Real-Time Estimation of Arterial Travel Time and Operational Measures through Integration of Real-Time Fixed Sensor Data

Project Overview:

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) and Bluetooth technologies have been used in several traffic monitoring applications in recent years. RFID readers identify tags that are typically affixed to vehicles for use at tolls. Bluetooth readers anonymously identify the media access control (MAC) addresses of Bluetooth devices such as cell phones, head pieces, radios, etc. in passing vehicles. By configuring a system of two or more units placed at user-defined distances, travel times may be determined along the corridor by comparing the timestamps of identified RFID tags or Bluetooth devices at each reader.

Buford Highway, which runs parallel to the HOV lanes that will be converted to high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes, will serve as a case study for the experimentation of these technologies to measure travel times. As a part of this study, RFID tags will be distributed to commuters who regularly travel along Buford Highway. In order to identify these commuters, video cameras will be used to collect license plate information at four different locations during the AM peak hours and four locations during the PM peak hours. Simultaneously, an in-house Bluetooth system as well as a commercial Bluetooth system will be used to collect MAC addresses and timestamps of Bluetooth devices in passing vehicles. Methodologies to determine the configurations of RFID and Bluetooth readers will be developed in order to best measure travel times before and after the implementation of the HOT lanes.