STUDY OF DESIGN CONSIDERATION FOR REAL-TIME FREEWAY INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND DISCUSSION

A COMPREHENSIVE QUESTIONNAIRE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO OBTAIN INFORMATION FROM MOTORISTS IN THE CITIES OF HOUSTON AND DALLAS FOR THE DESIGN OF A REAL-TIME FREEWAY INFORMATION SYSTEM. THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WERE EVALUATED: NEED FOR REAL-TIME FREEWAY INFORMATION, DRIVER PREFERENCES AS TO MODE AND LOCATION OF INFORMATION, TYPE OF INFORMATION PREFERRED BY THE FREEWAY DRIVER, AND POTENTIAL DRIVER RESPONSE TO REAL-TIME FREEWAY INFORMATION. THE PARTICIPATING MOTORISTS INDICATED A DESIRE FOR ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC INFORMATION THAT IS NOT CURRENTLY PROVIDED BY PASSIVE SIGNING. CHANGEABLE MESSAGE SIGNS AND COMMERCIAL RADIO WERE PREFERRED OVER TELEPHONE AND TELEVISION SERVICES AS MODES FOR COMMUNICATING WITH THE DRIVER IN REAL-TIME. MOTORISTS PREFERRED TO RECEIVE INFORMATION ABOUT FREEWAY TRAFFIC CONDITIONS BEFORE THEY ENTERED THE FREEWAY. THE TYPES OF INFORMATION PREFERRED WERE THE LOCATION AND LENGTH OF THE CONGESTED AREA AND THE DEGREE OF CONGESTION. THE QUANTITATIVE DESCRIPTORS OF TRAVEL TIME AND TRAVEL SPEED WERE THE LEAST PREFERRED. THE RESPONDENTS INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD RESPOND TO REAL-TIME INFORMATION ABOUT FREEWAY CONDITIONS BY REROUTING TO AN EXPENDIENT ALTERNATE ROUTE WHEN THEY KNOW IT IS AVAILABLE. THE MOTORISTS WOULD BE MORE INCLINED TO DIVERT TO AN ALTERNATE ROUTE BEFORE THEY ENTER THE FREEWAY THAN AFTER THEY ARE ON THE FREEWAY. /AUTHOR/

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrr/1971/363/363-001.pdf
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/030901977X
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Sponsored by Committee on Freeway Operations and presented at the 50th Annual Meeting. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Dudek, Conrad L
  • Messer, Carroll J
  • Jones, Hal B
• Discussers:
  • Pretty, R L
  • King, Gerhart F
  • Haynes, John J
• Conference:
  • 50th Annual Meeting of the Highway Research Board
  • Location: Washington District of Columbia, United States
  • Date: 1971-1-18 to 1971-1-22
• Publication Date: 1971

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 1-17
• Monograph Title: Operational improvements for freeways
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 363
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Drivers; Freeways; Information management; Information systems; Information, data, and knowledge; Questionnaires; Radio; Real time control; Traffic; Traffic congestion; Variable message signs
• Old TRIS Terms: Real-time systems
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00226160
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 030901977X
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-011 999
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Mar 20 1972 12:00AM