congestion occurs based on speeds of vehicles on the freeway. This aim of this report is to develop an algorithm enabling TOC operators to monitor commuter congestion along the surface street arterials. System detectors, installed at intersections along major arterials, are linked to traffic signal controllers and can communicate volume and occupancy information in 5-min intervals. The TOC uses an Integrated Control of Networks for its signal management system. The goal of this research is to determine if the TOC can monitor surface street commuter congestion using existing data collection from available field devices. Arterial Level-of-Service (ALOS) has been researched by the University of Utah Traffic Lab to see if a similar algorithm had been developed for real-time commuter observation. ALOS is widely understood to be an average travel speed along an arterial and a standard for traffic planning and evaluation tool. The ability to use ALOS as a commuter-monitoring device or using ALOS for real-time calculations is addressed.

• Record URL:
  https://www.ugpti.org/resources/reports/details.php?id=399
• 
• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/59051
• Corporate Authors:

  Mountain-Plains Consortium

  North Dakota State University
  Fargo, ND  United States  58108
• Authors:
  • Martin, P T
  • Perrin, J
  • Coleman, B
• Publication Date: 2002-8

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: 78 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Algorithms; Arterial highways; Freeway management systems; Highway engineering; Highway operations; Highway traffic control; Highway traffic control systems; Highway transportation; Traffic characteristics; Traffic congestion; Traffic data; Traffic engineering; Traffic models; Traffic surveillance
• Identifier Terms: University of Utah
• Geographic Terms: Utah
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00930888
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: MPC Report No. 02-133
• Files: NTL, TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 17 2002 12:00AM