Using Risk Analysis to Prioritize Intelligent Transport Systems: Variable Message Sign Case Study in Gold Coast City, Australia

With perpetual strains on resources, road agencies need to develop network-level decision-making frameworks to ensure optimum resource allocation. This is especially true for intelligent transport systems (ITS) and, in particular, variable message signs (VMSs), a key component of incident management services. The objective for VMSs is to minimize the safety, efficiency, reliability, and environmental impact of incidents on the operations of the transport system. This may be achieved by travelers being informed of the incidents so they can adapt their behavior in a manner that reduces community impact, such as lateness and the associated vehicle emissions, unreliability of travel times, and secondary accidents due to incidents. Generally, road authorities carry out needs assessments, but qualitatively in many cases. Therefore, a framework is presented that is systematic, quantitative, and relatively easy to implement. A risk management approach that focuses on minimizing the impact on and costs to the community was taken to prioritize VMS infrastructure deployment. In the presented framework and case study, safety, efficiency, reliability, and environmental effects are quantified by using an economic risk management approach to determine an overall risk score. This score can be used to rank road sections within the network, indicating the road sections with the highest risk of incident network impact and therefore the road sections with the highest need for intervention. A cost-effectiveness-based risk reduction ranking can then be determined for VMS, with the net risk with treatment being compared with that without treatment, and the net present value of deployment being divided. The two types of ranking, pure risk and cost-effectiveness–based risk reduction, will help to minimize the network impact on the community and optimize resource allocation.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.3141/1959-04
• 
• Summary URL:
  • http://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=Using+Risk+Analysis+to+Prioritize+Intelligent+Transport+Systems%3a+Variable+Message+Sign+Case+Study+in+Gold+Coast+City%2c+Australia&author=K.+Johnston&author=L.+Ferreira&author=J.+Bunker&publication_year=2006
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309099684
• Authors:
  • Johnston, Katherine
  • Ferreira, Luis
  • Bunker, Jonathan
• Publication Date: 2006

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 28-36
• Monograph Title: Freeway Operations and High-Occupancy Vehicle Systems 2006
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board
  • Issue Number: 1959
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Case studies; Environmental impacts; Highway safety; Incident management; Intelligent transportation systems; Needs assessment; Reliability; Resource allocation; Risk analysis; Strategic planning; Variable message signs
• Geographic Terms: Gold Coast City (Australia)
• Subject Areas: Environment; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01033592
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309099684
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Sep 29 2006 10:37AM