Overview of Advanced Traveler Information Systems Evaluations

1
Overview of Advanced Traveler Information Systems
Evaluations

• Joseph I. Peters, Ph.D.
• Manager, ITS Program Assessment
• U.S. Department of Transportation
• Transportation Research Board 85th Annual Meeting
• Session 208 Recent Advances in Advanced Traveler
  Information Around the World
• January 23, 2006 800 am - 945am January 23,
  2006

2
ATIS What is this?
INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS
INTELLIGENT INFRASTRUCTURE
INTELLIGENT VEHICLES
Source www.itsoverview.its.dot.gov
3
ATIS What is this?

• Intelligent Infrastructure

Source www.itsoverview.its.dot.gov
4
ATIS What is this?

• ATIS applications
• Use a variety of technologies, including
• Internet websites
• Telephone hotlines
• Television
• Radio
• Allow users to make more informed decisions
  regarding
• Trip departures
• Routes
• Mode of travel
• 511 promotes ATIS integration across
• Agencies
• Jurisdictions
• Media

Source www.itsoverview.its.dot.gov
5
ATIS What are the benefits?

• Phoenix, AZ 82 of repeat callers to a 511
  system perceived the traffic information to be
  timely and accurate. 95 of first time callers
  said that they would use the system again.

Source www.itsbenefits.its.dot.gov
6
ATIS What are the benefits?

• Virginia statewide 90 of survey respondents
  found the states 511 phone service useful.

Source www.itsbenefits.its.dot.gov
7
ATIS What are the benefits?

• Yellowstone National Park, MT 81 of respondents
  said that they were satisfied with the system,
  which gives location-specific road weather
  reports.

Source www.itsbenefits.its.dot.gov
8
ATIS What are the costs?

• Where does your money go?
  ATIS cost components
• Data collection
• Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras and
  field sensors, e.g., microwave, infrared, loop
  detectors, machine vision
• Data processing and analysis
• Integration of data from multiple sources and
  packaging of information
• Information dissemination
• Media, e.g., 511, dynamic message signs,
  Internet, wireless

Source www.itscosts.its.dot.gov
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Index 2
ATIS What are the costs?

• Salt Lake City, UT Data collection system
• Estimated date of costs 2003 dollars

Source www.itscosts.its.dot.gov
Notes One sensor both directions of travel.
Includes sensor, transceiver, cabinet, electrical
service, and pole.
Notes One sensor both directions of travel.
Includes sensor, transceiver, cabinet, electrical
service, and pole.
10
ATIS What are the costs?

• Phoenix, AZ Data analysis system
• Date of costs 1998 dollars

Source www.itscosts.its.dot.gov
11
ATIS What are the costs?

• Yellowstone National Park, MT Information
  dissemination system
• Estimated date of costs 2002 dollars

Source www.itscosts.its.dot.gov
12
ATIS How much is out there?

• Almost all freeway and transit agencies use the
  Internet to disseminate traveler info.

Source www.itsdeployment.its.dot.gov
13
ATIS How much is out there?

• Almost all transit agencies disseminate static
  traveler info.
• Almost half of all transit agencies disseminate
  dynamic traveler info.

Source www.itsdeployment.its.dot.gov
14
ATIS How much is out there?

• Over 3/4 of all freeway agencies disseminate
  real-time incident info to travelers.

Source www.itsdeployment.its.dot.gov
15
ATIS What are the lessons learned?

• Nationwide Provide consistent and high-quality
  information to influence traveler behavior.

Source www.itslessons.its.dot.gov
16
ATIS What are the lessons learned?

• Nationwide Design the 511 system to handle the
  surge in call volume during major events.

Source www.itslessons.its.dot.gov
17
ATIS What are the lessons learned?

• Acadia National Park, ME Develop ways to
  market your ATIS to local businesses, and
  enlist them to promote ATIS to their customers.

Source www.itslessons.its.dot.gov
18
ATIS How did we learn all this?

• Benefits, costs, and lessons learned
• U.S. DOT evaluates the following types of ITS
  projects
• Field operational tests, e.g.
• Acadia National Park (Acadia, ME)
• Model deployments, e.g.
• Metropolitan Model Deployment Initiative
  (Phoenix, AZ Seattle, WA San Antonio, TX)
• 511 Model Deployment (Arizona statewide)
• ITS Integration Program projects (earmarks),
  e.g.
• Greater Yellowstone Regional Traveler and Weather
  Information System (Yellowstone National Park,
  MT)
• Travel Shenandoah 511 (Virginia statewide)
• Special events, e.g.
• ITS for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games (Salt Lake
  City, UT)
• Simulation studies

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ATIS How did we learn all this?

• Deployment trends
• U.S. DOT surveys extent of ITS deployment in 78
  of the countrys largest metro areas, 30
  medium-sized cities, 20 tourist cities, and all
  50 states.

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Conclusions

• ATIS What are the benefits?
• ATIS improves customer satisfaction by allowing
  travelers to make informed decisions.
• ATIS What are the costs?
• ATIS covers multiples components, such as traffic
  management centers and field devices.
• Costs vary based on size and complexity of the
  system.
• Consideration of both capital outlay and annual
  operations and maintenance costs are key to
  developing an accurate estimate.
• ATIS How much is out there?
• Almost all freeway and transit agencies are using
  some sort of ATIS.
• ATIS What are the lessons learned?
• Consistency, data quality, scalability, and
  marketing are key to deployment success.

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Resources

• ITS Benefits Database
• www.itsbenefits.its.dot.gov
• ITS Costs Database
• www.itscosts.its.dot.gov
• ITS Deployment Statistics Database
• www.itsdeployment.its.dot.gov
• ITS Lessons Learned Database
• www.itslessons.its.dot.gov
• ITS Technology Overview
• One stop shopping on the costs, benefits,
  deployment, lessons learned for ITS. More info
  available, too!
• www.itsoverview.its.dot.gov

Source www.itsoverview.its.dot.gov