Quality Traffic Information

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) provides real time traffic information through an Advanced Traffic Information System (ATIS), commonly referred to as 511. Real time traffic information is disseminated to the public through the internet and a phone based Interactive Voice Recognition System (IVR). In the past, information was disseminated through several regional ATIS within the state. Then, on June 17, 2009 the FDOT substituted all regional ATIS to one statewide ATIS, which is now referred to as Florida ATIS (FLATIS). Moving from the regional 511 systems that had manual quality control processes to an automated statewide system, added potential for lack of quality in the information. This issue arises since the information is being disseminated instantly from the state’s incident management software (SunGuide® Software) to the FLATIS system. This automation created the need to develop new quality control procedures to verify the accuracy of the information being disseminated. The approach taken by FDOT District Six (D6) Transportation Management Center (TMC) to meet and exceed the quality guidelines set by FDOT Central Office (CO) involved the development of the first FLATIS verification software tool, called “511 Watcher”. The 511 Watcher alerts and guides TMC Operators in the task of verifying the accurate posting, updating, and removal of traffic information published to FLATIS, such as lane blocking events, congestion events, dynamic message sign (DMS) messages, travel time, and CCTV images. Also, the 511 Watcher alerts TMC Operators in real time about 511 user’s traffic feedback. Inputs from the Operators are processed by the software to produce several reports that document the quality control task as well as the Operators response time. This paper will provide an overview of the FLATIS system, the quality control guidelines established by CO for the new statewide 511 system, the approach on how FDOT D6 met and exceeded the CO guidelines, as well as the lessons learned through the process.

• Corporate Authors:

  ITS America

  1100 17th Street, NW, 12th Floor
  Washington, DC  United States  20036
• Authors:
  • Fontan, Manuel
  • Grullon, Jose
  • Robbins, Charles J
• Conference:
  • ITS America 20th Annual Meeting & Exposition
  • Location: Houston TX, United States
  • Date: 2010-5-3 to 2010-5-5
• Publication Date: 2010

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: CD-ROM
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 14p
• Monograph Title: ITS America 20th Annual Meeting & Exposition

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Advanced traffic management systems; Advanced traveler information systems; Information dissemination; Quality control; Real time information; Software packages; Traffic control centers; Variable message signs; Weather and climate; Weather forecasting
• Identifier Terms: 511 (National Travel Information Number)
• Geographic Terms: Florida
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01342735
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 23 2011 9:07AM