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Commuters Helping Commuters: Findings from a Field Test of a Probe-based, Wireless, Traveler Information System. William Wallace, Earl E. Lee, Jeffrey Wojtowicz Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute George F. List, Alixandra Demers North Carolina State University January 24, 2006
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Commuters Helping Commuters: Findings from a Field Test of a Probe-based, Wireless, Traveler Information System William Wallace, Earl E. Lee, Jeffrey Wojtowicz Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute George F. List, Alixandra Demers North Carolina State University January 24, 2006 Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting Washington, DC
Problem Perspective Prior Efforts in ATIS Project Background Objectives Team Experiment details In-vehicle device Server activities Watching vehicles Some User Perspectives Path-seeking Process Project Results – Did It Work? Advances in the Future Problem Perspective Prior Efforts Project Background Some User Perspectives Path-seeking Process Project Results Future Advances Outline
Data System Feedback Collection Data Integration Data Sources • Roadside sensors • Video cameras • News helicopters • AVI detectors • AVL probes Information Dissemination Path Choices Techniques Control Decisions • HAR • VMS/ DMS • 511 • Web pages • User messages Network Flows Problem Perspective • Issues • Observability • Controllability • Reachability
Problem Perspective Prior Efforts Project Background Some User Perspectives Path-seeking Process Project Results Future Advances Prior Efforts in Real-time ATIS
Problem Perspective Prior Efforts Project Background Some User Perspectives Path-seeking Process Project Results Future Advances Project Objectives • Create: real-time data collectionfrom vehiclesanddisseminationto vehiclesof congestion avoidance information which is used to automatically reroute drivers onto the fastest paths to their destinations • Target locations: small to medium-sized urban areas • Aspects: operations, observability, controllability, users, information transfer to travelers
Problem Perspective Prior Efforts Project Background Some User Perspectives Path-seeking Process Project Results Future Advances The Team • Academic partners: • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute • Cornell University • Polytechnic University • CUBRC (CALSPAN / University of Buffalo Research Center) • Public partners: • FHWA • NYS DOT • CDTC • CDTA • Corporate partners: • ALK Technologies, Inc. • Annese and Associates • Consensus Systems Technologies • Sprint • Rensselaer County Economic and Community Development • Hudson Valley Community College
Problem Perspective Prior Efforts Project Background Some User Perspectives Path-seeking Process Project Results Future Advances Experiment Details • 3-month field test • Capital District (Albany), NY, USA • Journey-to-work • 200 participants • 80 Tech Park employees • 120 HVCC staff & students • “Techy” travelers • Network: • Freeways & signalized arterials • Congested links • Path choices exist
Problem Perspective Prior Efforts Project Background Some User Perspectives Path-seeking Process Project Results Future Advances The In-Vehicle “Device” CoPilot GPS unit: Determines location Sprint PCS Vision card and battery pack: Communication with the server Pocket PC with 256 MB SD card: Software platform and audio communication with the driver
Problem Perspective Prior Efforts Project Background Some User Perspectives Path-seeking Process Project Results Future Advances Server Activities • Receives vehicle messages: new trip, route change, GPS location, monument passage • Updates travel times • Sends data to vehicles: monument-to-monument travel times • Archives history • Responds to operator inputs
Watching Vehicles Problem Perspective Prior Efforts Project Background Some User Perspectives Path-seeking Process Project Results Future Advances 1 2 3
Problem Perspective Prior Efforts Project Background Some User Perspectives Path-seeking Process Project Results Future Advances Usage over Time: Trips by Cohort
Problem Perspective Prior Efforts Project Background Some User Perspectives Path-seeking Process Project Results Future Advances What We Heard I'm very impressed with the CoPilot program thus far. The directions are accurate and it adapts quickly to route changes. I find it interesting how willing I am to listen to a machine tell me which route to take I like using it for when I have no idea on how to get somewhere, and it is good for my normal route because it keeps me out of traffic on route 4. This thing is awesome. I was a little skeptical at first but once i got the hang of it I don’t know how I went along without it. I think any student commuting to school will benefit from this. Feel more secure in making changes and using alternate routes, since I'm confident that CoPilot will get me to work! It is great, it took a while to trust it telling me where to go, but i like it because i cant get lost! Thanks.
