Topic: Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)
Rural Intelligent Transportation Systems
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
FHWA has made efforts to support deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) technology in statewide and rural areas in the United States. In an ongoing effort to continue the support for ITS solutions for rural applications, this Web page provides the most current information provided by FHWA regarding ITS deployment for rural transportation needs as well as links to other organizations that are addressing rural transportation related issues.
Improving Highway Safety with ITS
Consortium for ITS Training and Education
Web-based transportation course that aims to increase awareness of the benefits to be gained through the deployment of ITS for highway safety applications.
ITS and Transportation Safety: EMS System Data Integration to Improve Traffic Crash Emergency Response and Treatment
University of Minnesota, CTS 09-02
Examines the use of information systems and intelligent transportation systems in terms of responses to vehicle crash emergencies.
The ITS Institute’s Rural Collision Avoidance Research Project
University of Minnesota Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Institute
The ITS Institute at the University of Minnesota is involved in research designed to develop solutions to prevent and/or diminish vehicle crashes at rural highway intersections, building on recent advances in intelligent transportation systems (ITS) technology to address a significant public safety problem. The proposed Intersection Decision Support (IDS) system to be developed represents a radical and innovative solution to a problem with far-reaching implications for the safety and mobility of the driving public.
Benefits of Using Intelligent Transportation Systems in Work Zones: A Summary Report
Federal Highway Administration, 2008
FHWA-HOP-08-021
This report describes the results of some quantifiable assessment of the effectiveness of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) in work zones. Five sites participated in the study: I-40 outside Winston-Salem in North Carolina; I-30 between Benton and Little Rock in Arkansas; US-131 in Kalamazoo, Michigan; I-35 in Hillsboro, Texas; and DC-295 in Washington, DC. ITS in work zones is one of the tools in the work zone management toolbox, and the benefits information in this report, as well as the tips and lessons learned, can help other transportation practitioners use this tool effectively.
Benefit-Cost Analysis for Intersection Decision Support
Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2007
Mn/DOT 2007-32
The Intersection Decision Support (IDS) system is designed to assist drivers on stop-controlled low-volume rural roads choosing gaps when confronted with busy multiple lane divided-highways, without affecting traffic on the high-volume road. The hope is, that by providing better gap guidance, fewer crashes (and fatalities) will occur. This research develops a framework for analyzing such a new, and presently under-specified technology, and illustrates that framework by comparing that with more conventional engineering approaches, as well as a "do-nothing" base case. The results show that the IDS System may be an effective tool to reduce crash rates at various intersections. More research is needed to address reliability and stability issues, and in determining how cost- effective of a solution the IDS System is compared to other "traditional" alternatives.
Intersection Decision Support Surveillance System: Design, Performance and Initial Driver Behavior Quantization
Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2007
Mn/DOT 2007-30
In rural Minnesota, approximately one-third of all crashes occur at intersections. Analysis of crash statistics and reports of crashes at rural expressway through-stop intersections shows that, for drivers who stop before entering the intersection, the majority of crashes involve an error in selecting a safe gap in traffic. The Intersection Decision Support system, developed at the University of Minnesota, is intended to reduce the number of driver errors by providing better information about oncoming traffic to drivers stopped at intersections. This report deals primarily with the surveillance technology which serves as the foundation upon which the IDS system will be built. Three components of the surveillance system are described in detail in the body of the report: 1) a Mainline Sensor subsystem; 2) a Minor Road Sensor subsystem; 3) a Median Sensor subsystem. These subsystems include radar units, laser-scanning sensors, and infrared cameras, integrated with a vehicle tracking and classification unit that estimates the states of all vehicles approaching the intersection. The design, installation, performance, and reliability of each of these three subsystems are documented in the report. The report concludes with an analysis of driver gap acceptance behavior at an instrumented intersection. Gap selection is examined as a function of time of day, traffic levels, weather conditions, maneuver, and other parameters. Log-normal distributions describe gaps acceptance behavior at rural, unsignalized expressway intersections.
Review of Georgia’s Rural Intersection Crashes: Application of Methodology for Identifying Intersections for Intersection Decision Support (IDS)
Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2007
Mn/DOT 2007-28
The Intersection Decision Support (IDS) research project is sponsored by a consortium of states (Minnesota, California, and Virginia) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) whose objective is to improve intersection safety. The Minnesota team’s focus is to develop a better understanding of the causes of crashes at rural unsignalized intersections and then develop a technology solution to address the cause(s).
Review of Iowa’s Rural Intersection Crashes: Application of Methodology for Identifying Intersections for Intersection Decision Support (IDS)
Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2007
Mn/DOT 2007-27
The Intersection Decision Support (IDS) research project is sponsored by a consortium of states (Minnesota, California, and Virginia) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) whose objective is to improve intersection safety. The Minnesota team’s focus is to develop a better understanding of the causes of crashes at rural unsignalized intersections and then develop a technology solution to address the cause(s).
