MODERN TRANSPORT SYSTEM

A TECHNOLOGY SOLUTION

FOR 21ST CENTURY PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYSTEM MANAGEMENT

ABSTRACT:

The Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) program is a worldwide initiative to add

information technology to transport infrastructure and vehicles. It aims to manage factors that are

typically at odds with each other such as vehicles, loads, and routes to improve safety and reduce

vehicle wear, transportation times and fuel costs. It has improved transportation safety and

mobility and enhances productivity through the use of advanced communications

technologies. Intelligent transportation systems (ITS) encompass a broad range of wireless and

wire line communications-based information and electronics technologies.  When integrated into

the transportation system's infrastructure, and in vehicles themselves, these technologies relieve

congestion, improve safety and enhance a country’s productivity. 

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) are identified as the means to achieve sustainable and

environmental friendly transportation for the 21st Century. Advanced information and

communication technologies are required for ITS. These include Data Storage & Processing

Equipment, Wire line & Wireless Communication Systems, Global Positioning Systems (GPS),

Sensors, Smart Cards etc. In addition to the above technologies, institutional and market factors

play an important role in successful ITS deployment. ITS application functionality includes

collection and processing of real-time data, generating and utilizing information for various

purposes such as controlling and managing traffic, handling fleet operations (public transport and

private carriers), emergency management and assisting users in their travel related decisions. The

benefits of ITS include Reduction of traffic congestion, Enhanced safety, Mitigation of

environmental impacts of transportation systems, enhanced energy performance, and improved

productivity.

INTRODUCTION:

Interest in ITS came from the problems

caused by traffic congestion worldwide and

a synergy of new information technologies

for simulation, real-time control and

communications networks. Traffic

congestion has been increasing worldwide

as a result of increased motorization,

urbanization, population growth and

changes in population density.

Technology has been driving the

developments in the realm of transportation

from the times of Industrial Revolution to

the present day Digital Revolution. Until the

20th century, technology in transportation

was focused on two objectives – (i) meeting

the demand of faster mobility by different

modes and (ii) building capacity and

expanding network facilities to

accommodate growing traffic needs.

Major ITS Functional Areas:

The major ITS application areas can be

classified into the following functional

groups:

Advanced Public Transport

Systems (APTS)

Advanced Traffic Management

Systems (ATMS)

Advanced Traveler Information

Systems (ATIS)

Electronic Toll Collection and

Traffic Management (ETTM)

Commercial vehicle Operations

(CVO)

Figure 1 illustrates basic ITS activities like

Data Collection, Processing (Data

Computing), Communication and

Information Utilization.

Figure 1: Categorization of ITS Activities

INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION

TECHNOLOGIES:

Intelligent Transportation Systems vary in

technologies applied, from basic

management systems such as car navigation,

traffic light control systems, container

management systems, variable message

signs or speed cameras to monitoring

applications such as security CCTV

systems, and then to more advanced

applications which integrate live data and

feedback from a number of other sources,

such as realtime weather, bridge de-icing

systems, and the like.

WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS:

Longer range communications has been

proposed using infrastructure networks such

as IEEE 802.12, Global System for Mobile

Communications (GSM) or 3G. Long-range

communications using these methods is well

established, but unlike the short-range

protocols these methods require an extensive

infrastructure beyond what is installed in a

vehicle. There is lack of consensus as to

what business model should support this

infrastructure.

SPEED MEASUREMENTS:

INDUCTIVE LOOP DETECTION:

Inductive loops can be placed in a roadbed

to detect vehicles as they pass over the loop

by measuring the vehicle's magnetic field.

The simplest detectors simply count the

number of vehicles during a unit of time

(typically 60 seconds in the United States)

that pass over the loop, while more

sophisticated sensors estimate the speed,

length and weight of vehicles and the

distance between them

VIDEO VEHICLE DETECTION:

Closed-circuit tele Traffic flow

measurement using video cameras is another

form of vehicle detection. Since video

detection systems do not involve installing

any components directly into the road

surface or roadbed, this type of system is

known as a "non-intrusive" method of traffic

detection. Video from black-and-white or

color cameras is fed into processors that

analyze the changing characteristics of the

video image as vehicles pass. The cameras

are typically mounted on poles or structures

above or adjacent to the roadway. Most

video detection systems require some initial

configuration to "teach" the processor the

baseline background image. This usually

involves inputting known measurements

such as the distance between lane lines or

the height of the camera above the roadway.

