Evaluating Alternative Operations Strategies to Improve Travel Time ...

SHRP 2 L11: Final Appendices
• Utilization – Indicates whether or not a transportation system is properly sized and able
to accommodate growth.
Private Entity Travel Information Sources
The following private agencies that measure and report travel time data were researched and are
summarized below:
• Real-Time Traffic Information: www.traffic.com;
• Noblis: www.noblis.org; and
• ITS deployment site: http://www.itsdeployment.its.dot.gov/
Traffic.com
Traffic.com (www.traffic.com) is an independent provider of traffic information serving 51 cities across
the U.S. Traffic.com delivers traffic content to clients and consumers on terrestrial and satellite
radio, on broadcast and cable TV, through wireless applications and services, and via the Internet.
The Traffic.com site and the companion site at my.traffic.com are the primary "direct to the
consumer" online services. Users can sign up to the website to receive traffic information and
travel time data between two addresses in the US.
Traffic.com obtains information from three types of sources: digital traffic sensors, commercial
and government partners, and traffic operations center staff members. Their own network of
sensors is already deployed in many major metropolitan areas, and is rapidly expanding to
additional cities. Where local or state government agencies have available data from their sensors
or systems, Traffic.com integrates as much of that data as possible. Finally, they maintain traffic
operations centers for each of the cities being served, staffed with employees who consistently
monitor traffic conditions. The traffic operations staff use a variety of means (such as listening to
police and fire scanners, monitoring traffic cameras, driving cars, and flying helicopters or fixed
wing aircraft) to collect information.
Noblis
Noblis (www.noblis.com) is a nonprofit science, technology and strategy organization that helps clients
solve complex systems, processes and infrastructure problems. Over the past two decades, Noblis
have been working with government and industry stakeholders on a broad range of activities to
improve the transportation system. The following is a summary of activities performed by Noblis:
• Pioneering new technologies to protect travelers from bad weather and road hazards;
• Data mining vast amounts of system usage data for major cities in order to understand
traffic trends and support informed strategic decisions;
• Partnering with government agencies and auto makers to develop an integrated
telecommunications infrastructure that will connect vehicles and the transportation
infrastructure;
• Designing more efficient mass transit systems to ease congestion; and
• Analyzing the lessons learned, costs, and benefits across a wide variety of Intelligent
Transportation System applications.
The following is a summary of experience and work activities by Noblis relevant to the SHRP2
L11 research project:
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