ASSIGNMENT

ROLE OF ITS (INTELLIGENT TRANSPORT SYSTEM)

IN PUBLIC TRANSPORT

SUBMITTED TO:-
Ms. MANSHA SWAMI SUBMITTED BY:-
PRIYA MITTAL
801623014
ME CIVIL (INFRA)

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 1. INTRODUCTION

Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) is the application of computer based technology to the
transport sector which collects the data about the transport system and process it and then use the
processed data to improve the management of the transport system by Gupta D P [1]. ITS provide
the information to the traveler to increase the safety and efficiency of the road transportation
system. ITS system involve vehicles, drivers, passengers, road operators, managers all interacting
with each other and the environment, linking with the complex infrastructure systems to improve
the safety and capacity of the road system.
As reported by Commission for Global Road Safety(June 2006) , the global road deaths
were between 750,000 to 880,000 in the year 1999 and estimated about 1.25 million deaths per
year and the toll is increasing further. Without significant changes to the road transport systems
these dreadful figures are likely to increase significantly.
ITS is the best solution to tackle these problems. Safety is one of the principal force behind
the development, standardization and implementation of ITS systems. ITS improves the safety of
the road transportation system and mobility and enhances global connectivity by means of
productivity improvement. ITS enclose a broad range of wire line and wireless communication
based information and electronic technologies for better management of traffic and maximize the
utilization of the existing transportation infrastructure.

1.1 OBJECTIVES OF ITS

To increase the safety of traffic.
Relieve from traffic congestion.
To increase transportation efficiency.
To reduce air pollution.
To increase the energy efficiency.
To promote the development of related industries.
Improvement of capacity of road system.

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1.2 ITS BENEFITS
It helps in Detecting hazards and inform the drivers before they are visible.
It helps in Keeping the vehicles at a safe distance.
It Allows the vehicles to communicate - vehicle to vehicle as well as vehicle to
infrastructure.
It provides us Route planning and warnings of traffic congestion and accidents.
ITS provides the information of local speed limit to the drivers.
It helps in Monitoring drivers for signs of fatigue.
It provides Real time service information for public transport users.
ITS gives us Smart and seamless ticketing solutions.
Integrating public transport into traffic management systems.
Improved efficiency has obvious benefits for the environment and reliable real-time
travel and traffic information.

Fig.1 Information transfer in ITS

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1.3 What can ITS help us to achieve?
ITS can help transport planners to achieve desired policy objectives in many different ways. It can
also help to tackle congestion, poor accessibility. It can also help road users to reduce travel time
and provide reliability. And it can improve the efficiency of road system with which transport
system works efficiently. It may be possible that in some circumstances ITS may not be the best
means of achieving desired transport policy objectives, but in other situations, it will. The trick is
to select it for the latter situation, not the former.

1.4 Application of ITS

Benckendorff Pierre J. et al. [4] discuss about various applications of ITS and
benefits of ITS in their book Tourism Information Technology 2nd edition.
Automated Traffic Management Systems (ATMSs): ATMS manages the flow traffic on
road using a various types of computer based technologies.
e-tolls: Electronic toll booths deduct toll payments without stopping.
Electronic Road Pricing (ERP): ERP requires drivers to pay different tolls at different
times.
Traveler Information System: It gives us online real-time information of road conditions
such as local speed limit etc.
Route guidance system: It helps driver to navigate the best routes to a given location.

1.5 Functional System of ITS (in different stages of progress in India)

Highway traffic management system (HTMS)
Electronic toll collection
Advanced traveler information system (ATIS)
Advanced Vehicle control system (ATIS)
Urban traffic management
Freight and fleet operations
Public Transport Management

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 2. Issues in Indias transport subsectors
Sengupta D [2] discussed issues in transport subsector in India in this. This shows how ITS
implementation is difficult in India for mass transportation system.
i) Public Transport in India
India has inadequate and inefficient public transport infrastructure.
In india,very few cities have organised public transport system and infrastructure.
Increasing rates of motorization leads to create issues in indias transport subsectors.
ii) Transport Emissions & Air Quality
Transport is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
iii) Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS)
Increasing opportunities in National Highway Development Program(NHDP) in electronic
toll collection (ETC), traffic monitoring.

