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?

INTELLIGENT INFRASTRUCTURE

INTELLIGENT VEHICLES

INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION

SYSTEMS

Source: www.itsoverview.its.dot.gov

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ATIS: What is this?

Intelligent Infrastructure:

Transit Management Systems Incident Management Systems

Emergency Management Systems Electronic Payment Systems

Traveler Information

Arterial Management Systems Freeway Management Systems

Road Weather Management

Information Management

Crash Prevention & Safety Roadway Operations & Maintenance

Commercial Vehicle Operations

Intermodal Freight

Source: www.itsoverview.its.dot.gov

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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

Source: www.itsoverview.its.dot.gov

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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.

Source: www.itsbenefits.its.dot.gov

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ATIS: What are the benefits?

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

Source: www.itsbenefits.its.dot.gov

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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.

Source: www.itsbenefits.its.dot.gov

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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

Source: www.itscosts.its.dot.gov

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ComponentCycle Life

(Years)

Total Capital

Cost

Annual Maintenance

Cost

Annual Operational

Cost

230 CCTV Cameras (capital includes cameras and installation)

10 $8,400,000   $75,600

Traffic Monitoring Stations (placed every ½ mile)

10 $2,100,000 $42,000 $37,800

ATIS: What are the costs?

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

Source: www.itscosts.its.dot.gov

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ATIS: What are the costs?

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

AzTech Server Hardware & Installation Total Start-up Costs

Annual O&M Total O&M Costs

AZTech Server $35,154 AZTech Server Recurring Costs

$209,551

AZTech Network Management Server $26,434

AZTech Workstation $6,786

WAN/CODEC $364,856

Video Switch Expansion $20,257

AZTech Server Planning and Development Labor Costs

$1,166,659

Operator Training $72,281

Total $1,692,427 Total $209,551

Source: www.itscosts.its.dot.gov

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ATIS: What are the costs?

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

Description Capital Costs

Annual O&M Costs

One-time cost to build associated system interface components (database and weather model for Montana)

$89,700  

Operating cost for a state-wide 511 traveler information system excluding toll-charges

  $135,005

Cost for toll charges for public access to 511 infrastructure   $51,848

One-time capital improvement for the addition of voice recognition $5,400  

Marketing costs. The O&M cost of $5,000 is for 2004 $66,000 $5,000

Estimated one-time capital improvement for AMBER, Homeland Security, and general transportation alerts

$18,046  

Estimated annual operating cost for statewide alert system   $3,600

Estimated one-time capital improvement for the addition of regional reposts over 511

$8,854  

TOTAL $188,000 $195,453

Source: www.itscosts.its.dot.gov

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0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Web

Site

s

E -Mail

Autom

ated

Tele

phon

e

Facsim

ile

Pager

s

Kiosks

Dedica

ted

Cable

TV

Method to Distribute Information

Pe

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nt

of

Ag

en

cie

s

Freeway Arterial Transit

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

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0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Static Information (Routes, Schedules, andFares)

Dynamic Information (Real-time ScheduleAdherence)

Types of Information

Pe

rce

nt

of

Tra

ns

it A

ge

nc

ies

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

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0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Incidents Travel Times Travel Speeds

Types of Information Disseminated

Pe

rce

nt

of

Ag

en

cie

s

Freeway Arterial

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

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ATIS: What are the lessons learned?

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

Source: www.itslessons.its.dot.gov

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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.

Source: www.itslessons.its.dot.gov

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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.

Source: www.itslessons.its.dot.gov

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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

Source: www.itsoverview.its.dot.gov