An integrated data system for studying traffic flow

The traffic data system which is used at the Centre for Transport Studies, University of Leeds, in order to study the behaviour of traffic flow on rural roads has been improved and extended recently. The new system, now known as the mk iii system, has been developed as a result of experiences with an earlier and simpler system and is described in this paper. Field equipment consists of electrical contact switches which are placed on the roadway and connected to a portable tape recorder via an oscillator unit. Upon completion of the field recordings the magnetic tapes are brought to the laboratory and transcribed, one automatically and the other manually, onto punched paper tapes; these tapes are then read into a kdf9 computer together with other control data. The vehicle parameters are automatically sorted, stored, and then tabulated in three principal forms: as velocity frequency distributions, as velocity headway frequency distributions (both of which may be output in graphical form for ease of analysis) and as frequency distributions describing the behaviour of vehicles travelling in platoons, and of vehicles travelling singly which may be influenced by the proximity of other vehicles in an adjacent lane. Additional programmes tabulate overtaking vehicles and provide simple classified vehicle counts.

• Record URL:
  http://arrbknowledge.com
• Authors:
  • O'flaherty, C A
  • Harrison, M
  • Williams, L K
• Conference:
  • Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) Conference, 4th, 1968, Melbourne
• Publication Date: 1968

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 761-84
• Serial:
  • Volume: 4
  • Issue Number: 1

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bunching; Data collection; Electricity; Errors; Headways; Measuring instruments; Passing; Sensors; Speed; Traffic counts; Traffic flow
• ATRI Terms: Bunching; Data collection; Electricity; Error; Headway; Measuring equipment; Overtaking; Sensor; Speed; Traffic count; Traffic flow
• Subject Areas: Operations and Traffic Management;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01441566
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: ARRB
• Files: ATRI
• Created Date: Aug 24 2012 11:45PM