Notes
Slide Show
Outline
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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 8:00 am  - 9:45am January 23, 2006
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ATIS: What is this?
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ATIS: What is this?
  • Intelligent Infrastructure:
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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
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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.


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ATIS: What are the benefits?
  • Virginia statewide: 90% of survey respondents found the state’s 511 phone service “useful”.


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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.


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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
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ATIS: What are the costs?
  • Phoenix, AZ: Data analysis system
  • Date of costs: 1998 dollars


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ATIS: What are the costs?

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


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ATIS: How much is out there?
  • Almost all freeway and transit agencies use the Internet to disseminate traveler info.
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ATIS: How much is out there?
  • Almost all transit agencies disseminate static traveler info.
  • Almost half of all transit agencies disseminate dynamic traveler info.
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ATIS: How much is out there?
  • Over 3/4 of all freeway agencies disseminate real-time incident info to travelers.
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ATIS: What are the lessons learned?
  • Nationwide: Provide consistent and high-quality information to influence traveler behavior.
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ATIS: What are the lessons learned?
  • Nationwide: Design the 511 system to handle the surge in call volume during major events.
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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.


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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 country’s 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