SURVEILLANCE METHODS AND WAYS AND MEANS OF COMMUNICATING WITH DRIVERS

RESEARCH WAS CONDUCTED ON TRAFFIC SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS FOR URBAN FREEWAYS AND INVESTIGATIONS MADE ON /1/ A METHOD FOR PREDICTING TRAVEL TIME ON AN URBAN FREEWAY IN THE EVENT OF A TRAFFIC TIE-UP, AND /2/ THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AN AIRBORNE OBSERVER TO REROUTE TRAFFIC IN THE EVENT OF A TRAFFIC TIE- UP. A MATHEMATICAL LOGIC WAS DEVELOPED TO PREDICT TRAVEL TIME ON AN URBAN FREEWAY IN THE EVENT THAT A MISHAP CAUSES A BREAKDOWN IN TRAFFIC FLOW. THE CALCULATIONS ARE TO BE PERFORMED IN REAL TIME ON A HIGH-SPEED DIGITAL COMPUTER. EVALUATION WAS MADE OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AN AIRBORNE OBSERVER TO MINIMIZE DELAY BY ISSUING ALTERNATE ROUTE ADVISORIES TO MOTORISTS. PRELIMINARY DESIGN WAS ACCOMPLISHED FOR A SURVEILLANCE SCHEME IN WHICH A CLOSED-CIRCUIT TELEVISION CAMERA IS BORNE ALOFT BY A TETHERED BALLOON. CONSIDERING THE TECHNICAL, OPERATIONAL, AND ECONOMIC PROBLEMS INVOLVED, THIS RESEARCH CONCLUDES THAT A BALLOON- BORNE CLOSED-CIRCUIT TELEVISION SYSTEM SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS A NEW TECHNIQUE FOR AREA SURVEILLANCE.