Traveler Information Delivery Mechanisms

Abstract

Advanced traveler information systems (ATISs) help individuals make informed travel decisions. Current ATIS applications encompass a variety of delivery mechanisms, including the Internet, telephone, television, radio, variable message signs, and in-vehicle navigation devices to support decisions about destinations, travel mode, departure time, routes, parking, and trip cancellation. It is important for researchers and practitioners to review the status of ATIS technologies and to understand travelers’ access and response to current ATIS deployment. Focusing on largely public-sector delivery mechanisms, this study answers two fundamental questions: whether accessing more information sources is associated with a higher likelihood of travel decision adjustments and which technologies are more likely to elicit substantive adjustments to routine travel. These questions are answered by using a comprehensive and recent behavioral data set, collected in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina. The study generates useful knowledge about how to operate existing traveler information systems more efficiently and how to improve them in the future.

Effectiveness of en route traffic information in developing countries using conventional discrete choice and neural‐network models

“…Given the various characteristics of the competing ATIS applications, because of the greater accessibility and portability of radio, most of the articles concluded that the RTI is the most successful ATIS application to assist route diversion [8,[11][12][13][14]. However, the flow of new technologies to the developing countries is paving the way for other ATIS technology-based applications, such as the Internet and VMS.…”

“…Theme References (i) Propensity of acquiring traffic information Age * Older commuters have a higher propensity to acquire RTI advisories [1] * Younger commuters are more likely to acquire traffic information [14] Gender * Females are more likely to change their travel patterns [1] * Females are less likely to be influenced by traffic information [4] * Males desire more traffic information [6] Willingness-to-pay for en route dynamic traffic information is relatively high for male drivers on business trips [4] Commuters on longer trips desire traffic information [10,11,13,14] Commuters on work trips desire traffic information [10,11] (ii) Propensity of changing the routine travel plan or diversion to alternative routes…”

“…Models with linear formats can be interpreted through review of the signs of their calibrated coefficients (Equation (2)). The sign of the constant term "1" is negative, which implies that in the absence of any other factors (all other factors taking a zero value), drivers are willing to drive on their regular routes [2,4,8,9,13,14,16]. This illustrates the potential of en route information to convince drivers to divert.…”

“…Contrary to references ○ Those who change their departure time or divert to other routes due to congestion ○ Those who normally tune to RTI [2,5,7,8,[12][13][14][15] ○ Those who know more alternative routes [2,3,5,9,11] ○ Those whose occupations are office or military employee who are required to arrive at work on time [8,10,13] [2]…”

A rural real-time passenger information ecosystem

“…websites, public announcements, or mobile devices [4]. Zhang et al [8] illustrate the value of providing real time passenger information (RTPI) at this stage.…”