Project. VMT estimation based on ITS data

Principle investigator: Hualiang (Harry) Teng, 434-924-1461, hht4n@virginia.edu

External contact: Catherine McGhee, VTRC

Project objective: To have a better estimation of VMT by combining with ITS data

Project description: Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) is an important measure of transportation network performance. The accuracy of the estimation of VMT based on the Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) could be improved if more traffic counts can be collected over a network. The traffic data continuously collected in the ITS system for its daily operations can play a duel role by being used to calculate the VMT. This study will deal with two issues about the usage of ITS data for the estimation of VMT: (1) whether the quality of the ITS data is comparable to the HPMS (the local agency in VDOT which responsible for the HPMS is called Mobility Management System) and (2) to what extent the maintenance practices have contributed to the difference in the data quality. In this study, the ITS data will be collected and evaluated based on the data quality checking procedure adopted in the HPMS. Maintenance records from both the HPMS and the ITS system will be collected to evaluate the life cycle, the downtime and costs of the detectors. Based on the investigation in these two issues, the procedure to use ITS data to estimate VMT and the maintenance practices to make the quality of the data comparable will be recommended.

Tasks:

1. Collect traffic count data from VDOT Mobility Management Division and the ITS traffic data from Hampton Roads STC
2. Decipher the code for data quality determination used by Mobility Management Division
3. Determine the data quality of the ITS traffic data using the deciphered data quality determination program
4. Compare the qualities of the data from ITS and the Mobility Management Division
5. Calculate the freeway VMT in Hampton Roads by combining the Mobility data with ITS data
6. Compare the VMT derived from the Mobility data only with that from the pool of the Mobility and ITS data
7. Recommend how to use ITS data for VMT calculation
8. Collect maintenance records from the Hampton Roads STC and the Mobility Management Division
9. Clean the maintenance records
10. Derive the life cycles and costs for the detectors in these two systems
11. Compare the maintenance practices of these two systems
12. Recommend maintenance practice for producing comparable quality of data

Milestones: Project will be completed in August 2004.

Student Involvement: 1 GRA

Budget. $60,000

Relation to other research: Complement to previous work on ITS

Technology transfer: (workshops, classes, seminars, products) Presentations at conferences, publication of journal papers, final report

Potential benefits: Provide better estimation of system performance

TRB keywords: System performance