Chapter 10. Intelligent Transportation Systems. Ohio Kentucky Indiana Regional Council of Governments Regional Transportation Plan

Transcription

1 Chapter 10 Intelligent Transportation Systems Ohio Kentucky Indiana Regional Council of Governments 2030 Regional Transportation Plan

2 Chapter 10 Intelligent Transportation Systems INTRODUCTION Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) is the application of electronics, communications, or information processing, used singly or in combination, to improve the efficiency or safety of a surface transportation system. ITS can connect vehicles, travelers, and roadways, helping to improve the travel experience by providing information such as roadway congestion locations, accidents, construction delays, optimum routing, weather conditions, and traveler information. The 2008 report, OKI ITS Architecture Update and Strategic Plan (OKI ITS Plan) guides OKI and its member agencies in planning, programming and implementing integrated multimodal ITS over the next 10 years. The architecture represents a shared vision of how each agency s systems will work together in the future, sharing information and resources to provide a safer, more efficient, and more effective transportation system for travelers in the region. National ITS Architecture The Federal Highway Administration Final Rule (23CFR 940) and Federal Transit Administration Policy on Intelligent Transportation System Architecture and Standards, which took effect on April 8, 2001, requires that all federally funded ITS projects conform to a regional ITS architecture that meets all requirements of the national ITS architecture. The OKI ITS Plan meets all of these requirements. ITS Components An ITS plan is comprised of one or more technology systems depending on a metropolitan area s needs. The OKI ITS Plan documents each stakeholder s current and future roles and responsibilities in the operation of the regional ITS systems across a range of transportation services. There are eight services covered as part of the architecture. Traffic Signal Control Traffic signal control is the operation of signaling systems that react to changing traffic conditions and provide coordinated intersection timing over a corridor, an area or multiple jurisdictions. Freeway Control Freeway control is the operation of systems to monitor freeway or tollway traffic flow and roadway conditions, and provide strategies such as ramp metering or lane access control to improve the flow of traffic on the freeway. Freeway control includes systems to provide information to travelers on the roadway. Incident Management Incident management is the operation of systems to provide rapid and effective response to incidents. Incident management includes systems to detect and verify incidents, along with coordinated agency response to the incidents. Traffic Management Traffic management is the operation of systems to more efficiently manage fleets of transit vehicles or transit rail. Traffic management includes systems which provide Ohio Kentucky Indiana Regional Council of Governments 2030 Regional Transportation Plan 10-1

3 transit traveler information both pre-trip and during the trip. Traveler Information Traveler information is the operation of systems to provide emergency call taking, public safety dispatch and emergency operations centers. Maintenance and Construction Management Maintenance and construction management is the operation of systems to manage the maintenance of roadways in the region, including snow and ice clearance. Maintenance and construction management includes the managing of construction operations. Archive Data Management Archive data management is the operation of systems to collect transportation data for use in non-operational purposes such as planning and research. Commercial Vehicle Operations Commercial vehicle operations is the development of systems to administer permits, check credentials and safety information, and enforce commercial vehicle regulations throughout the state so as to make it safer to operate a private or commercial vehicle on the state roadways. Existing ITS elements The most extensive system of ITS technologies in the OKI region is the Advanced Regional Traffic Interactive Management and Information System (ARTIMIS). ARTIMIS evolved from OKI s interest in reducing congestion from interstate reconstruction and its potential to optimize freeway system efficiency, improve safety and benefit air quality. ARTIMIS was initiated by OKI s completion of a feasibility study in 1988, followed by a preliminary engineering design in Through the teamwork of OKI, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, the Ohio Department of Transportation, and local governments, ARTIMIS was designed to provide consolidated traffic management without regard to state and local political boundaries. When it came fully on line in early 1998, ARTIMIS became one of the first ITS in the country to provide seamless freeway traffic management across state borders. Components of ARTIMIS include freeway control, incident management, traveler information and archive data management. ARTIMIS covers the 98 miles of the region s freeway system with the heaviest traffic. ARTIMIS is operated by traffic controllers stationed at a control center. The control center, situated in downtown Cincinnati and centrally located on the ARTIMIS system, receives all of the information collected from the field. The control center is the point from which traveler information is disseminated and traffic is managed. ARTIMIS collects information on traffic conditions per lane and transmits it to the control center. The information is collected by loop detectors installed in the pavement every one-third to one-half mile, wide beam radar detectors and video cameras. These technologies collect traffic speed, volume, and vehicle density data throughout the entire ARTIMIS system, in addition to providing visual surveillance on some segments for use in verifying congestion and determining the cause of incidents. When traffic speeds drop below a certain level, controllers are alerted to conditions that may 10-2 Ohio Kentucky Indiana Regional Council of Governments 2030 Regional Transportation Plan

