TECHNIQUES FOR ANALYSING LARGE VOLUMES OF DATA GENERATED BY TRAFFIC RESEARCH

It is generally accepted that the volume of data being produced by transportation related applications is large. GIS, GPS and Urban Traffic Control Systems (UTC) all contribute a cornucopia of data which is ripe for analysis. The Transport Systems Centre, like many other transport engineering centres, has in the past concentrated on using common desktop analysis tools to perform the necessary calculations. This approach requires the analyst to aggregate data to a point where they can manipulate it. However, with the volumes of data that are now routinely collected and analysed, it is becoming increasingly difficult to use these tools; they are not designed for such undertakings. This paper discusses the needs of researchers dealing with transport data, and the steps towards designing a comprehensive research database.