2.1 ITS for Public Transport System

Fleet Management and Operations:
Automatic Passenger Counters (APC)
Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL)
Scheduling And Dispatching (S&D)
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Signal Priority (SP)

2.1.1 Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL)

AVL includes Satellite geo-positioning technology and Tracking vehicles. Tracking
vehicles is one of the most common AVL systems.

2.1.2 Geographic Information Systems (GIS): GIS enables a transport agency for collection of
data , storage, analysis and display by location.

2.1.3 Automatic Passenger Counter (APC): It is an electronic device which records the number
of passengers, time and location of each stop as passenger board and alight the bus.

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 Fig.2 Automated Passenger Counter

An Automated Passenger Counter (APC) is an electronic device used for installation on transit
vehicles including buses and rail vehicles which accurately records boarding and alighting data of
passengers on each stop with time and location. APC technology can improve the accuracy and
reliability of tracking transit ridership over traditional methods of manual accounting by drivers or
estimation through random surveying.

TECHNOLOGY
APCs work is done by using infared lights above the doorways of a transit vehicle. A set
of invisible beams of infared light shine down, spaced so that the order in which the beam is broken
by a person determines if they are boarding or alighting the transit vehicle. Except in extreme
crush-loads the accuracy of this technology is quite high. Alternatively, CCTV cameras can be
used together with intelligent people counters to log numbers of people boarding and alighting at
each stop or station.

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 The APC computer can also integrate with an on-board GPS system to link passenger data
with vehicle location. This provides a huge data to agencies to analyze about the utilization of the
system based on location, direction of travel, and time.

APPLICATION
The use of APCs is beneficial for transit vehicle service planning as well as accuracy of reporting.
APCs can be highly helpful in high passenger volume applications such as subways and light rail
or Bus Rapid Transit.

BENEFITS
No human intervention is required to get accurate ridership figures, as they are
got automatically.
Less-processing of data is required compared to manual, as APC data is easily imported in
the database and transferred automatically to the computer.
A comprehensive overview of your vehicle fleet can be obtained as the system can be
connected to vehicle parameters such as time of travel, behavior of driver, engine
performance, etc.
The system with the help of advanced function such as automatic route identification, slow
traffic zone identification, next stoop announcement, can be easily transformed into an
intelligent transportation system (ITS)
The amount of passengers and revenue can be increased by using passenger load
information at a particular station or stop.

3. SOFTWARES USED FOR ITS

MITSIMLAB
DYNAMIT
SIMMOBILITY

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3.1 MITSIMLAB
MITSIMLab is an open-source simulation based laboratory that was developed for evaluating the
impacts of alternative traffic management system designs at the operational level and assisting in
subsequent design refinement .Examples of systems that can be evaluated with MITSIMLab
include advanced traffic management systems(ATMS) and route guidance systems.
MITSIMLab was developed at the MIT ITS program. Professor Moshe Ben-Akiva, Director of
the ITS program at MIT [6].

3.2 DYNAMIT
DynaMIT is a state of the art,real time computer system designed to effectively support the
operation of Advanced Traveler Information System(ATIS) and Advanced Traffic
Management Systems(ATMS) at a Traffic Management Centre(TMC).Sponsored by the
Federal Highway Administration(FHWA) with oak ridge national laboratories(ORNL) as the
program manager, DynaMIT was the result of several years of intense research and development
by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ITS Program[6].

3.2.1 FUNCTIONALITY OF DYNAMIT

The key to the functionality of DynaMIT is its detailed network representation,coupled with
models of traveler behavior. Through an effective integration of historical information databases
with real time inputs from field installations (surveillance data and control logic for traffic
signals,ramp meters and toll booths) DynaMIT efficiently achieves;
Estimates of network conditions
Predictions of network conditions in response to various traffic control measures and
information dissemination strategies
Generation of traveler information to guide drivers towards optimal decisions.

DynaMIT incorporates unbiasedness and consistency into its core operations. Unbiasedness
guarantees that the information provided to traveler is based on the best available knowledge of
current and anticipated network conditions.

