PACIFIC RIM TRANSTECH CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS. VOLUME I. TRAFFIC INFORMATION AND DRIVER BEHAVIOR IN PARIS REGION

The French National Department of Transportation has developed a program called SIRIUS (System d'Information Routiere Intelligble aux Usayer), the largest urban testbed project for the use of variable message signs in Europe. Real-time information is provided to drivers via 200 remotely controlled variable message signs from the centralized Traffic Management Center (TMC). Traffic data gathered from 5,000 buried loop detectors are directly sent to the TMC. SIRIUS also feeds ramp metering protocols. Based on surveys of motorists, a series of hypotheses were developed to design variable message signs. This paper describes the hypotheses used in the design of variable message signs concerning motorist diversion behavior, and how drivers respond to roadside information services.