A single video detection processor can

detect traffic simultaneously from four to

eight cameras, depending on the brand and

model. The typical output from a video

detection system is lane-by-lane vehicle

speeds, counts and lane occupancy readings

SPEED DETECTION DEVICES:

Surveillance devices

Vehicle

Position/Speed/Bearing detectors

Image Processors

INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION

APPLICATIONS:

Commercial Vehicle Operations is an

application of Intelligent Transportation

Systems for trucks.A typical system would

be purchased by the managers of a trucking

company. It would have a satellite

navigation system, a small computer and a

digital radio in each truck. Every fifteen

minutes the computer transmits where the

truck has been. The digital radio service

forwards the data to the central office of the

trucking company. A computer system in

the central office manages the fleet in real

time under control of a team of

dispatchers.In this way, the central office

knows where its trucks are

ELECTRONIC TOLL COLLECTION:

TOLL ROADS

Electronic toll collection (ETC) makes it

possible for vehicles to drive through toll

gates at traffic speed, reducing congestion at

toll plazas and automating toll collection.

Until recent years most ETC systems were

based on using radio devices in vehicles that

would use proprietary protocols to identify a

vehicle as it passed under a gantry over the

roadway. More recently there has been a

move to standardize ETC protocols around

the Dedicated Short Range Communications

(DSRC) protocol that has been promoted for

vehicle safety by the Intelligent

Transportation Society of America, ETICO

and ITS Japan.

CORDON ZONES:

Cordon zones are used primarily in urban

centers where mass transit is an alternative

to driving. Drivers entering a cordon zone

are charged a toll that exceeds the cost of

mass transit.

Cordon zones have been implemented in

Singapore and in London, England where a

special toll is collected (Congestion Charge)

when entering a congested city center using

Electronic Toll Collection, licence plate.

AUTOMATIC NUMBER PLATE

RECOGNITION:

     

Automatic number plate recognition

(ANPR) is a mass surveillance method that

uses optical character recognition on images

to read the licence plates on vehicles. As of

2006 systems can scan number plates at

around one per second on cars travelling up

to 100 mph (160 km/h). They can use

existing closed-circuit television or road-rule

enforcement cameras, or ones specifically

designed for the task.

ANPR systems may also be used for/by:

Section control, to measure average

vehicle speed over longer distances

Border crossings

Filling stations to log when a driver

drives away without paying

Car parks or road entry systems to

control access

A marketing tool to log patterns of use

Traffic management systems, which

determine traffic flow using the time it

takes vehicles to pass two ANPR sites

AUTOMATED HIGHWAY SYSTEM:

An automated highway system (AHS) or

Smart Road is an advanced Intelligent

transportation system technology designed

to provide for driverless cars on specific

rights-of-way. It is most often touted as a

means of traffic congestion relief, since it

drastically reduces following distances and

thus allows more cars to occupy a given

stretch of road.

I. COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS

Effective and efficient operation of transit

systems relies on a communications

infrastructure and vehicle-based

communications technologies.

Communications systems are used to

transmit voice and data (both raw and

processed) between transit vehicles and

operations (e.g., dispatch) centers, and to

transmit commands between operators and

technologies (e.g., signal priority commands

to traffic signal systems). Transit

communications systems are comprised

mostly of wireless technologies and

applications. The two-way voice radio

system used for fleet management and

vehicle dispatching remains at the heart of

most transit operations. However, other

communication technologies are becoming

common; for example, short-range data links

for traffic signal priority. Mobile voice and

data communication systems for bus transit

include the use of analog, digital, and

cellular digital packet data (CDPD).

The Capital Area Rural Transit System

(CARTS) operates over a 7,500 square mile

area near Austin, Texas. After years of

operating with a radio system that did not

adequately cover this large geographic area,

CARTS signed an agreement to use a state-

of-the-art radio system installed by the

Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA).