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3.2.2 APPLICATIONS
DynaMIT aims to operate an ATIS to improve travel decisions. Its applications include:
Generation of unbiased and consistent information to drivers.
Optimizing the operation of TMCs through the provision of real time predictions.
Efficient operation of Variable Message Signs (VMS)
Real time incident management and control.
Offline evaluation of real time incident management strategies.
Evaluation of alternative traffic signals and ramp meters operation strategies.
Co-ordination of evacuation and rescue operations in real time emergencies
(natural,disasters,etc) that could block highway links.
Generating historical databases.

3.3 SIMMOBILITY
SimMobility is the simulation platform of the Future Urban Mobility Research Group at the
Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) that aims to serve as the nexus
of Future Mobility research evaluation. It integrate various mobility sensitive behavioral models
with state of the art scalable simulators to predict the impact of mobility demands on
transportation networks, intelligent transportation services and vehicular emission. The
platform enables the simulation of the effect of a portfolio of technology,policy and investment
options under alternatives future scenarios. Specially,SimMobility encompasses the modelling of
millions of agents,from pedestrains to drivers,from phones and traffic lights to GPS,from cars to
buses and trains,from second-by-second to year-by-year simulations,across entire countries[6].

4.Variable Message Signs (VMS)

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Variable Message Signs (VMS) are a form of ITS that provides information to travellers. As its
name suggests, the message on a VMS can change in real time. VMS (Variable Message Sign)
Display selected information. It can be used for special event signing. Gives Warning of
congestion and can advise of alternative route.Controlled by NTCC (strategic) and RCC (tactical).
This is usually achieved by means of a display that can be programmed from a control centre
remote from the sign. The advantage of VMS is the sign can change to reflect prevailing
conditions. They are used predominantly to advise drivers on main roads with difficult driving
conditions (e.g. Bridge closed to high vehicles due to high winds), to give notice of incidents
(e.g. accident at Junction 12) and also to advise of diversionary routes that can be taken when
an incident has occurred. Automatic sign settings with signals possible - linked to MIDAS

5. Motorway Incident Detection and Automatic Signalling (MIDAS)

Motorway Incident Detection and Automatic Signalling, usually abbreviated to MIDAS, is a

distributed network of traffic sensors, mainly inductive loops, which are designed to alert the local
RCC (Regional Control Centre) to traffic flow and average speeds and in ATM (Active Traffic
Management) zones, set variable message signs, advisory speed limits along with mandatory speed
limits in ATM sections with little human intervention. Predominantly used for queue protection.
Automatically sets signals and signs, including variable speed limits. Companies such as RAC,
TomTom and Google use this traffic flow data via halogens reporting systems [5].
Management:-
Traffic flow data is directly fed into the MIDAS control systems with the help of wireless
detection. With its help we can analyse the data and when ever the traffic conditions change and
conditions become abnormal traffic officers can be deployed by the highway managers to ensure
the safety of the road users.

6. ITS USER SERVICES

6.1 Mathew Tom V. [3] discuss ITS User service, In order to deploy a framework, which
is developed highlighting various services the ITS can offer to the users. A list of 33 user services

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has been provided in the National ITS Program Plan. The number of user services, keep
changing over time when a new service is added. All the above services are divided in eight groups.
The division of these services is based on the perspective of the organization and sharing of
common technical functions. The eight groups are described as follows:
1. Travel and traffic management
2. Public transportation operations
3. Electronic payment
4. Commercial vehicle operations
5. Advance vehicle control and safety systems
6. Emergency management
7. Information management
8. Maintenance and construction management

6.1.1 Travel and traffic management

The main objective of this group of services is to use real time information on the status of the
transportation system to improve its efficiency and productivity and to mitigate the adverse
environmental impacts of the system.

6.1.2 Public transportation operations

This group of service is concerned with improving the public transportation systems and en
couraging their use.This group is divided in four services which are described as below:
I) Public Transportation Management
II) En-Route Transit Information
III) Personalized Public Transit
IV) Public Travel Security

6.1.3 Electronic payment

With the help of this service a common electronic payment medium can allow travelers to pay
for different transportation modes and functions. A multi modal multi use electronic system is
used for Toll collection, transit fare payment, and parking payment.

