SURVEILLANCE OPTIONS FOR MONITORING ARTERIAL TRAFFIC CONDITIONS

The interest in and need for monitoring and reporting on arterial traffic conditions have increased with the growing implementation of both traffic management and traveler information systems. Because an increasing number of travelers are turning to the Internet for information, agencies are seeking ways to present arterial traffic data on this medium that are both understandable and useful to the public. At the same time, these same data must provide additional operational insight to public agency traffic management staff. However, although the idea of reporting arterial conditions is similar to that of monitoring and reporting freeway traffic conditions, different and innovative methods appear necessary for arterials because freeways and arterials differ in many aspects, particularly the effects of signals on traffic flow and speed. The research approach for this project consists of a literature search, a series of personal interviews, and the development and user testing of alternative Internet-based information displays. The results of the study confirm that jurisdictions have a high level of interest in obtaining arterial traffic condition information for both arterial management and public information purposes. However, existing sensor coverage and equipment capabilities, as well as the manner in which data are (or are not) captured, require that much work be done before existing data sources can supply traffic data to Internet-based display systems. The study results provide some basic guidelines agencies can follow to obtain traffic information if no existing data sources are available, along with recommendations for presenting that arterial traffic data to the public.

• Record URL:
  http://depts.washington.edu/trac/bulkdisk/pdf/510.1.pdf
• Record URL:
  http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/research/reports/fullreports/510.1.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  Washington State Transportation Center

  University of Washington, 1107 NE 45th Street, Suite 535
  Seattle, WA  United States  98105

  Washington State Department of Transportation

  Transportation Building, 310 Maple Park Avenue SE, P.O. Box 47300
  Olympia, WA  United States  98504-7300

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Nee, J
  • Hallenbeck, M E
• Publication Date: 2001-6

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: 80 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Arterial highways; Information display systems; Information dissemination; Internet; Interviewing; Literature reviews; Monitoring; Traffic control; Traffic data; Traffic flow; Traffic speed; Traffic surveillance
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00815800
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: WA-RD 510.1,, Final Report
• Contract Numbers: Agreement T1803, Task 14
• Files: TRIS, ATRI, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Aug 13 2001 12:00AM