In 1998, CARTS became LCRA’s first

customer, exclusively utilizing five “virtual”

channels on a 900 MHz digital trunking

radio system. CARTS has been able to

consolidate all of their reservations,

scheduling and communications functions

into one facility (rather than three), and have

been able to provide customers with one

toll-free reservation line, which was not

feasible in the past. The centralization of the

scheduling and radio control is helping

CARTS improve the efficiency of its

operations. The radio system enabled

CARTS to deploy data communication

between its call center and vehicles with

mobile data terminals (MDTs), in addition

to planning future technology applications.

II. AUTOMATIC VEHICLE

LOCATION (AVL) SYSTEMS

AVL systems are computer-based vehicle

tracking systems that function by measuring

the real-time position of each vehicle and

relaying the information back to a central

location. They are used most frequently to

identify the location coordinates of vehicles

in Tran Systems-Multisystem-Intelligent

Wireless Systems 2 order to better satisfy

demand. They also serve to provide location

coordinates to respond to emergency

situations.

THE LOCATION TECHNOLOGIES

FOUND ON AVL SYSTEMS ARE

USUALLY ONE OF THE

FOLLOWING, BUT CAN ALSO BE

USED IN COMBINATION:

__Global Positioning System (GPS);

__Signpost and Odometer interpolation,

both active and passive;

__Ground-Based Radio, such as Loran C;

and

__Dead Reckoning.

THE BENEFITS OF AVL INCLUDE:

__Improved dispatch and operational

efficiency;

__Improved overall reliability of service;

__Quicker responses to disruptions in

service, such as vehicle failure or

unexpected congestion;

__Quicker response to threats of criminal

activity (via silent alarm activation by

the driver); and

__Extensive information provided at a

lower cost for future planning purposes.

Tri-Met in Portland, Oregon uses their AVL

to better manage their service, respond to

disruptions and as a source of management

information data. They use the data to assess

overall effectiveness of prior real-time

service adjustments. They have seen

improvements in on-time performance as

well as reductions in headway variability.

Not only did things improve from before to

after installation, but also more

improvements have occurred the longer the

system has been installed. Their AVL

system is at the heart of their recently

developed five-year ITS strategic plan.

III. TRANSIT OPERATIONS

SOFTWARE

Data collected from vehicle-based fleet

management systems is relayed to

centralized computer systems and is made

useful by transit operations software. This

software helps the operator monitor the

fleet’s performance in meeting demand,

identify incidents, manage response, and

restore service more effectively.

Paratransit operations software and reporting

systems integrate applications such as

passenger registration, automatic geocoding,

mapping, real-time and batch trip

scheduling, dispatching and brokering for

multiple carriers. These systems often use a

GIS platform that assists in optimizing route

planning, and can be combined with an AVL

system. Mobile data terminals (MDTs) can

be installed in vehicles to display dispatch

messages (e.g., passenger pickup and drop-

off addresses and instructions), record and

temporarily store certain types of

information about each passenger pickup

and drop-off, and collect statistical and

performance data on services provided.

Software programs can include billing, and

accounting and reporting.

Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) systems

are currently the most visible software

application in fixed-route bus operations.

Transit agencies use this software for bus

service and operations planning. CAD fixed

route software falls into four primary

categories:

__Transfer connection protection software;

__Expert systems for service restoration;

__Itinerary planning systems; and

__Service planning applications.

The benefits of transit operations

software are:

__Permits optimum use of existing

resources

__Assists in evaluation of operational

efficiency

__Speeds response to emergency

situationsImproves schedule reliability

and operating efficiency

__Reduces per trip cost

__Increases customer service to disabled,

elderly, and aids ADA compliance

__Ability to reschedule and re-route transit

vehicles

IV. GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION

SYSTEMS

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

provides a current, spatial, visual

representation of transit operations. It is a

special type of computerized database

management system in which geographic

databases are related to one via a common

set of location coordinates. This allows

information to be developed and displayed

to assist operators, dispatchers, and street

supervisors to make on-the-spot decisions,

and to assist planners in service assessment,

restructuring and development. GIS is most

often used for:

