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https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/27432/critical-issues-in-transportation-for-2024-and-beyond

Assessment of impacts and socio-economical profitability of real-time passenger information system (ELMI)

Reaaliaikaisen matkustajainformaatiojarjestelman (ELMI) vaikutusten ja yhteiskuntataloudellisen kannattavuuden arviointi

A passenger information system was launched in southern Espoo in 1997, when 300 buses on 60 lines and information boards on 6 bus stops were connected to the system. The electronic information boards are used to show true waiting times of next buses based on real-time positioning information. In addition the system contains features that help both drivers and transit operation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the system, evaluate the magnitude of different benefits and socio-economical profitability, develop methodology for assessment of passenger information and also to compare the properties of ELMI-system and the corresponding system in Helsinki (HELMI). Passenger information system is considered good from passengers' viewpoint. The system improves comfort, decreases experienced uncertainty, improves the choice of line and mode and enables better utilisation of waiting times. 88% of interviewed passengers evaluated the system good or very good and 72% were in favour of expansion of the system. The system helps drivers, improves transport planning and increases the degree of use in public transport. A disadvantage of the system has been that it binds the fleet on certain lines and thus makes fleet arrangements more difficult. The value of passenger benefits has been evaluated in components on the basis of interview study and passenger volume information. The benefit-cost ratio of the system in its present scope (year 2002) was calculated 1.3, hence the project has been socio-economically profitable. On the basis of calculations the expansion of the system is very profitable in Otaniemi and Niittykumpu and on other important interchange stops with rather high passenger volumes. Also the planned expansion to Leppavaara seems to be profitable with benefit-cost ratio of 1.7. Expansion may increase the costs of maintenance and control, if new personnel and control room become necessary. According to the field studies carried out, the technical operation of the system should be improved. The most critical malfunction is that sometimes the bus symbol disappears from the information board before the bus arrives. The report contains field measurements and comparison of both ELMI- and HELMI system. Passengers' opinions of the system are of equal direction with both systems. The most important difference between the systems is that signal priorities are included in the HELMI-system. According to rough calculations the application of signal priorities with the ELMI-system seems to be socioeconomically very profitable. This report is available at http://www.vtt.fi/rte/projects/fits/ or http://www.mintc.fi

Language

  • Finnish

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Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01015272
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: TRL
  • ISBN: 951-723-767-7
  • Files: ITRD
  • Created Date: Jan 12 2006 8:55AM