AUTOMATED TRAVEL TIME DATA FOR A REGIONAL TRAVELER INFORMATION SYSTEM

Obtaining real-time information on travel time or congestion on arterials is a challenge. Travel time and delay from point to point are difficult to predict using volume, speed, or occupancy data from arterial facilities. Human observers, either airborne or on the ground, cannot economically provide 100% coverage. Given the shortcomings of these methods, the transportation engineering community has been searching for other methods of obtaining travel time and congestion information for arterial facilities. An automated travel time information system using automated license plate imaging has been implemented on a 3.7 mile long segment of Route 9 in western Massachusetts. Video cameras view license plates of passing vehicles at both the upstream and downstream ends of the 3.7 mile long segment. The video image is interpreted by video-imaging software to "read" the license plate number. The time of passage is time-stamped at both the upstream and downstream locations. License plate matching routines provide continuously updated average travel times between the two locations. Travel time information is currently disseminated via a website on a near real-time basis. In the future it will be provided to the public via additional media through a regional Traveler Information Center. This information will also be provided to the local Massachusetts Highway Department office to alert the agency to possible incidents or severe congestion. The Route 9 travel time system is one of many sources of travel information that will be distributed by the Regional Traveler Information Center.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0935403620
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Conference proceedings available on CD-ROM only.
• Corporate Authors:

  Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE)

  Washington, DC  United States 
• Authors:
  • Shuldiner, P
  • Upchurch, J
• Conference:
  • ITE 2001 Annual Meeting and Exhibit
  • Location: Chicago, Illinois, USA
  • Date: 2001-8-19 to 2001-8-22
• Publication Date: 2001-8

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 13p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Advanced traveler information systems; Automation; Imagery; Information dissemination; License plates; Real time information; Regional transportation; Software; Traffic congestion; Traffic delays; Travel time; Video cameras; Websites (Information retrieval)
• Geographic Terms: Massachusetts
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Society; I10: Economics and Administration; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00921811
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0935403620
• Report/Paper Numbers: CD-013
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 17 2002 12:00AM