Recent advances in mobile devices and internet technology have led Caltrans to investigate a data collection solution that offers improved data reliability and availability at a significantly lower cost. It has been postulated that information from GPS cell phones could provide position and speed data for highways and arterials in near real time over much of the transportation network. Position and speed data provided by mobile phones or other GPS enabled devices being transported in vehicles is normally referred to as probe data. The Mobile Millennium project was established to determine if the collection and use of probe data for traveler information and traffic management was technically and institutionally feasible in order to provide a more reliable solution to the collection of traffic data. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), Nokia Research Center, and NAVTEQ collaborated to design, test, and implement a Field Operational Test to demonstrate technical feasibility. The Mobile Millennium project deployed thousands of phones in the San Francisco Bay Area in a short timeframe as part of a highly publicized Field Operational Test. The traffic data collected from those phones was processed into meaningful traveler information and fed back to a variety of channels, including the mobile handsets that generated it in the first place. Mobile Millennium established a community of individuals that generated valuable mobile content for one another and for society at large. The privacy of those individuals was strongly protected. It was also one of the first instantiations of crowd sourcing of GPS data for travel information purposes.
Deploying innovations in transportation products and services to stage 5 of the product development process represents a growing challenge for the Caltrans division ofresearch and innovation.
Traffic monitoring is most commonly accomplished with government-deployed, dedicated equipment. Adopting new technology in this paradigm can be costly and slow. However, recent advances in the mobile internet, cell phone technology, and location-based services may be leveraged to transcend the old paradigm. Doing so will reduce costs, increase coverage and yield a wealth of new data that will empower the traveling public with real-time access to current traffic conditions. Furthermore, transportation operators will gain access to an unprecedented wealth of information to help them better manage road networks.
In May of 2007, CCIT started Phase 1 of a 3#Phase program aimed at turning the outcomes of “Efficient Deployment of Advanced Public Transit Systems” (EDAPTS) research and development into a readily#available set of resources to help public transit agencies across California implement Advanced Public Transportation Systems (APTS). Consistent with Caltrans’ Division of Research and Innovation’s (DRI) terminology for research conduct, the program was nicknamed “EDAPTS Stage 5 deployment.” It includes, in phase 3, the commercial deployment of EDAPTS on a public transit property to be determined.
This study focuses on transit initiatives provided by private companies to meet regional commute travel demand. Specifically, the research spotlights privately-‐provided commuter buses that operate during peak hours and offer customer-‐oriented routes with limited stops and coach amenities to suburban employment destinations. This type of service differs from those provided by intercity bus companies, including Greyhound, which are primarily intended for destination travel rather than routine commuting. Defined here, privately-‐provided commuter bus service refers to the private provision of coach service to suburban employment sites from residential areas, service that may or may not be associated with a public transit agency.
Travel times on preset highway itineraries are one of the most tangible outputs of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). Travel times constitute an effective metric to describe level of service on roadways. It is a fine indicator of congestion and is well understood by the traveling public. Under this research the current capabilities of Caltrans to collect accurate travel time estimates on the highway network, andto identify the technologies and business models that could most effectively enhance these capabilities were assessed. The results of this report, includes the following elements: A look at the value of travel time information, which is clearly associated with the quality of the underlying data; A survey of technologies available to collect traffic data; A series of systematic studies to characterize the quality of travel time information and evaluate its range;An industry level effort conducted through the North American Traffic WorkingGroup (NATWG) to harmonize data quality benchmarking practices. This report investigates point detection, probe data, and segment detection. It concludes that a fusion of the data provided by these technologies would provide the best results in terms of travel time accuracy,reliability, and relevance. Data collected from cell phones and other connected device is limited to velocity information. Operators have traditionally relied on detection systems that provide measures of traffic flow and occupancy rate. It is unlikely and probably not even desirable that phone originating data will.
It is clear that transportation infrastructure expansion will continue to fall behind the pace of demand. If conditions are to improve, or at least not deteriorate as fast, a new approach to transportation decision making and investing is needed. The Corridor system Management Plan for the Nimitz (I-880) Freeway corridor in the Bay Area is a “first cut” template that integrates the overall concept of system management into Caltrans’ planning and decision-making process.
Real time traffic information on Changeable Message Signs (CMS) has gained popularity in urban areas where congestion and incidents frequently affect vehicle travel. CMS have been used to broadcast information about corridor downstream delays, traffic incidents and estimated travel times. Displaying accurate travel times on CMS helps commuters assess traffic, alleviates driver's stress, and allows drivers to make better route decisions. Knowing the driving times to popular destinations, travelers may be able to map their driving to the less congested route or chose a different form of transportation. Moreover, signs are the most effective means to communicate real-time, relevant information to motorists. Unlike a radio broadcast, signs target drivers passing a given location. Hence, the message is highly likely to be of interest to those drivers.
Real time traffic information on Changeable Message Signs (CMS) has gained popularity in urban areas where congestion and incidents frequently affect vehicle travel. CMS have been used to broadcast information about corridor downstream delays, traffic incidents and estimated travel times. Displaying accurate travel times on CMS helps commuters assess traffic, alleviates driver's stress, and allows drivers to make better route decisions. Knowing the driving times to popular destinations, travelers may be able to map their driving to the less congested route or chose a different form of transportation. Moreover, signs are the most effective means to communicate real-time, relevant information to motorists. Unlike a radio broadcast, signs target drivers passing a given location. Hence, the message ishighly likely to be of interest to those drivers.
Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS) provide dynamic safety, delay and other information to travelers to help plan their trip (pre-trip) as well as during their trip (on route). The dissemination of traveler information is typically done through internet, cellular phones, telephones, kiosks, television, radio, in-vehicle systems, and fixed road-side ITS (Intelligent Transportation Systems) elements such aschangeable message signs, highway advisory radio, etc.
