INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS

By : Ahmed Nabil Awaad

May 2018
 ITS
“ INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS “

Is the application of advanced sensor , computer , electronics and communication

technologies and management strategies in an integrated manner to improve the
safety and efficiency of the surface transportation system .
The main idea of ITS , is to collect real-time data about actual traffic
conditions in traffic controlled area .
• OBJECTIVES OF ITS

1. Increasing the safety factors .

2. Improving the mobility .
3. Improving the energy consumption and Its Environmental Impacts .
4. Increasing the productivity of transport system .
5. Efficient use of the transport infrastructure .
6. Increasing efficiency for users ( customer satisfaction ) .
1 - INCREASING THE SAFETY FACTORS

• Road crashes cause suffering and loss of life as well as costing the nation in the order
of a year . Many collision occur due to the stop-start nature of traffic in congested
areas .
• ITS is helping to smooth traffic flows, reduce congestion and hence reduce certain
types of accidents .
• Cooperative-ITS , which involves communications between vehicles and road-side
infrastructure , could be used to improve safety by providing warnings on heavy
braking or potential collisions at intersections .
• Information provided through ITS can also be used to direct traffic away from
accidents and alert emergency services as soon as an incident
occurs .
2 - IMPROVING THE MOBILITY

• By improving operations and incident response and providing information on delays ,

ITS services can reduce the variability of travel time in transportation networks .
• For example , traveler information products can be used in trip planning to help re-
route drivers around congested areas resulting in less variability in travel time .
3 - Improving the energy consumption and Its Environmental Impacts

• ITS helps to reduce the energy consumption by transport system and its
environmental impact by optimizing trips , reducing congestion and crashes ,
improving vehicles and driver performance .

4 - INCREASING THE PRODUCTIVITY OF TRANSPORT SYSTEM

• ITS reduce operating costs and allow productivity improvements .

• ITS alternatives may have lower acquisition and life cycle costs compared to
traditional transportation improvements techniques .
5 - Efficient use of the transport infrastructure

• ITS seeks to optimize the use of existing facilities and its tight of way so that the
mobility needs can be met without construction new facilities , this is accomplished
by increasing the effective capacity of the transportation system .

6 - INCREASING EFFICIENCY FOR USERS ( CUSTOMER SATISFACTION )

• ITS con provide travelers with better and more current information about the state of
transportation system . This information help travelers plan their trips better , make
better connection and reduce the uncertainty of travel .
• COMPONENTS OF ITS

1. Traffic signal control .

2. Freeway management .
3. Transit management .
4. Electronic fare payment .
5. Electronic toll collection .
6. Incidents management .
7. Travelers information services .
8. Emergency management services .
9. Railroad grade crossing safety .
1 – TRAFFIC SIGNAL CONTROL SYSTEMS (TSCS ).
 1 – TRAFFIC SIGNAL CONTROL SYSTEMS (TSCS ).

• TSCS use sensors (detectors , video , cameras , etc. ) to monitor current picture of traffic flow and
states of the roadway network . This information adapts to the current needs of vehicles and enables
the signal timing to be efficiently to accommodate traffic demands on all streets .
• TSCS coordinate individual traffic signals to objectives :
1 – Deploy signaling systems that react quickly to changing traffic conditions .
2 – Collect and process real-time traffic information .
3 – Provide the traffic manager with a clearer picture of the states of transportation systems .
4 – Deploy systems that facilitate future upgrades .
 2 – FREEWAY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS .
 Subsystems of freeway management .
 2 – FREEWAY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS .

• Components of freeway management systems :

1. Field hardware (cameras , variable massages signs , electronic system , toll tag readers … )
2. Communications equipment .
3. Traffic manage center .
4. The people who staff the center .
5. The polices and procedures established
to deal with various transportation –related
events .
 2 – FREEWAY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS .

• The objectives of freeway management systems :

1. Monitor traffic and other environmental conditions on a freeway system .
2. Use probe vehicles as an additional sensor for collecting real-time traffic information .
3. provide critical information to travelers through infrastructure dissemination methods (such as variable
message sings and highway advisory radio ).
4. Identify recurring and nonrecurring flow impediments so that short term and long term actions can be
taken to alleviate congestion .
5. Implement various control and management strategies (such as ramp metering and/or lane control , traffic
diversion ) .
 3 – TRANSIT MANAGEMENT .

 The transit management manages transit vehicle fleets and coordinates

with other modes and transportation services .
 The critical factor to choose transit as a mode is on-time performance .
 Transit management components .
• There are many hardware/software components on buses and in dispatching centers
like (radio communication systems , automatic passenger counting , driver information ,
vehicle diagnostics , geographic information system …) .
 3 – TRANSIT MANAGEMENT .

• The objectives of transit management systems :

1. Monitor the location of transit equipment so as to provide more timely information on arrival times .
2. Optimize travel times for transit vehicles
3. Support flexible routing of transit vehicles .
4. Support automated maintenance monitoring of transit vehicles .
 4 – ELECTRONIC FARE PAYMENT SYSTEMS.

Electronic fare payment is both convenient for traveler who on longer has to fumble
for exact change and a cost saving for public agencies as they reduce manual
handling and processing of money .
The system will include hardware and software for road side in-vehicle and in-
station use the passenger / driver payment cards .
The objectives of electronic fare payment systems :
1. Provide a single medium for paying travel-related fares and parking fees .
2. Reduce the necessity for travelers and public agencies to handle money .
 5 – ELECTRONIC TOLL COLLECTION SYSTEMS (ETC).

