Evaluation of ITS Technologies in Rural Work Zones - Showcase Evaluation 12

There has been a substantial increase in reconstruction and rehabilitation activities on urban and rural highways in recent years. Work zones are a necessary and relatively common occurrence on rural highways in order to preserve and improve the transportation system. The frequency of maintenance activities and the potential severity of work zone crashes have intensified the importance of safe and efficient handling of traffic in work zones. Recent years have also seen the emergence and mainstreaming of intelligent transportation systems (ITS). ITS uses advanced computer, communications and electronics technologies to save time, lives and money on the transportation system. Many transportation agencies have been using ITS technologies to address transportation challenges (including those related to work zones) in or near urban areas. There has been less attention devoted to how ITS can help address challenges in rural areas. Stakeholders in California and Oregon, working in partnership with the respective state departments of transportation and in concert with the Western Transportation Institute (WTI) at Montana State University, have been researching and demonstrating the application of ITS in a rural context through the Rural California/Oregon Advanced Transportation Systems (COATS) Showcase project. As a part of the COATS Showcase effort, WTI researchers considered how ITS technologies could be used in rural highway work zones. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Division of Research and Innovation provided funding for such an investigation. The project is consistent with several objectives adopted in the COATS ITS Strategic Deployment Plan: Objective 1.2: Provide systems that advise regional transportation system users of slow-moving vehicles, obstructions and road and weather conditions; Objective 1.3: Provide systems that advise unfamiliar motorists of alignment and speed conditions, tourist attractions, services, construction, weather, and the ability to request assistance; Objective 1.5: Reduce the severity of vehicle accidents and their related fatality rates through improved notification and response times. This report summarizes the findings of this research project, a project which eventually focused on designing and testing a specific ITS application: providing real-time delay information to motorists in a rural two-lane undivided highway work zone with a lane closure (i.e. a pilot car-controlled work zone).

• Record URL:
  https://westerntransportationinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/4254544_Final_Report.pdf
• 
• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/59758
• Corporate Authors:

  Western Transportation Institute

  Montana State University, Bozeman
  P.O. Box 174250
  Bozeman, MT  United States  59717-4250

  California Department of Transportation

  Division of Research and Innovation
  1227 O Street, MS-83
  Sacramento, CA  United States  94273-0001

  Research and Innovative Technology Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Kumar, Manjunathan
  • Galarus, Doug
  • Graham, Sean
  • Strong, Christopher K
• Publication Date: 2006-4

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Edition: Final Technical Report
• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 130p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Advanced traveler information systems; Automatic crash notification; Crash severity; Deployment; Driver information systems; Emergency response time; Fatalities; Highway traffic control; Intelligent transportation systems; Lane closure; Motorist aid systems; Real time information; Road construction; Rural areas; Rural highways; Slow moving vehicles; Speed; Strategic planning; Technology; Traffic crashes; Traffic delays; Two lane highways; Weather conditions; Work zone safety; Work zone traffic control; Work zones
• Identifier Terms: California/Oregon Advanced Transportation Systems (COATS)
• Uncontrolled Terms: Highway alignment; Obstructions (Sight distance); Road conditions; Tourist attractions; Undivided highways
• Geographic Terms: California; Oregon
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; I73: Traffic Control; I82: Accidents and Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01041404
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: NTL, TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jan 30 2007 1:29PM