Next Generation Traffic Management Systems Enabled by VII

1. Next Generation Traffic Management Systems Enabled by VII Bob Ferlis, Federal Highway Administration May 4, 2005

2. What’s this all about? VII project is ……… • Defining a deployment strategy for VII • Architecture • Business models • Policy / institutional issues • Outreach • VII will be the enabling communications infrastructure for new transportation services • Other ITS “Tier 1” Initiatives just described • This project is discussing whether a full scale research and development project is warranted

3. Our objectives for this project What we’re doing ………. • Discussing how VII data can be used in the near term to improve: • Arterial management • Freeway management • Corridor-wide transportation operations • Identifying priorities for future research

4. “The VII Paradigm Shift” for transportation management • Greatly improved knowledge of travel patterns and traffic demand • Accurate & reliable information that causes travelers to modify their behavior (time, route and/or mode) • Proactive traffic management strategies • Adaptive traffic signal control • Corridor-wide managed diversion

5. Development of a Research Plan • Workshops were held to discuss the future of transportation management that is possible with VII • Small group of knowledgeable and visionary public & private sector experts participated • Workshops held: • Arterial management focus in November 2004 • Freeway management focus in February 2005 • US DOT “primed the pump” with some proactive, and even provocative, ideas on how VII could help

6. Brainstorming Topics • Traffic signal operations • Arterial incident management • Traveler information • Corridor-wide operations

7. Results of the workshop – New opportunities • VII data will provide performance data that is not available today, particularly on arterials • Improved transportation management systems will be possible with this new data • Communication with drivers will be dramatically improved, with better information at the right place and time

8. Results of the Arterial workshop – priority research questions • Can VII data be used with existing traffic control hardware / software? • What new signal optimization strategies are possible with VII data? • How do you address VII data requirements and data management issues? • What new performance measures are possible with VII data?

9. Arterial workshop results (continued) • Can VII eliminate the need for signal system detectors? • Do all cars need VII? • How can VII improve evacuation & emergency planning and response? • What types of information do travelers need to make decisions?

10. Results of the Freeway workshop – priority research questions • Can we use VII data for predictive real-time operations for: • Incidents • Crashes • Recurring congestion • Events • Bad weather • What quality and effectiveness (reflecting percent deployed) can we expect from the VII data? • How can the VII data be organized into meaningful and accurate information that can be used for transportation management?

11. What’s next? We expect to develop… • Research plan for the next generation of transportation management that is enabled by VII data

12. Questions ?