Jane Lappin

Likely Users of Advanced Traveler Information Systems: Evidence from the Seattle Region

Findings about the claimed use of and interest in traveler information systems among segments of the general population in the Seattle metropolitan region are reported. The research is based on data collected from a 1997 intelligent transportation system supplement to the Puget Sound Regional Council’s transportation panel travel diary study. In general, interest in traffic information was found to be a function of complex travel behavior, demographics, and factors related to attitudinal and technology interest. It was also found that the potential market for advanced traveler information systems (ATIS) includes several market segments with different needs; each is drawn to ATIS for distinct and varying reasons. First, the so-called control seeker segment includes people who desire greater than average control over their environment. In a traffic information context, that translates to better knowledge of their travel times, especially in congested travel environments. The second segment of interest, dubbed webheads, includes individuals who are very comfortable with high technology, and it is possible that they would be drawn to ATIS at least partially through specific high-technology dissemination media. A third segment is made up of individuals who are less comfortable with (or less interested in) technology and are primarily interested in pretrip information, which they use to make departure time and route choice decisions.

WHAT ADVANCED TRAVELER INFORMATION SYSTEM INFORMATION DO USERS WANT? EVIDENCE FROM IN-VEHICLE NAVIGATION DEVICE USERS

Findings from research into user preferences for enhanced travel information disseminated to the drivers of private vehicles are reported. The research is based on trade-off surveys of three small populations in the Seattle, Chicago, and Boston metropolitan regions who had had significant hands-on experience with vehicles equipped with dynamic invehicle navigation (IVN) units in prior field operational tests. It was found that the structure of consumers’ preferences was similar across the three surveys. The analysis indicates that, at least in a familiar commuting context, users are split in their opinions whether they prefer to receive routing advice or simply advice about traffic delays to inform their own routing decisions. More people prefer the latter, although this is less pronounced for women than for men. Geographical coverage of routes and the frequency of information updates were found to be significantly important attributes of IVN information. The results also indicate diminishing returns in user values for information improvement. At least at this stage of market development, respondents valued the basic enhancements in coverage and update frequency more than they valued further refinements.

Effects of Full-Facility Variable Tolling on Traveler Behavior: Evidence from a Panel Study of the SR-520 Corridor in Seattle

Variable tolling was implemented on the SR-520 Bridge in the Seattle, Washington, region in 2011 as part of a federally funded initiative to reduce traffic congestion. R-520 tolls varied by time of day up to a maximum of

Introduction: The Transportation Research Board’s 2013 Workshop on Road Vehicle Automation

3.50 each way (

Introduction: The Automated Vehicles Symposium 2014

5 for nontransponder payments). A nearby parallel facility, Interstate 90, remained a toll-free alternative across Lake Washington. Tolling was accompanied by investments in public transit and traffic management technologies and by efforts to promote telecommuting. A two-stage panel survey approach was used to analyze the impacts of this tolling program on corridor users’ daily travel choices. In each survey wave, more than 3,000 respondents from roughly 2,000 households completed a 2-day travel diary, with additional detail on trips in the Lake Washington corridor, plus a personal survey on general travel behavior and attitudes. Key survey findings included a marked decrease in respondents’ travel in the corridor after tolling, particularly on SR-520, which experienced a 47% reduction in recorded trips, and significant diversion to I-90. Shifts from SR-520 to I-90 were most pronounced among men, those in lower-income households, and those with less workplace schedule flexibility. There were also increases in transit mode share in the corridor, while carpooling and telecommuting levels were relatively stable. In the posttolling survey, respondents registered an overall increase in satisfaction with their commutes and less stress associated with driving. Reported satisfaction with the speed and reliability of individual trips on SR-520 also increased substantially, and personal attitudes shifted slightly in favor of tolling.

Traveler Use of and Response to Real-Time Traffic and Traveler Information: Evidence from Integrated Corridor Management Traveler Surveys in Dallas, Texas, and San Diego, California

This chapter introduces the TRB 2013 Workshop on Road Vehicle Automation, which was the original source for the papers that are included in this volume. The TRB organization and its functions are explained, providing the context for this workshop and its significance. The reasons for creating the workshop are explained, in the context of the history of road vehicle automation work in the U.S. The structure and organization of the meeting are explained, showing its mixture of plenary talks, breakout discussions, technical demonstrations and ancillary meetings. The chapter concludes with a discussion of future directions and thoughts about the future meetings in this series.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF CUSTOMER RESPONSE TO ONLINE TRAFFIC INFORMATION IN TWO CITIES: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, AND SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

This chapter introduces the Automated Vehicles Symposium 2014 (AVS14), which was the original source for the papers that are included in this volume. The structure and organization of the meeting are explained, describing its mixture of plenary talks, breakout discussions, technical demonstrations and ancillary meetings. The chapter concludes with a discussion of broader trends and conclusions based on the outcome of AVS14.

Why don't more people use advanced traveler information? Evidence from the Seattle area

This paper presents baseline findings from a panel survey of regular peak hour travelers of the US-75 corridor in Dallas, Texas, and the I-15 corridor in San Diego, California. This survey was conducted as part of the evaluation of the Integrated Corridor Management (ICM) Initiative. The baseline survey, conducted before the deployment of the ICM Initiative, collected data on travelers’ typical travel in the corridor, their satisfaction with their peak hour trips, their awareness and use of real-time traffic information, and their satisfaction with the information. In addition, recruited respondents were asked to complete brief pulse surveys administered immediately following incidents in the corridor to measure the use of information and its impact on travel during incident conditions. The surveys provide insights on travelers’ use of real-time traffic and travel information and its impact on their travel decisions in two major metropolitan corridors. Through a comparison of the two sites, the findings illuminate how the use of traveler information is conditioned, at least in part, by regional and situational context. In Dallas, respondents were faced with greater traffic congestion and delay, and they were more likely to consult information for their peak hour trips in the corridor. Their use of radio and electronic message signs, two of the most common sources of information, was significantly higher compared with the San Diego sample. In addition, the availability of alternate routes may affect how travelers use real-time traffic information. In Dallas, where respondents reported greater use of alternate routes, both under typical circumstances as well as in the face of severe congestion, significantly more respondents used real-time information to make routing decisions.