Arterial travel time estimation based on vehicle re-identification using wireless magnetic sensors

• Published in: Transportation research. Part C, Emerging technologies Vol. 17; no. 6; pp. 586 - 606
• Main Authors: Kwong, Karric, Kavaler, Robert, Rajagopal, Ram, Varaiya, Pravin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier India Pvt Ltd 01.12.2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Arterial performance measures; Discharge rate; Exact sciences and technology; Ground, air and sea transportation, marine construction; Magnetic signature; Queue length; Real-time travel time estimation; Road transportation and traffic; Vehicle re-identification; Australia, Western Australia, Albany; Real-time travel time estimation; Queue length; Arterial performance measures; Magnetic signature; Vehicle re-identification; Discharge rate; Performance evaluation; Travel time; Measurement sensor; Theoretical study; Real time; Magnetic measurement; Experimental result; Vehicle identification; System description; Statistical model; Signal processing; Wireless network; Road traffic; Measurement method
• ISSN: 0968-090X; 1879-2359
• DOI: 10.1016/j.trc.2009.04.003

A practical system is described for the real-time estimation of travel time across an arterial segment with multiple intersections. The system relies on matching vehicle signatures from wireless sensors. The sensors provide a noisy magnetic signature of a vehicle and the precise time when it crosses the sensors. A match (re-identification) of signatures at two locations gives the corresponding travel time of the vehicle. The travel times for all matched vehicles yield the travel time distribution. Matching results can be processed to provide other important arterial performance measures including capacity, volume/capacity ratio, queue lengths, and number of vehicles in the link. The matching algorithm is based on a statistical model of the signatures. The statistical model itself is estimated from the data, and does not require measurement of ‘ground truth’. The procedure does not require measurements of signal settings; in fact, signal settings can be inferred from the matched vehicle results. The procedure is tested on a 1.5 km (0.9 mile)-long segment of San Pablo Avenue in Albany, CA, under different traffic conditions. The segment is divided into three links: one link spans four intersections, and two links each span one intersection.