4 warrant immediate action. Throughout most of the system, closed circuit television cameras provide pan-tilt-zoom capabilities for full-motion video coverage that make these segments completely visible at the control center. ARTIMIS expedites the relay of information on incident occurrence, cause, and location to those involved in emergency response, such as 911 dispatchers, police and fire departments, paramedics, towing services, and emergency management services. To further expedite incident response and removal, the incident response program includes a freeway service patrol that provides gas, minor repairs or other assistance to disabled vehicles. This service allows for an expedited return of the vehicle to operation or movement onto the shoulder or off the freeway. Median markers are located every 10th of a mile for use in accurately reporting and quickly locating incident locations. ARTIMIS provides traveler information on traffic problems and alternative routes through a combination of changeable message signs strategically located throughout the system, a highway advisory radio frequency, Web site and a multi-faceted traveler advisory 511 telephone service that can accessed anywhere in the region. The OKI region was the first area in the United States to implement the 511 service. The service provides travel related information such as up to the minute and route specific traffic conditions, bus routes and schedules for both the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) and the Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK), special event transportation information, local weather information, and traffic conditions throughout Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. A benefit-cost evaluation of ARTIMIS was conducted in Benefits for five performance measures were calculated: user mobility, travel time reliability, fuel consumption, accidents and emissions. Travel time reliability showed the greatest benefit to date, due to ARTIMIS incident management elements. The evaluation indicates that ARTIMIS has a benefit-cost ratio of 12:1. This was based on the ARTIMIS core infrastructure. With expansion of ARTIMIS, the benefit-cost ratio will become even more favorable. This is because expansion costs could be lower than original installation costs, since the core infrastructure at the ARTIMIS control center and much of the communications infrastructure is already in place. In addition to ARTIMIS, several other ITS technologies are already in place in the region including the city of Cincinnati s traffic control center, SORTA and TANK s automated transit vehicle location system, the city of Cincinnati/Hamilton County Regional Operations Center which coordinates special event monitoring and disaster response, and ramp metering on I-74 in Hamilton County. Recommendations for ITS As freeway traffic continues to increase, ITS infrastructure will become increasingly important for reducing congestion and maximizing the efficiency of the transportation system. A framework for an ITS strategic plan was developed in 2008 as part of the OKI ITS Plan. A list of planned and needed ITS projects with estimated costs was compiled through several stakeholder interviews and workshops (Figure 10-1). Ohio Kentucky Indiana Regional Council of Governments 2030 Regional Transportation Plan 10-3

5 Additional potential ITS projects can be found in the OKI ITS Plan. Any ITS project that conforms to the OKI ITS Plan and meets fiscal and air quality constraint requirements of this 2030 Regional Transportation Plan may be eligible for federal funding. Project Figure 10-1 Key ITS Projects Current Year Cost 911 Computer aided dispatch integration with ARTIMIS $500,000 Increased ARTIMIS service patrols $1,525,000 Port security camera installation $1,200,000 Evacuation plan update for Hamilton County $300,000 Snow and ice detection management and advanced snow plow systems in Ohio $3,000,000 Work Zone Traffic Management Systems and Safety Improvements $500,000 Clermont Transportation Connection Automatic Vehicle Locator (AVL) and electronic fare collection $650,000 Upgrade SORTA AVL system $1,000,000 TANK IT Solutions $525,000 Advanced paratransit scheduling and dispatch $750,000 Transit traveler information kiosks $80,000 Emergency and bus traffic signal priority $800,000 ARTIMIS freeway field device and communications targeted expansion $11,500,000 Arterial signal operations upgrades $20,000,000 I-75 ramp metering $4,000,000 I-471 ramp metering $2,000,000 Highway-rail intersection advanced safety systems $1,000,000 Cincinnati automated parking facilities $70,000 Expand traveler information delivery methods $2,125,000 Upgrade ARTIMIS to support integrated architecture $1,000,000 Install ARTIMIS workstations for Tier 1 and 2 members $195,000 Direct link of SORTA cameras to ARTIMIS $125,000 TOTAL $52,845,000 Source: 2008 OKI ITS Architecture Update and Strategic Plan. Costs of these recommended ITS projects are nearly $53 million. For many of the preceding recommendations, further study is needed to address such issues as specific infrastructure needs, phasing, deployment procedures and more refined cost estimates. In addition, operating and maintenance costs for the recommended ITS projects are estimated at $5 million per year Ohio Kentucky Indiana Regional Council of Governments 2030 Regional Transportation Plan

6 Figure 10-2 Total Cost Estimates for ITS Projects Year of Expenditure (includes operation and maintenance) Recommended Ohio $50,000,000 Kentucky $15,000,000 Indiana $1,000,000 TOTAL $66,000,000 Source: 2008 OKI ITS Architecture Update and Strategic Plan. SUMMARY The optimization and expansion of ITS is an important strategy for managing congestion, while improving safety and security of the region s transportation network. Rapid advances in technology will continue to alter the ITS tools available and the OKI region will realize more efficient transportation investments with the deployment of these technologies. Ohio Kentucky Indiana Regional Council of Governments 2030 Regional Transportation Plan 10-5