INNOVATIONS IN HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SYSTEMS

THE FOLLOWING DEVELOPMENTS IN ELECTRONICS AS THEY CONCERN HIGHWAY APPLICATIONS ARE: (1) DEVELOPMENT OF SOLID-STATE DEVICES, (2) COMPUTERIZATION, AND (3) DEVELOPMENT OF SOPHISTICATED METHODS FOR MESSAGE TRANSMISSION, RECEPTION AND DISPLAY. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE OPERATION OF OUR PRESENT HIGHWAY SYSTEMS CALL FOR DATA HANDLING AND COMMUNICATIONS AS AIDS TO THE DRIVER SO THAT HE CAN BE A MASTER TROUBLE SHOOTER AND DECISION-MAKER. THE FOLLOWING FIVE DEVELOPMENTS COULD BECOME REALITIES TO THE DRIVER IN THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS: (1) MOTORIST ROUTE GUIDANCE, (2) CONTROL OF ON-RAMP MERGING (A STEP BEYOND RAMP METERING), (3) AID IN PASSING ON TWO-LANE HIGHWAYS, (4) AID TO DISTRESSED MOTORIST, AND (5) IMPROVED URBAN TRAFFIC CONTROL. THE ELECTRONIC ROUTE GUIDANCE SYSTEM (ERGS) IS DESCRIBED FOR MOTORISTS' NAVIGATION. THE STATIC AND DYNAMIC ASPECTS OF ERGS ARE DESCRIBED. THE CODE SYSTEM HAS BEEN COMPLETED FOR ERGS AND A CODE BOOK DIRECTORY FOR THE ENTIRE NATION COMPILED. EQUIPMENT SUFFICIENT FOR ONE INTERSECTION WAS INSTALLED AT A LOCATION ON THE MARYLAND BOUNDARY OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. ANOTHER INSTALLATION IS BEING MADE AT A NEAR-BY INTERSECTION IN VIRGINIA. ONE VEHICLE HAS BEEN FITTED WITH THE VEHICLE-BORNE COMPONENTS OF THE SYSTEM. ERGS SHOULD BRING SMOOTHER TRAFFIC FLOW AND PERMIT ADDITIONAL CAPACITY. ADVANCED TRAFFIC CONTROL RESEARCH IS CONDUCTED TO PROVIDE OPTIMUM TRAFFIC MOVEMENT. CONTINUED RESEARCH IN NETWORK FLOW AND CONTROL THEORY ARE TO BE COMPILED INTO OPERATIONAL SOFTWARE. CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF HARDWARE APPLICABLE TO REAL-TIME CONTROL IS DIRECTED TOWARD COMPUTER APPLICATION, UNDERSTANDING OF URBAN NETCONTROL CONCEPTS, LOGIC, AND WORK TRAFFIC FLOW. THE PROBLEM OF INTEGRATION AND COMPATABILITY IS STUDIED WHILE OTHER DEVELOPMENTS ARE STILL EVOLVING.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/1606878
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 100, No 8, PP 105-110, FIG, PHOT
• Corporate Authors:

  Public Works Journal Corporation

  P.O. Box 688
  Ridgewood, NJ  United States  07451
• Authors:
  • Izzard, C F
• Publication Date: 1969-8

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Photos;
• Pagination: p. 105-110
• Serial:
  • Public Works
  • Volume: 100
  • Issue Number: 8
  • Publisher: Hanley Wood
  • ISSN: 0033-3840
  • Serial URL: http://www.pwmag.com

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Advanced vehicle control systems; Advanced vehicle control systems; Coding systems; Communication systems; Directories; Electronic equipment; Information processing; Merging traffic; Passing; Routes; Solid state devices; Traffic control; Traffic flow; Traffic incidents
• Uncontrolled Terms: Disabled vehicles; Guidance
• Old TRIS Terms: Coding; Electronic devices; Solid state
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00225639
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-006 735
• Files: HSL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Mar 19 1983 12:00AM