__Transportation planning and modeling;

__Demographic analysis;

__Route planning, analysis and

restructuring;

__Bus dispatch and scheduling;

__Bus stop and facility inventory;

__Ridership analysis;

__AVL and monitoring;

__Paratransit scheduling and routing; and

__Accident reporting and analysis.

A project on Cape Cod used GIS technology

to provide new approaches to analyzing the

relationships between fixed route and

paratransit services on Cape Cod. By

geocoding the origin and destination of

paratransit trips in relationship to fixed route

services, service improvements could be

made to both modes of transit. Using similar

techniques, analyses of routing for

subscription trips for clients with

developmental disabilities to sheltered

workshops using GIS shortest path routines

were made for existing human services

transportation services in Southeastern

Massachusetts

V. PRE-TRIP TRANSIT

INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Pre-trip transit information systems help

travelers make decisions about the choice of

transportation mode, route, and departure

time before they begin their trip. There are

four main types of pre-trip information:

General Service Information, Itinerary

Planning, Real-Time Information, and

Multimodal Traveler Information. Recent

improvements to pre-trip transit information

systems include providing the information

via interactive voice response (IVR)

telephone information; kiosks; and the

Internet.

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit

Authority (WMATA) provides an easy-to-

use trip itinerary planning system via their

website (http://www.wmata.com). This

system, called the Ride Guide, allows users

to enter their origin and destination (street

address, landmark or street intersection),

date, time of arrival or departure, minimize

travel time, walking or no. of transfers,

travel by bus and rail, rail only or bus only

returns complete directions, including

walking directions to the , and fare

information

V. IN-TERMINAL/WAYSIDE

TRANSIT INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Agencies with AVL systems are able to

provide real-time in-terminal or wayside

information about arrival and departure

times. There are several types of media that

disseminate in-terminal/wayside

information, including electronic variable

message signs, video monitors; the Internet;

mobile telephones; and personal digital

assistants (e.g., Palm Pilot). The displays

may be supplemented with audio

announcements for visually-impaired

travelers. Real-time in-terminal and wayside

information systems require a

communications link to a central computer

system that provides the information about

upcoming arrivals.

King County Metro, the transit system in

Seattle, provides a variety of real-time

information on several media. “Bus view”

provides transit users with real-time bus

locations via the Internet. My Bus provides

real-time arrival and departure information

via the Internet, wireless application

protocol (WAP)-enabled mobile telephones

and networked Palm Pilots. Transit Watch

provides real-time status of vehicles at five

transit centers in the Seattle area via the

Internet and on-site at those locations.

VI. IN-VEHICLE TRANSIT

INFORMATION SYSTEMS

In-vehicle transit information systems

provide useful en route information to

travelers about their transit trips. Also, they

comply with the Americans with Disabilities

Act (ADA), which requires that vehicle

stops at all key bus stops be announced.

These announcements on public address

systems are most often an operator's

responsibility. Automated annunciation

systems relieve the vehicle operator of that

responsibility by announcing stops, transfer

possibilities, and points of interest

automatically, based on the vehicle's

location, route, and direction of travel. In

some instances, this information is also

provided to passengers via variable message

signs placed at one or more locations in the

bus. Although, primarily motivated by

support for the disabled, it is also helpful for

those unfamiliar with the route, when the

bus is crowded, and when it is difficult to

see outside the vehicle.

Many transit systems have automated

annunciation systems that provide next-stop

information on-board the vehicle via

electronic signs and audio announcements.

However, in Orlando’s Lynx, the are

experimenting with a more robust

annunciation system – one that provide more

than just next-stop announcements. This

system provides news and weather, video

clips, and other travel-related information on

a flat-panel display. Each 40-foot bus

contains at least three monitors.

VII. AUTOMATED FARE PAYMENT

Transit operators continuously look for ways

to lower the operational costs of their fare

collection systems. Operators are also

interested in increasing revenue and

customer convenience. With these goals in

mind, transit operators are capitalizing on

the increased automation, security and data

capabilities offered by new fare and data

technologies that can be integrated into

existing fare collection systems. These

systems combine fare media, such as

magnetic stripe cards or smart cards, with

electronic communications systems, data

processing computers, and data storage

systems to more efficiently collect fares and

possibly increase revenue by increasing

ridership. Today, fare collection systems are

being updated from traditional cash, coin,

token, and magnetically based systems

employing labor intensive processes and

limited data collection capabilities, to

sophisticated smart card based systems.

