INTEGRATING AN AUTOMATED BOTTLENECK DETECTION TOOL INTO AN ONLINE FREEWAY DATA ARCHIVE

Bottlenecks are key features of any freeway system. Their impacts are of increasing importance as congestion worsens in major urban areas. In the U.S., the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has been working to identify and monitor key bottlenecks in each state. In Oregon, a freeway data archive known as PORTAL records count, occupancy, and speed measurements from over 600 freeway locations.. This archive has enabled development of online freeway performance and reliability analysis tools. This paper describes the results of a project aimed at developing an automated tool for identifying recurrent freeway bottlenecks using historical data within the framework of the data archive. Efforts have focused on identification and display of active bottleneck features using graphical tools and the selection of optimal variables that enable the careful identification of active bottlenecks. This research aims to detect bottleneck activation in real time and to expand the use of reliability techniques. Ultimately the results of this research will improve the prioritization of improvements and implementation of operational strategies on the freeway network.

[1]  Robert L. Bertini,et al.  Use of Performance Measurement System Data to Diagnose Freeway Bottleneck Locations Empirically in Orange County, California , 2005 .

[2]  David M Levinson,et al.  Ramp Metering and Freeway Bottleneck Capacity , 2009 .

[3]  Mohanbir Sawhney.  How to Keep Your Customers Satisfied , 2003 .

[4]  Robert L. Bertini,et al.  Developing an Optimal Sensing Strategy for Accurate Freeway Travel Time Estimation and Traveler Information , 2008 .

[5]  Robert L. Bertini,et al.  Toward the systematic diagnosis of freeway bottleneck activation , 2003, Proceedings of the 2003 IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems.

[6]  Carlos F. Daganzo,et al.  Fundamentals of Transportation and Traffic Operations , 1997 .

[7]  Robert L. Bertini,et al.  OBSERVATIONS AT A FREEWAY BOTTLENECK , 1999 .

[8]  Alexander Skabardonis,et al.  Systematic Identification of Freeway Bottlenecks , 2004 .

[9]  James H Banks,et al.  TWO-CAPACITY PHENOMENON AT FREEWAY BOTTLENECKS: A BASIS FOR RAMP METERING? , 1991 .

[10]  M. Cassidy,et al.  Some traffic features at freeway bottlenecks , 1999 .

[11]  Michael J. Cassidy,et al.  METHODOLOGY FOR ASSESSING DYNAMICS OF FREEWAY TRAFFIC FLOW , 1995 .

[12]  Robert L. Bertini,et al.  USING ARCHIVED DATA TO SYSTEMATICALLY IDENTIFY AND PRIORITIZE FREEWAY BOTTLENECKS , 2008 .

[13]  Robert L. Bertini,et al.  Using PORTAL Data to Empirically Diagnose Freeway Bottlenecks Located on Oregon Highway 217 , 2007 .

[14]  Fred L. Hall,et al.  FREEWAY CAPACITY DROP AND THE DEFINITION OF CAPACITY , 1991 .

[15]  R.L. Bertini,et al.  Implementing the ITS archived data user service in Portland, Oregon , 2004, Proceedings. The 7th International IEEE Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems (IEEE Cat. No.04TH8749).