California Partners for Advanced Transportation Technology

PATH Task ORder 6328 addresses the optimal deployment of traffic detectors on freeway to ensure that adequate information is collected at the lowest possible cost. The project team produced a study framework and tools that can be applied locally to test the sensitivity of traffic data quality to detectors location and spacing, and ultimately recommend a deployment plan.

Various types of traffic detectors, including loop detectors, radars, toll tag readers and video cameras are deployed on highways. They provide the data needed to run traffic management applications such as ramp metering control, bottleneck identification, and travel times estimation. However, few studies have systematically analyzed the data requirements of these applications in terms of detector spacing and location. In other words, the trade-offs between the cost of the detectors and their benefits for traffic estimation accuracy are not well known. As a result, most highway detectors are installed using ad hoc guidelines or on a case-by-base basis, rather than through the application of measurable objectives. This in turn makes it difficult for practitioners to justify equipment and maintenance expenditures, often slowing deployment.

The product of this research is two-fold. First, we developed a framework to study the sensitivity of traffic information to sensor location and spacing and reached general conclusions. Second, the team created practical tools to assist practitioners at the local level with optimal sensor deployment. These tools include recommendations for rural areas and an Excel-based model for urban areas.