Intelligent Roadside Data Collection Technologies

Bluetooth data collection• Consists of a box on the

side of the road• Collects passing Bluetooth

& Wifi MAC addresses• Addresses come from

smart- phones, tablets, in-car GPS

• Addresses are matched at a secondary location

Types of Data Collection

Suitable usage:• Origin-destination• Travel time• Pedestrian/cyclist OD• Queuing (limited)• Behavioural studies

Unsuitable usage:• Link counts• Turning movements• Vehicle classification• Headway analysis• Spying on your

neighbour

Blip Systems• Austraffic partnered with Blip

November 2013 after extensive testing

• Clever technology & software• Features that improve results

and accuracy• Further details: beyond the

scope of this presentation

Strengths of Bluetooth Surveys• Operate for long periods of time with little

maintenance required• Near real time data feed from site• Remote configurations• Triple zone detection: speed profiles

Bluetooth Limitations

Validation of data with other methodologies to ensure accuracy & completeness of counts

BT results, approx 30% sample.

Video results, approx 97% sample.

A lack of validation could’ve lead to a massive survey bias!

• Classification of sensor hits remains a standing issue• Some clever filtering can give vehicle types• In addition, some MAC addresses are assigned to particular classes,

e.g. In-car Bluetooth

Bluetooth Limitations

Bluetooth Limitations• The privacy of all user’s personal data entering

the survey area needs to be considered.• The security of personal data after collection

also deserves consideration.• Data collection must pass the privacy test

before we consider issues of security i.e. should we be collecting this piece of data regardless of how it will be protected once collected?

Surveillance Devices Act 1998 W.ASection 6Regulation of use, installation and maintenance of optical surveillance devices (1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), a person shall not install, use, or maintain, or cause to be installed, used, or maintained, an optical surveillance device — (a) to record visually or observe a private activity to which that person is not a party; or (b) to record visually a private activity to which that person is a party.

Section 7Regulation of use, installation and maintenance of tracking devices (1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), a person shall not attach, install, use, or maintain, or cause to be attached, installed, used, or maintained, a tracking device to determine the geographical location of a person or object without the express or implied consent of that person or, in the case of a device used or intended to be used to determine the location of an object, without the express or implied consent of the person in possession or having control of that object.

Section 3Interpretationoptical surveillance device means any instrument, apparatus, equipment, or other device capable of being used to record visually or observe a private activity, but does not include spectacles, contact lenses or a similar device used by a person with impaired sight to overcome that impairment; tracking device means any instrument, apparatus, equipment, or other device capable of being used to determine the geographical location of a person or object; private activity means any activity carried on in circumstances that may reasonably be taken to indicate that any of the parties to the activity desires it to be observed only by themselves, but does not include an activity carried on in any circumstances in which the parties to the activity ought reasonably to expect that the activity may be observe

Tracking Devices (SDA)Policy Background Information

Bluetooth (TD). Bluetooth tracking devices should not be used in VIC, NSW and WA to track an individual or an object (i.e. a phone).

An item is a tracking device if its primary purpose is to determine the location of an object or person …that the primary purpose of the device is to calculate the travel time, not the location of the phone…that you plan to destroy the data and use it only to calculate travel time [is] important in concluding that the primary purpose of the Bluetooth reader is not to determine the location of an object or person.

Procedure

In Victoria, Bluetooth readers shall be used for the collection of travel time, origin destination (traffic flow), queuing and delay surveys. The MAC addresses are to be masked at the source, so the raw MAC data is not obtained by Austraffic.

ANPRAutomatic Number Plate

Recognition• Typically used by Police• In portable setups, limited by

usual camera issues; • angle of view, sun glare, weather

conditions• Suitable for short term,high sample rate surveys

ANPR Limitations

The following images were taken from a sample survey using ANPR technology...

Other Survey Methodologies

GPS Floating Car Travel Times• High degree of accuracy• High level of data collection,

including mid/end delays, link speeds

• High degree of cost• Labour intensive

Automatic Traffic Count Data• Longer term surveys (one

week to two months)• Relatively cheap• Reliable• Numbers only, no TM, OD,

delays etc• Not related to speed

camerasManual Surveys• For when you just cant beat

a pair of eyeballs• Useful for queue lengths,

observations, etc

Thank YouQ & AContact Details:

Russell JonesPrincipalaustraffic WA19/24 Baile Rd Canning Vale WA 6155P: +61 8 6142 7543 M: +61 411 339 906