Evaluating Alternative Operations Strategies to Improve Travel Time ...

SHRP 2 L11: Final Report
• Develop and apply more robust traffic management and traffic control strategies to
improve facility operations, better coordinate those facilities, and improve the use of those
facilities through cultivation of “smarter” users.
A shift in the automobile market from commodity business to technology innovation service
business will have an impact of technological innovations. Infrastructure intervention will be
intrinsically related to vehicle automation on the roadway network. Mesh and wireless networks
will facilitate vehicle-roadway communications, improving traffic flow and reducing travel time
variability. The vehicle-roadway system will operate as a mobile communications and information
delivery center to users. Operation and maintenance of roadway agency communication devices
will have to be well-planned and structured to meet user (consumer’s) satisfaction. Innovative
technologies will also impact how data sharing and agency cooperation is handled. The
transmission of huge amounts of data such as video, audio and large databases will happen in
matters of seconds. This will improve interagency cooperation, especially dealing with incident
management. Images and videos from incident locations will be sent to first responders before they
reach the scene - helping them to better prepare restore traffic operations.
In addition to vehicle technology innovations, the integration of other technological innovations
beyond transportation innovations will enhance travel-time reliability. For example, health
conditions of travelers will be monitored by vehicles in the future. Breakdown points/specific
locations which may be a threat to health (e.g., heart attacks) can be mapped and linked to
congestion patterns. A better understanding of the correlation of traffic and human factors will be
achieved.
Transportation infrastructure innovations will also play a role in enhancing travel-time
reliability. These innovations are anticipated to occur in the three categories that are listed below.
Automation/Infrastructure Strategies
• Real time control of transit arrivals, connections and pre trip
• Real time road pricing
• Reliability and quality control with pricing
• Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII) implementation
• Instant automated incident detection and assessment
• Robotic deployment of visual screens
• Vehicle automation
• Automated, reliable DUI detection and intervention
• 3D video, 3D Telepresence, haptic interfaces
• Automation in truck operations
• Resilient infrastructure
• Wearable Computers with Augmented Reality
Information Technology/Data Sharing
• Comprehensive real time information
• Video coverage of networks
• Reliance on roadside signs for driver information
• Weather detection and response systems
• Data from vehicle traces (e.g., GPS tracking of trucks and containers)
• Data sharing
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
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