IMPROVED PASSENGER COUNTER AND CLASSIFIER SYSTEM FOR TRANSIT OPERATIONS

This Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis (IDEA) project developed and tested a foot pressure generated, mat type, passenger sensor and interface system for real-time passenger counting, classification and transit ridership data. The pressure sensitive mat and the associated recording system were obtained commercially. A special software was written to perform data analysis. The system was tested in the laboratory and was installed on a Cobb County, Georgia, Community Transit vehicle. Data were collected for 4 hours during which time various boarding scenarios were observed and recorded. A videotape camera system was focused on the pressure sensitive mat to record foot strikes. A study was also conducted to determine the potential error sources. Research results show that the system can determine if the passenger is entering or exiting and if two or more persons were occupying the pressure sensitive mat an any given time. However, the system is not able to differentiate passengers (man, woman, or child) on the basis of foot size, pressure distribution and weight derived from the total pressure distributed over the image area. The study also suggests changes in the mat size and configuration and also in the trigger operation of the sensor system and data memory storage management system to ensure that data overflow does not occur at a given stop when many passengers are boarding the transit vehicle. An innovative system to augment passenger monitoring is also proposed.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/archive/studies/idea/finalreports/transit/Transit5_Final_Report.pdf
• 
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This TRANSIT-IDEA project was conducted by Greneker and Associates, Incorporated, Marietta, Georgia. 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
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Greneker III, E
  • Murphy, K
  • Johnson, B
  • Rausch, E O
• Publication Date: 1996-9

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 25 p.
• Serial:
  • TRANSIT-IDEA Program Project Final Report
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
• Publication flags:

  Open Access (libre)

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automatic data collection systems; Field tests; Laboratory tests; Passenger counting; Pressure gages; Software; Technological innovations
• Uncontrolled Terms: Automated passenger counters
• Old TRIS Terms: Pressure sensors; Test results
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00734667
• Record Type: Publication
• Contract Numbers: TRANSIT-5
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Mar 26 2003 12:00AM