Browsing by Subject "Incident management"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    Development and application of incident detection techniques to improve incident management in freeway corridors
    (1993-01) Stephanedes, Yorgos J.
    Responding to the need for effective and reliable detection of freeway incidents, an essential element for improved traffic management and control in freeway corridors (Stephanedes and Chang, 1991), the authors initiated this research to investigate the performance limitations of conventional automatic incident detection systems and define the specifications for a new algorithmic logic that can lead to improved detection performance. The research initially focused on assessing the ultimate detection performance that can be accomplished with existing and new incident detection systems that use traffic data from presence detectors. A new algorithm was developed and tested against the major existing ones with promising results towards the development of a more-sophisticated detection structure. All tests employed a unified system of performance assessment (Stephanedes and Chassiakos, 1991), suitable for direct algorithm evaluation. The major accomplishments of this project are: * Review of current incident detection algorithms. * Testing major existing algorithm in the Twin Cities Freeway system. * Development of data preprocessing techniques to enhance the incident signal. * Development and testing of incident detection algorithms based on the data preprocessing.
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    Development and Application of On-Line, Integrated Control Strategies for Optimal Metering, Incident Management and Driver Guidance in Freeway Networks: Phase I Final Report
    (1993-04) Stephanedes, Yorgos J.; Kwon, Eil; Chang, Kaikuo; Vairamidis, Nikos
    Managing freeway congestion requires an integrated approach involving demand-responsive ramp metering, incident management and driver guidance. While a freeway network acts as a system, i.e., conditions on any part affect other parts in the network, the state of the art in real-time freeway management has not reached the point where comprehensive, network-wide optimal control schemes are automatically generated and implemented through on-line optimization and coordination of various control actions. A major difficulty lies in the lack of efficient computational algorithms implementable for on-line optimization, and the lack of accurate on-line predictors, that can predict traffic demand and diversion in freeway networks. As a result of the above limitations, most traffic responsive metering systems, such as the Twin Cities freeway control system, employ automatic rate-selection procedures. These procedures select the most appropriate metering rates for a ramp from a pre-determined library using the information received from loop detectors on the main freeway, upstream and downstream from the ramp. Although this method provides a degree of self-adjustment to prevailing traffic conditions, the lack of an efficient analysis tool to evaluate and update the key components of the control, i.e., thresholds and rate-libraries, significantly restricts the effectiveness of control.
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    Evaluation of the Effectiveness of ATM Messages Used During Incidents
    (Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2016-01) Rindels, Max; Zitzow, Stephen; Hourdos, John
    This project investigated the use of Intelligent Lane Control Signs based Active Traffic Management for Incident Management on a heavily traveled urban freeway. The subject of the research was the ILCS system on I-94 westbound in downtown Minneapolis. This location was selected because of the frequency of capacity reducing incidents occurring in this freeway segment. This research aimed to evaluate and quantify the effect the system has on drivers, specifically on inducing/directing a desirable lane selection behavior. The strength of various uses of the tool in managing traffic during incidents is explored instead of a general level of success in improving traffic. To achieve this goal, the centerpiece of this research was the comparison and modeling of the lane change rates under different strategies. This was a difficult task because all lane changes in the target freeway section had to be detected and geolocated. The research followed two main thrusts. The first was a detailed analysis of 28 incident events selected among approximately 481 events on record between 2012 and 2013. The second thrust was a statistical analysis testing a number of hypotheses prompted by questions proposed by the project Technical Advisory Panel. In general, it can be concluded that the use of ILCS for incident management has a significant effect on driver behavior and specifically in prompting proper lane selection under capacity reducing incidents.
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    Hand Images in Virtual Spatial Collaboration for Traffic Incident and Disaster Management
    (Intelligent Transportation Systems Institute, Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2013-03) Drew, Daniel; Hayes, Caroline C.; Nguyen, Mai-Anh; Cheng, Xuan
    To develop demonstration technology that can overlay hand videos on spatial images such as traffic maps, and assess the impact of this technology on virtual collaboration. This work explores to what degree gestures impact collaboration effectiveness in the task of traffic incident management, with the goal of informing design of tools to support virtual collaboration in this domain. Methods: Eighteen participants worked in pairs to solve three traffic incident scenarios using three different interaction approaches: 1) face-to-face: participants worked together by marking up an electronic map projected on the table in front of them; 2) separated: participants were separated by a soft wall while they worked together on the electronic map with electronic drawing tools; or 3) hand images: same as 2 with the addition of the partner’s hand images projected on the map. Participants were video recorded. The questionnaires were given to participants after each trial to evaluate workload, positive interactions, team behaviors, connection to teammate, and frustration. Results: Participants spent more time on the task and perceived a higher level of time pressure when using hand images than when working face-to-face. When working face-to-face, participants felt more like their teammate was at the same table and felt less disconnected from their teammate than when working separately or using hand images. Conclusions: The results indicate that adding hand videos to a virtual drawing tool for the task of traffic incident management can increase team behaviors and change the way in which team members communicate information.
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    Response Modification for Enhanced Operation and Safety of Bridges
    (University of Minnesota Center for Transportation Studies, 2011-08) Gastineau, Andrew; Schultz, Arturo; Wojtkiewicz, Steven
    This report shows that safe extension of the service life of existing bridge structures is possible through bridge health monitoring and structural response modification. To understand bridge health monitoring and structural response modification and control, it is necessary to examine: 1) common bridge vulnerabilities, 2) bridge loading models, 3) response modification devices, and 4) bridge monitoring systems. The efficacy of response modification techniques on a realistic bridge system were demonstrated using the Cedar Avenue Bridge in Minnesota as a specific example. The Cedar Avenue Bridge is a steel tied arch bridge which means that it is fracture critical. Due to the non-redundant nature of a fracture critical bridge, fatigue failure could be catastrophic and is of concern. Previous research has shown that stress concentrations exist at the joints where the hangers and floor beams are attached to the box girder [7]. Using a simulation of response modification on the Cedar Avenue Bridge model, stress ranges have been reduced on these specific details that are of concern. Modeling using a scissor jack and simple damping device has shown that stress ranges can be reduced by approximately 39% which can lead to life extension of as much as 346%.