Evaluating Alternative Operations Strategies to Improve Travel Time ...

SHRP 2 L11: Final Report
Vehicle Technologies
Another set of strategies involves in-vehicle driver assistance systems. Vehicle Infrastructure
Integration (VII) (previously referred to as Vehicle-Infrastructure Integration, VII) is a research
program focused on enabling wireless communications among motor vehicles and between motor
vehicles and roadside infrastructures. Researchers, auto manufacturers, and Federal and State
transportation officials are currently working together to make that vision a reality. By enabling
wireless connectivity with and between vehicles, between vehicles and the roadway, and with
devices such as consumer electronics, Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII) has the potential to
transform roadway user safety, mobility, and environmental impacts in the near future.
Table 6.4 provides a summary of the key strategies and the examples presented in this section.
The possible impact on reliability, SWOT, the level of technology involved with each strategy
application and the possible application to the sources of congestion are noted.
Vehicle controls, propulsion systems, fuels, and safety equipment will improve because the private
sector will respond to consumer demand. The safety equipment will include vehicle information;
front, side, and rear object detection; and crash protection devices. The challenge will be to
integrate onboard information with traffic controls, toll collection (real time pricing), multimodal
information, and treatments that expedite freight deliveries.
Incident and Special Event Management
Incidents and special events are significant sources of unreliability. Incident management systems
can reduce the effects of incident-related congestion by decreasing the time needed to detect
incidents, the time it takes emergency response to arrive, and the time required to restore traffic to
normal conditions. Disruption management deals with incident prevention (pre event) and incident
clearance (post event). Similarly, strategies that address special events relate to traffic management
before and during such events could include signal control, ramp metering, and ramp closures.
Incident management systems make use of a variety of surveillance technologies as well as
enhanced communications and other technologies that facilitate coordinated responses to incidents.
Strategies such as service patrols shorten the response time for incidents.
Table 6.5 provides a summary of the key strategies and the examples presented in this section.
The possible impact on reliability, SWOT, the level of technology involved with each strategy
application and the possible application to the sources of congestion are noted.
Incident detection can be rapid and accurate if agencies act to enable this to occur. Transportation
Management Systems can be regional or even statewide, depending on the degree of congestion
and the level of coordination that is achieved among agencies. The key challenge in managing
incidents will be in consolidating control and fostering coordination among jurisdictions. By
addressing this challenge, emergency responders will be able to clear incidents more quickly and
infrastructure investments can be shared among agencies – allowing innovations to be
implemented sooner.
OPERATIONS STRATEGIES AND TREATMENTS TO IMPROVE TRAVEL-TIME RELIABILITY Page 71