Managing Traffic Incidents - University of Queensland

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(Continued from page 29) Each toll gantry has a roadside computer to store data and to transmit data to the central computers at the City link Control Room. Each subsystem is dedicated to serving a zone of the highway: the vehicle enters the classification zone prior to the changing zone. Finally, if the vehicle rear license plate is to be recorded (optional) the image is captured in the enforcement zone. These zones overlap and their relative sizes and positions is known collectively as the system 'geometry' as shown in the figure above. The combination of proven system geometry, backed up by extensive field trials and simulation demonstrated that a single gantry design was possible for reliable e-TAG device and CityLink Pass operation. Meeting the charging and enforcement accuracy requirements in a pleasing gantry design was possible while ensuring accurate charging and enforcement for vehicles driving at twice the speed limit without compromising security. The same Tolling Point geometry is applicable to areas prone to congestion and interurban highways subject to frequent high speed traffic and a combination of commuters, commercial vehicles and visitors - a mix typically found in interurban corridors. The complete City Link concession area is served by nine Tolling Points, each comprising a CEN standards-compliant DSRC system, stereoscopic Vehicle Detection and Classification, an array of Vehicle Recognition cameras and associated low impact lighting. Every vehicle using the highway has either to apply for an e-TAG device or use the innovative CityLink Pass system that matches a vehicle's license plate with a prepaid CityLink Pass list. The two methods work together and provide commuters and casual users alike with the possibility to pay tolls at mainline speeds. Purchase or Payment Customer service The CityLink Pass system serves infrequent users and also serves those motorists who wish to try the City Link before applying for an e- TAG device. CityLink Pass allows unlimited travel on the City Link on any nominated day and can be purchased in advance with a credit card by phone or by midday of the day following travel. CityLink Pass effectively makes the City Link available to both commuters and visitors. Embracing all Users - a Tag or a Daypass? One of the major challenges of a fully electronic toll system is to ensure that the system is also convenient for all users, whether or not they have an e-TAG device. So the concept of CityLink Pass was born. Drivers merely have to call the CityLink Pass office before they travel, or visit a customer centre, or use one of many Touch kiosks located at Shell service station outlets across the state, and by giving their credit card number and license plate details, they can register to use the highway for an unlimited number of times during any 24 hour period they choose. CityLink Passes proved to be very popular with infrequent users and daily sales have been over 5,000. When a CityLink Pass registered vehicle travels past the Tolling Point an image of the license plate is captured by digital cameras mounted on each gantry and the decoded numbers compared with the CityLink Pass List. If there is a match the user is allowed to pass. The same camera system is also used for enforcement. Vehicles without a valid e-TAG account and not on the CityLink Pass list are recorded by means of the digital image taken by the roadside cameras. This image is confirmed by the Link Operator and a check is made to ensure that the vehicle is not linked to an ac- Accounts can be topped up on line CityLink Customer Centres Shell Touch Outlets an electronic self-contained vending unit, which in addition to selling other products and services, sells CityLink Passes and accepts Account Top Ups for Standard Accounts Australia Post Offices Automated telephone service 13 26 29 Mail using a credit card CityLink Passes; e-TAGs and top up account electronic Touch Machines have been installed in 120 Shell Touch Outlets across Melbourne and Victoria - they dispense all types of CityLink Passes and allow customers to top up their CityLink Accounts. The machines accept debit cards (EFTPOS) as well as all credit cards sell CityLink Passes; e-TAGs and can top up accounts CityLink Passes; e-TAGs and find out account balance or top up account Can open a CityLink Account by mail, print out Application form from web site 30 DECEMBER 2001
count. If the vehicle is not linked to an account the image is forwarded to the government enforcement agency for the issue of a fine. This agency also operates the red light and speeding cameras in the State of Victoria. As a result of there being no toll booths, the customer service and account management back-office operations become much more important and significant in the cost and public perception of the toll road. Significant inefficiencies in workflow processes in the customer service organisation and very high administration costs were experienced initially, resulting in Transurban City Link taking over full responsibility for customer services from Translink Operations (TLO) in the first part of 2000. In addition due to the opening and tolling of sections and delays in functionality of the Central Toll Computer System, peak levels of customer service demand were underestimated and necessitated the use of expensive manual processes. Customer service costs for the second half of 2000 were 30% lower than the previous six month period. Further cost reductions are forecast as the customer base stabilises and becomes more familiar with the tolling and account system and the greater use of the internet, touchscreen kiosks and interactive voice response technology. Free Flow Tolling Ramp up Forecasts included in The company's prospectus in 1996 set out estimates of traffic load volumes expected on the City Link in 2001, at that time based on the expectation that the tollway would be in its second full year of operation. Traffic ramp up has been behind estimates, primarily as a result of delayed and staged opening of the tollway. Consequently toll revenues have also been short of estimates. As of June 2001 the total traffic load involved an average of 580,000 transactions per day, with a peak of 640,000 just prior to a holiday weekend. There have been surges in usage following significant new sections opening to traffic and the flat traffic load in the last quarter were as a result of continuing water ingress problems in the Burnley Tunnel, which was only returned to full operation in mid June 2001. Toll road and fee (primarily for road side advertising) revenue for the half year to December 2000 was AUD$53.6 million, with monthly toll revenue rising to AUD$17.9 million in June 2001, indicating an emerging stronger financial position. Driving into the future The CityLink e-TAG system provides opportunities for the future. The data that has been collected from the City Link can be used to play a part in the development of advanced ITS applications sometimes, such as telling a motorists how long it would take to travel to downtown Melbourne and providing information to users to be able to better plan their journey. Smart card use in electronic tolling, as proposed to be considered by the recent Transurban-ERG alliance, has the advantage of reducing the clearinghouse issues, as financial matters are then handled by financial institutions, provides a much greater network to add funds to an account and as well privacy concerns are reduced as private information does not have to be handled by the toll operators. ERG's smart card based transaction processing system currently processes more than six million transit transactions a day in Hong Kong. Introduction of ERG's technology to the City link tolling system is expected to lead to a significant improvement in operating costs as well as provide a wide range of new services to customers. Fries with that? Further application developments are only limited by the imagination, for example a partnership between McDonald's restaurants and SIRIT Technologies in Orange County California is enabling ETC users to purchase items at McDonald's drive-throughs. Melbourne City Link Average Daily Transactions 700,000 600,000 500,000 400,000 300,000 200,000 100,000 0 Jan-00 Feb-00 Mar-00 Apr-00 May-00 Jun-00 Jul-00 Aug-00 Sep-00 Oct-00 Nov-00 Dec-00 Jan-01 Feb-01 Mar-01 Apr-01 May-01 Jun-01 TRANSPORT FUTURES 31
Page 1 and 2: TRANSPORT FUTURES EMERGING ISSUES A
Page 3 and 4: digital image processing, automated
Page 5 and 6: Public Transport Integration in Sou
Page 7 and 8: fare payers using the public transp
Page 9 and 10: eas, in particular in the Alps and
Page 11 and 12: - Measures to manage transport dema
Page 13 and 14: cate. These are referred to as 'int
Page 15 and 16: Report Card on ROADS Conditions Whi
Page 17 and 18: HDM-4 Analysis Modules The program
Page 19 and 20: My Fortunate Career — or was it j
Page 21 and 22: A Day in Transport Photographs by L
Page 23 and 24: The Ability of Road Roughness Measu
Page 25 and 26: Dia, H (2000c) Towards Sustainable
Page 27 and 28: Free Flow Tolling ― it works! exp
Page 29: Despite the enormous scale of this

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