Problem Perspective Prior Efforts Project Background Some User Perspectives Path-seeking Process Project Results Future Advances Interview Responses
Problem Perspective Prior Efforts Project Background Some User Perspectives Path-seeking Process Project Results Future Advances Travel Time Trends: Driver 1 • Early: Scatter of travel times • Later: More consistent travel times
Problem Perspective Prior Efforts Project Background Some User Perspectives Path-seeking Process Project Results Future Advances Travel Time Trends: Driver 2 • Early: Scatter of travel times • Later: Similar to Driver 1 with more consistent travel times. New: upper bound lowered
2, 4 7 3 1 5 8 Destination Problem Perspective Prior Efforts Project Background Some User Perspectives Path-seeking Process Project Results Future Advances Probe Path-seeking Process • Monitor current location • Activation, destination, and route • Download current travel times table • Update route: send new route message • Send messages: current location and “monument” passing • Server is constantly updating link travel times • Download updated travel times • Re-route evaluation, cycle back to step #3 or #4 6
Evidence exists that vehicles joined the network when they started a trip. Problem Perspective Prior Efforts Project Background Some User Perspectives Path-seeking Process Project Results Future Advances Step 2.1 Activation Second half had 19% more successful connections
The network condition was downloaded reliably. Problem Perspective Prior Efforts Project Background Some User Perspectives Path-seeking Process Project Results Future Advances Step 2.2 Destination & Route
Problem Perspective Prior Efforts Project Background Some User Perspectives Path-seeking Process Project Results Future Advances Step 3. Travel Time Requests and Updates • Vehicles send monument-to-monument travel times • Server updates link travel times using exponential smoothing, posts an updated travel time table • Vehicles query server every minute for new travel times within “update region” • Vehicles change routes if a new route’s travel time is significantly faster Region for which updated travel times are obtained
Step 4. Update Route The current status of network was downloaded when a trip commenced. Vehicle received 1st NRC message 1 min 32 seconds after being logged onto the server Additional NRC messages as the trip progressed
Vehicles transmitted data. monument passing data from vehicle m2m table location data from vehicle position table Problem Perspective Prior Efforts Project Background Some User Perspectives Path-seeking Process Project Results Future Advances Step 5. Send locations
Problem Perspective Prior Efforts Project Background Some User Perspectives Path-seeking Process Project Results Future Advances Step 6. Server Updates Travel Times
Vehicles requested updates Snapshot of LOG messages on server: Problem Perspective Prior Efforts Project Background Some User Perspectives Path-seeking Process Project Results Future Advances Step 7. Download Travel Times Table MSG_UserIDs:: Old ID: 0 New ID: 542 Time: 5:13PM MSG_Login:: Veh: 129911 Login: rpidemo Screenname: TECH198 Time: 5:13PMMSG_Login:: Veh: 129940 Login: rpidemo Screenname: TECH190 Time: 5:13PMMSG_Login:: Veh: 467 Login: rpi storage Screenname: RPI LiveDB Time: 5:13PMMSG_Login:: Veh: 129881 Login: rpidemo Screenname: TECH075 Time: 5:13PMMSG_Login:: Veh: 446 Login: Screenname: Time: 5:20PM MSG_TTReq:: Lon: -73691473 Lat: 42788138 DestLon: -73668992 DestLat: 42785812 Time: 5:20PMTT_GetMonuments:: VehID: 129874 Mons: 50 Time: 5:20PMMSG_TTSend:: VehID: 129874 Mons: 50 Arcs: 12 Time: 5:20PM MSG_TTReq:: Lon: -73822043 Lat: 42692266 DestLon: -73928752 DestLat: 42743160 Time: 5:20PMTT_GetMonuments:: VehID: 129914 Mons: 38 Time: 5:20PMMSG_TTSend:: VehID: 129914 Mons: 38 Arcs: 5 Time: 5:20PM MSG_UserIDs:: Old ID: 0 New ID: 864 Time: 5:21PM MSG_Login:: Veh: 446 Login: Screenname: Time: 5:21PMMSG_POS:: Lat: 42662345 Long: -73736841 Heading: 2054 Speed: 680 Time: 5:21PM
Problem Perspective Prior Efforts Project Background Some User Perspectives Path-seeking Process Project Results Future Advances Results • Normal Days • Incident Days • Vehicle Rerouting
More reroute messages were generated on days with incidents versus non-incident days Problem Perspective Prior Efforts Project Background Some User Perspectives Path-seeking Process Project Results Future Advances Response to Incidents
Problem Perspective Prior Efforts Project Background Some User Perspectives Path-seeking Process Project Results Future Advances An Incident Happens, what happens to ATIS drivers? Day 18 Car Accident On Morrison Slight volume shift visible Day 86 Menands Bridge Fire Bridge closed, so no traffic here. Where is it?
Incident Occurs Police arrive at 8:20 Tow Truck arrives at 8:41 Incident Clears at 8:51 Problem Perspective Prior Efforts Project Background Some User Perspectives Path-seeking Process Project Results Future Advances Incidents – Car Accident on Morrison St. (Day 18)
Problem Perspective Prior Efforts Project Background Some User Perspectives Path-seeking Process Project Results Future Advances Incidents – Bridge Fire (Day 86) Route 378 Bridge is indeed closed I-787 (SB backed up) south of Watervliet Exit
Problem Perspective Prior Efforts Project Background Some User Perspectives Path-seeking Process Project Results Future Advances Comparison of Network Loading 5/04/05 – Typical Day 5/11/05 – Fire Incident
Problem Perspective Prior Efforts Project Background Some User Perspectives Path-seeking Process Project Results Future Advances Advances in the Future • Large scale deployment in a region, for a major employer, etc. • Use other data in travel time estimation, from loops, video cameras, etc. • Create TMC interface for data exchange, information dissemination, etc. • Create system of multiple service providers, like the cell phone system • Add features: congestion pricing, road conditions, road restrictions (e.g. school zone speed limits), etc. • Try other designs, e.g., vehicle-to-vehicle network without a server
Thank you. • Questions? • Contact Us: • George F. List, gflist@ncsu.edu • William (Al) Wallace, wallaw@rpi.edu • Alain Kornhauser, alainpu@alk.com • Earl (Rusty) Lee, leee7@rpi.edu • Alixandra Demers, ademers@unity.ncsu.edu • Jeffrey Wojtowicz, wojtoj@rpi.edu • Brian Menyuk, bmenyuk@dot.state.ny.us