ADVANCED TRAVELER INFORMATION SYSTEMS USING LOW POWER TELEVISION STATIONS

The TransGuide Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) being installed in San Antonio, Texas, by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is one of the most advanced systems in the United States. Traffic congestion can be identified by the central computer within 2 minutes and the motorist warning signs can be reconfigured within 15 seconds to minimize traffic congestion. The system utilizes high resolution video cameras to view incidents in the operations control center (OCC). Operators view a graphic map to determine the overall traffic conditions in the metropolitan area. At high magnification levels, the graphical map shows traffic flow down to the lane level. TxDOT has initiated a program known as the "Media Distribution Plan," which will facilitate the transfer of information from the OCC to media organizations for dissemination to motorists. The importance of the concept is that the TransGuide system maintains real-time data for the entire project area and it is not possible for the media outlets to acquire this information without utilizing the TransGuide System. TxDOT will purchase a low power television station as a technology for the distribution of data. The advantage of the low power television station is that the information can be broadcast over the entire metropolitan area. Receiving the data requires a low-cost antenna. The data to be transferred includes: 1) live video; 2) graphical map; 3) scenario data; 4) lane closure data; and 5) other advanced traveler information systems information. The last four data items will be encapsulated and sent in the vertical blanking interval of the broadcast signals. Specialized software on the transmission and receiving end will be required to encode/decode the data for presentation to the user.