Review of Michigan’s Rural Intersection Crashes: Application of Methodology for Identifying Intersections for Intersection Decision Support (IDS)
Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2006
Mn/DOT 2006-33
The objective of the Intersection Decision Support (IDS) research project, sponsored by a consortium of states (Minnesota, California, and Virginia) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), is to improve intersection safety. The Minnesota team’s focus is to develop a better understanding of the causes of crashes at rural unsignalized intersections and then develop a technology solution to address the cause(s). In the original study, a review of Minnesota’s rural crash records and of past research identified poor driver gap selection as a major contributing cause of rural intersection crashes. Consequently, the design of the rural IDS technology has focused on enhancing the driver’s ability to successfully negotiate rural intersections by communicating information about the available gaps in the traffic stream to the driver.
Accident Modification Factors for Traffic Engineering and ITS Improvements
Transportation Research Board, 2008
NCHRP Report 617
This report explores the development of accident modification factors (AMFs) for traffic engineering and intelligent transportation system improvements. AMFs, also known as crash reduction factors, are designed to provide a simple and quick way of estimating the safety impacts of various types of engineering improvements, encompassing the areas of signing, alignment, channelization, and other traffic engineering solutions.
A Simulator-Based Evaluation of Smart Infrastructure Concepts for Intersection Decision Support for Rural Thru-STOP Intersections.
Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2007
MN/RC 2007-31
Describes the human factors basis for an intersection decision support (IDS) system intended to improve the safety of rural intersections in Minnesota’s Interregional Corridors (IRCs). The purpose of the human factors effort is to understand the task of rural intersection negotiation, identify high-risk user groups, describe the human factors that contribute to intersection accidents, and determine what conceptual types of information to present in the IDS display to improve driver performance and safety.
Review of North Carolina’s Rural Intersection Crashes: Application of Methodology for Identifying Intersections for Intersection Decision Support (IDS)
Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2006
Mn/DOT 2006-32
The objective of the Intersection Decision Support (IDS) research project, sponsored by a consortium of states (Minnesota, California, and Virginia) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), is to improve intersection safety. The Minnesota team’s focus is to develop a better understanding of the causes of crashes at rural unsignalized intersections and then develop a technology solution to address the cause(s). In the original study, a review of Minnesota’s rural crash records and of past research identified poor driver gap selection as a major contributing cause of rural intersection crashes. Consequently, the design of the rural IDS technology has focused on enhancing the driver’s ability to successfully negotiate rural intersections by communicating information about the available gaps in the traffic stream to the driver.
Review of Wisconsin’s Rural Intersection Crashes: Application of Methodology for Identifying Intersections for Intersection Decision Support (IDS)
Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2006
Mn/DOT 2006-10
The Intersection Decision Support (IDS) research project is sponsored by a consortium of states (Minnesota, California, and Virginia) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) whose objective is to improve intersection safety. The Minnesota team’s focus is to develop a better understanding of the causes of crashes at rural unsignalized intersections and then develop a technology solution to address the cause(s).
Collision Avoidance: Smart Trucks on Rural Roads
Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2005
Mn/DOT 1995-11
With interest in collision avoidance technology for highway vehicles on the rise, this report presents an overview of current collision avoidance technology, the technical work required to bring these systems to a commercially viable product, and the societal issues that need addressing before wide-scale deployment can occur. Many questions remain about the benefits of deploying such systems, the costs, the effect of these systems on drivers, and the steps necessary to effectively regulate vehicles equipped with such systems.
Review of Minnesota’s Rural Intersection Crashes: Methodology for Identifying Intersections for Intersection Decision Support (IDS)
Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2004
Mn/DOT 2004-31
Minnesota’s rural crash records were analyzed in order to develop a better understanding of crashes at rural intersections and their cause. The objective in studying the causes of crashes at rural intersections is to support development of technology based strategies to mitigate high crash rates. Since previous research found that 80 percent of intersection crashes at thru-STOP intersections may be related to selection of insufficient gaps, the development and validation of Intersection Decision Support (IDS) technology that assists in proper gap selection was identified as a primary goal. A database of over 3,700 intersections was examined. Using the critical crash rate as an indicator, 23 rural expressway intersections and 104 rural two-lane intersections were identified as unusually 'dangerous' locations. Right angle crashes (which are most often related to gap selection) were observed to account for approximately 50 percent of all crashes at the 'dangerous' intersections, up from 28 percent for all rural thru-STOP intersections. A specific intersection identified, evaluated and then was selected for testing IDS technologies that can track vehicles approaching on the major roadway, compute the gap and communicate the information to drivers stopped on the minor street waiting to enter the intersection. The data acquisition system to be installed will allow analysis of driver decision-making behavior and study the effects of introducing an IDS under development at the University of Minnesota.
Safety Applications of ITS in Rural Areas
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), 2002
Examines current, past and planned infrastructure-based technology applications aimed at reducing the frequency and/or severity of rural crashes. Although the report covers a range of technology applications, the main focus is on Variable Speed Limit (VSL) Systems and Safety Warning Systems (SWS).
Rural Crash Prevention Through the Application of Intelligent Transportation Systems
Queen’s University, 2002
The overall potential for infrastructure-based, in-vehicle and combined infrastructure and in-vehicle ITS to address rural safety issues is discussed.
The Contribution of ITS to Rural Safety: A Look At Crashes in Washington State (PDF)
Washington State Department of Transportation, 1999
WA-RD 460.1
Investigates the potential applications of ITS to safety issues on rural roadways in Washington.
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