ETC utilizes vehicles equipped with transponders ,wireless communication , in

road/roadside sensors and a computerized system to identify each vehicle , electronically
collect the toll , and provide general vehicle/traffic monitoring and data collection .
ETC can be installed in various configurations :
1. Mainline barrier plazas
2. System where tolls are based on entry and exit points .
The objectives of ETC :
1. Reduce delay at toll collection plazas .
2. Reduce costs incurred by toll operating agency .
3. Reduce cost to the traveling public .
4. Reduce handling and processing of money .
6- INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS (IMS).
 6 - INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS (IMS).

IMS is a systematic , planned and coordinate effort to detect , respond , and remove
traffic incidents and restore traffic capacity as safely and quickly as possible .
IMS involves dynamic massages signs which alert travelers to accidents , video cameras
and sensors help to detect and locate incidents quickly and computer-aided dispatch can
speed emergency services to the scene .
Objectives of IMS :
1. Reduce travelers delay time
2. Use traffic management capabilities to improve response time .
3. Use on-board moving map route guidance equipment to assist incident response vehicles .
 7- TRAVELER INFORMATION SERVICES.

Traveler information services provide a comprehensive and integrated view of the

roadway and transit conditions throughout the metropolitan area so travelers can plan the
most efficient route for their needs .
 8 - EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SERVICES .

When an incident occurs the nearest emergency service vehicle is located electronically
and dispatched to the scene .
Highway managers then alert other drivers of the incident through dynamic massage
signs .
This services reduce response times , help save lives and reduce the occurrence of
secondary incidents .
 9 – RAILROAD GRADE CROSSING SAFETY .

The railroad grade crossing component may support real time information on train
position and estimated time of arrival at highway-rail intersections (HRIs) , real-time
road traffic conditions at HRIs , this components is expected to interface with planned
and existing rail automation and safety systems including :
1. Advanced Train Control System
2. Vehicle proximity alerting System
3. Remote monitoring system
The objectives of railroad grade crossing system :
1. Improve the automate warnings at highway rail crossing .
2. Provide travelers with advanced warning of crossing closures .
3. Coordinate rail movements with traffic signal control system .
• OPERATION CHAIN OF ITS
ITS hardware commonly used include :
• Sensors
• Cameras
• Automatic vehicle identifiers
• GPS based automatic vehicle locators
Data acquisition (AVL)
• Servers that can storage huge amount
of data .
The efficiency of ITS depends NOT
only on the collection and analysis of
traffic data but also on quick
communication between data collection
center and public through onboard units
Communication tools
and media like VMS ,web pages , SMS
…. Data processing includes data cleaning ,
fusion , and analysis .
The cleaned and fused traffic data will be
analyzed to estimate and forecast traffic
Travel advisory system used for Data processing states .
relaying transportation information to Two basic tasks performed by TMC :
the motoring public by 1- plan , manage and operate the
• Variable message signs transportation system
• Highway advisory radio 2- provide information to the users .
• Internet
• Short message signs Information distribution system
• Automated cell phone messaging
• Public radio announcement
• Television broadcast
• EQUIPMENT OF ITS
Automatic vehicle Identifiers
Sensors , Detectors and cameras Global positioning system (GPS)
(AVI)
 1 – SENSORS , DETECTORS AND CAMERAS
Sensors and detectors have been used for highway counts ,surveillance and control .
Sensors :
1. Traditional sensors .
• Optical detectors
• Acoustic detectors
• Vehicle weight inducted pressure/vibration (seismic/piezoelectric sensors)
2. Advanced sensors
• Magnetic detectors (based on geomagnetism)
• Infrared
• Ultrsonic
• Rader
• Microwave detectors (based on reflection of radiation)
• Inductive loop detectors (based on electromagnetic induction)
• seismic and inertia-switch detectors (based on vibration)
• Video based detectors and traditional sensors .

Many of them are intrusive in nature and require cutting of road surface for installation and maintenance , this is
leading to greater use of visual detectors such as video cameras .
 2 – AUTOMATIC VEHICLE IDENTIFIERS (AVI)

 AVI readers/antennas are located on roadside or overhead structures of electronic toll

collection , when a vehicle enters the antenna capture range the transponders in the
vehicles respond to the radio signal and its unique ID is assigned a time and data stamp by
the reader .

3 – GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS)

GPS is the worldwide satellite navigation system that provides a fast , flexable and
relatively expensive data to determine the vehicle position and velocity in real time .
 APPLICATIONS OF ITS
Intelligent traffic management Intelligent passenger information Intelligent public transport
systems systems systems

• Measure and analyze traffic flow

information and take ITS application to
reduce problems .
• They are consists of :
1. Variable speed limits (VSL). • Improve the knowledge base of customer
2. Lane management . and consist of passenger of passenger
3. Incident management. information systems . • Aim to improve public transport
4. Warning systems . • They are consists of : performance .
5. CCTV cameras . 1. Navigation systems . • They are consists of :
6. Automated vehicle identification 2. Cruise control . 1. Fleet management and operation
(AVI) . 3. Warning systems. 2. Traveler information systems
7. Intelligent speed adaptation 4. Black box system . 3. Electronic fare collection
(ISA) . 5. Docking systems .
8. Weight in motion (WIN) .
9. Ramp metering .
10. Traffic control .
11. Electronic toll collection .
12. Real time information systems
13. Parking guidance .