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6.1.4 Commercial Vehicle operations
The aim is to improve the efficiency and safety of commercial vehicle operations. This involves
following services:
I) CV electronic clearance
II) Automated road side safety inspection
III) On-board safety monitoring administrative process
IV) Hazardous material incident response
V) Freight Mobility

6.1.5 Advanced vehicle control and safety systems

This user service aims to improve the safety of the transportation system by supplementing drivers
abilities to maintain vigilance and control of the vehicle by enhancing the crash avoidance
capabilities of vehicles. Following user services are included in this group: Longitudinal Collision
Avoidance,Lateral Collision Avoidance, Intersection Collision Avoidance, Vision Enhancement
for Crash Avoidance, Safety Readiness, Pre-Crash Restraint Deployment, Automated Vehicle
Operations (AVO)

6.1.6 Emergency management

This service has two functions:
1. Emergency notification and personal security - This is to provide travellers the ability to
notify appropriate emergency response personnel regarding the need for assistance due to
emergency or non-emergency situations either by manually or automatically from the vehicle on
the occurrence of an accident.
2. Emergency vehicle management - This user service is to reduce the time from the receipt of
an emergency notification to the arrival of the emergency vehicles at incident location thereby
reducing the severity of accident injuries.

6.1.7 Information management

This service is aimed to provide the functionality needed to store and archive the huge amounts of
data being collected on a continuous basis by different ITS technologies.

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6.1.8 Maintenance and construction management
This user service is aimed to provide the functionality needed for managing the fleets of mainte-
nance vehicles, managing the roadway with regards to construction and maintenance and safe
roadway operations.

7. ITS Planning
ITS planning is to integrate ITS into the transportation planning process.

7.1 Transportation planning and ITS

Transportation planning helps in shaping a well balanced transportation system that can meet
future demands and desired goals and objectives. Transportation planning is an iterative process
which include problem identification, solution generation, analysis, evaluation and
implementation. This can be integrated with ITS using computers, communication systems and

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software. As planning is normally made for long period, installing ITS facilities needs to be
updated and one should ensure that the equipments and technologies are compatible for future
improvement and expansion. The steps in traditional transportation planning are as follows:

1. Establish goals and objectives

2. Inventory existing conditions
3. Analyze existing conditions
4. Long range/ short range element
5. Forecast land use, population/employment
6. Forecast future travel/trips
7. Develop and evaluate alternative transportation plans
8. Prepare recommended plans and programs

ITS transportation planning process differs from the traditional transportation planning process.
ITS has the unique capability to integrate different modes of transportation such as public auto,
transit, and infra-structural elements through communications and control. The multi-modal
integration potential provides a great opportunity for planning across modes. The comparison
between ITS approach and conventional approach for solving various transportation problems
are shown for few problems are shown in table[3].

Problem Possible solutions Conventional approach ITS approach

Lack of mobility Provide user friendly Expand fixed route Multimodal pre trip and
and accessibility access to quality transit and para transit en-route traveler
transportation service information
services Radio and TV traffic Personalize public
reports transportation
Enhance fare card

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Traffic congestion Increase roadway New roads Advanced traffic
capacity Car pooling control,advanced vehicle
Reduce demand Flex time program systems.
Real time ride matching.
Personalized public
transport.
Telecommuting
transportation pricing.

Traffic accidents Improve safety Improve roadway Fully automated vehicle

geometry,sight control system.
distance,traffic signal Automated warning
Grade separated system.
intersections Driver condition on
Driver training monitoring.
Street lightning Automated detection of
adverse weather.
Emergency notification.

REFRENCES

1. Gupta D P, Intelligent Transportation System in India, UNESCAP Expert

Group Meeting on Asian Highways Bangkok, October 2016.

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2. Sengupta Dibyendu, Issues in Indias transport subsectors, Indo-European
dialogue on ICT standards and Emerging technologies New Delhi, March
2014.
3. Mathew Tom V., Intelligent Transportation System, ITS planning, ITS user
service, NPTEL, February 2014.
4. Benckendorff Pierre J.; Sheldon Pauline J.; Fesenmaier Daniel R., ITS
Applications, Tourism Information Technology.2014
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorway_Incident_Detection_and_Automatic
_Signalling
6. https://its.mit.edu/software

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