Smart cards have the potential to reduce

costs through increased automation while

enhancing customer convenience.

The flexibility offered by the use of smart

card systems, permits operators to more

easily implement changes in fare policy by

uploading fare changes and multiple fare

structures electronically to the system

payment and sales devices. Additionally,

this flexibility allows operators to promote

different products as well as incentives and

loyalty discounts (for instance, 12 rides for

11, free transfers) based upon usage.

The main components of systems using

smart card based technology are:

__A fare payment system - the

infrastructure used to receive value from

the fare payment media and/or check the

validity of the media for the current

transit trip;

__A fare distribution system - the

infrastructure used for the distribution of

the payment media, as well as the

distribution of the value that is loaded

onto the fare media; and

__Clearinghouse and back office processing

systems - infrastructure used to capture

and process transaction data generated

by the fare payment and distribution

systems.

VIII. AUTOMATED SERVICE

COORDINATION

Automated service coordination can be

defined as multiple transportation operators

in a region that provide coordinated service

with the assistance of ITS technologies. By

coordinating the services of multiple

transportation operators in a region, the

connectivity of public transportation

services can be greatly improved for persons

who would have to travel on more than one

transportation agency’s vehicles. This will

produce the opportunity for attracting more

trips to public transportation.

Several ITS technologies are employed to

facilitate automated service coordination.

The most prevalent technology applications

are: central and remote scheduling and

dispatching; automatic vehicle location;

advanced communications (particularly data

communications); and automated fare

payment. For example, the coordinating

agency may provide scheduling and

dispatching services for other local service

providers using an automated scheduling

system. Likewise, the coordinating agency

may outfit local service providers’ vehicles

with AVL equipment in order to monitor all

vehicles within the region. Further, they may

provide customers with an automated fare

payment device that can be used seamlessly

on all regional service providers.

The Suburban Mobility Authority for

Regional Transportation (SMART) in the

Detroit area has deployed remote scheduling

at two service providers: the City of Livonia

and West Bloomfield/Bloomfield Township.

The City of Livonia operates a community-

based service program that provides

transportation using their own vehicles.

(SMART does not operate paratransit

service in this area.) The City uses the

remote scheduling capability provided by

SMART to schedule service on the City’s

vehicles. Currently, the communications

backbone that allows this remote scheduling

consists of two phone lines that go through

the switch in Livonia to SMART. This

backbone will be upgraded to a fractional T-

1 line (a dedicated line) that will provide

much faster communication at the same cost

($600 to $900 per month). The computers

used in Livonia for remote scheduling were

purchased with Federal 16b2 funding.

In West Bloomfield and Bloomfield

Township, they are scheduling trips on

SMART’s paratransit service, which is

provided in this area. The remote scheduling

capability was funded through Community

Credits, which are transportation dollars

provided by SMART to health and human

service agency providers.

CONCLUSION:

ITS has been proved to be the optimal

solution to the enigma of building and

operating transportation systems to meet

expeditiously growing urban travel demand

in developed countries. We all have acceded

to the fact that the acme of the

transportation, i.e. Intelligent Transportation

is the requirement of present day-today life.

Such facilities which are already enjoyed by

the people of America etc. and also the

Government of our country have taken steps

in this very field. This accolade

transportation if included in the upcoming

Highway Development Projects of our

Government will certainly help in upgrading

the standards of our Highway Systems to the

utmost quality.

REFERENCES:

“ArcView network analyst”, Environmental systems research institute, 1996.

Chirs Drace and Chirs Rizos, “Positioning Systems in Intelligent Transport Systems”,

artech house, London, 1998.

Christian Gerondeau, “Transport in Europe”, artech house, London, 1997.

David Crawford, “Park and Go”, ITS international, U.K., (March/April 2001), pp. 68. .

Indian Vehicle tracking System, ITS International, U.K., (July/August 2000), pp. 12.