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Outline

Title
Abstract
Executive Summary
Background
Study Design
MB/SC Study
Ac Study
MB/SC Study Findings
Ac Study Findings
Travinfo Data Processing Prior to Dissemination
Conclusions
Objective 3. Perception of Travlnfo
References
All Topics
Geography
Geographical Information Systems (GIS)

TravInfo Evaluation: Institutional Element Phase 2 Results

Profile image of Randolph HallRandolph Hall

1996, RePEc: Research Papers in Economics

Abstract

TravInfo is part of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Field Operational Test (FOT) program. It aims to develop a multi-modal traveler information system for the San Francisco Bay Area, combining public and private sector talents. This report presents the results of year two of the institutional evaluation, which is part of the overall TravInfo evaluation. Nineteen core participants were interviewed, including all of the Management Board and most of the Steering Committee members and project staff. Separately, twenty Advisory Committee members were interviewed. The second year was dominated by TravInfo implementation issues, chief among which were: resolution of public/private controversies in the design of TravInfo and the attempt to ensure the completion of Caltrans' Traffic Operations System (TOS) for meeting the TravInfo schedule. Based on the interviews, the partners thought that the TravInfo organization has been effective at resolving both of these issues.

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References (23)

  1. Hall, Randolph, Y.B. Yim, Asad Khattak, Mark Miller, and Stein Weissenberger, "TravInfo Field Operational Test Evaluation Plan," PATH Working Paper, UCB-ITS-PWP-95-4, 1995b.
  2. Yim, Y.B., Randolph Hall, Asad Khattak, Mark Miller, and Stein Weissenberger, "Summary TravInfo Evaluation Plan," California PATH Reports to Caltrans 95-C4, March 1995.
  3. Hall, Randolph, Y.B. Yim, Brian Pfeifle and Stein Weissenberger, "TravInfo Evaluation: Institutional Element Phase 1 Results," PATH Working Paper, UCB-ITS-PWP-95-01, 1995a.
  4. Loukakos, Dimitri, Randolph Hall, Stein Weissenberger, and Y.B. Yim, "TravInfo evaluation: Value-Added-Reseller Study, Phase 1 Results," Technology Element unpublished Working Paper No.1, March 1996.
  5. No If yes, has this issue been resolved to your satisfaction? (explain)
  6. A second key issue was the degree to which TravInfo should process data prior to dissemination (e.g., computing shortest travel time paths). Are you aware of this issue? 1. Yes 2. No If yes, has this issue been resolved to your satisfaction? (explain)
  7. A third key issue was the provision of direct modem access to the TravInfo database for individuals. Are you aware of this issue? 1. Yes 2. No If yes, has the issue been resolved to your satisfaction? (explain)
  8. A fourth key issue was whether TravInfo would compete unfairly with the private sector (such as Metro Traffic and Shadow Traffic). Are you aware of this issue? 1. Yes 2. No If yes, has the issue been resolved to your satisfaction? (explain)
  9. Over the last year, Caltrans' ability to implement its TOC has become a major issue. Are you aware of this issue? 1. Yes 2. No If yes, has the issue been resolved to your satisfaction?
  10. What other conflicts or issues have arisen over the last year? How have they been resolved?
  11. Don't know Can you identify gaps or imbalances in the current membership?
  12. Can you suggest any changes in the organization or operation of the SC?
  13. Over the last year, how effective has the MB been in performing its duties? 1. Very effective
  14. DK Can you point to any successes or failures?
  15. Can you suggest any changes in the organization or operation of the MB? g) How effective is the TravInfo organization as a whole?
  16. DK Can you point to any successes or failures?
  17. Can you suggest any organizational changes? Objective 3. Perception of Travlufo To assess the motivations for participating in TravInfo, and percephons of the benefits of Travlnfo.
  18. What is your interest in TravInfo, and why are you involved?
  19. No If yes, what was the extent of change, and why?
  20. Do you anticipate any change in your organization because of TravInfo? 1. Yes 2. No If yes, what will be the extent of change, and why?
  21. What changes would you like to see in TravInfo? How would this affect your involvement? ASK YES/NO QUESTIONS IN f-h IF NOT ASKED AT START OF INTERVIEW f) Have you attended any AC meetings over the last year? 1. Yes ---How Many? 2. No If yes --what is your impression of these meetings?
  22. Have you attended any SC meetings over the last year? 1. Yes ---How Many 2. No If yes --what is your impression of these meetings? h) Have you attended any MB meetings over the last year? 1. Yes ---How Many? 2. No If yes ~ what is your impression of these meetings?
  23. Over the last year, has your involvement in the project increased, decreased or stayed the same 1. Increased

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TravInfo Field Operational Test Evaluation Plan
Asad Khattak

1995

TravInfo is a Field Operational Test (FOT) sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) of the US Department of Transportation. Over its three-year lifetime, TravInfo's goal is to implement a centralized traveler information center to collect, integrate, and broadly disseminate timely and accurate traveler information in the San Francisco Bay Area through a public/ private partnership. California PATH was commissioned to perform a formal evaluation of the test. The TravInfo Evaluation Plan describes the scope, methods, and procedures to measure the effectiveness of the project. The TravInfo evaluation will contain four elements: institutional evaluation, technology evaluation, traveler response evaluation, and network performance evaluation.

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TravInfo Evaluation Plan
Asad Khattak

1993

This document presents an evaluation plan for the TravInfo project, a field operational test of a centralized database in the San Francisco Bay Area. The TravInfo Evaluation Plan is prepared in accordance with the Mitre guidelines adopted by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for IVHS Operational Test Evaluation Plans. The report consists of five major sections: introduction, traveler response component, institutional component, technology assessment, and system evaluation.

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TravInfo Evaluation: Traveler Response Element Broad Area Study
Randolph Hall

1997

TravInfo was a Field Operational Test (FOT) sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and California Department of Transportation. It aimed to develop a multi-modal traveler information system for the San Francisco Bay Area, combining public and private sector talents. The Broad Area Study was part of the TravInfo FOT evaluation. It addressed issues on how travelers obtain traffic/transit information and how the information influences travel behavior. Two waves of telephone surveys of Bay Area households were conducted, one prior to and one after the Field Operational Test. The initial survey was conducted in November 1995, eight months prior to when the TravInfo FOT began; the final survey was conducted in November 1998, three months after the FOT was ended. The purposes of the Broad Area study were to establish a baseline traveler behavior of Bay Area households based on traveler information and to assess the impact of traveler information on the entire Bay Area traveling population. The surveys showed that there was little change in the way people obtain traveler information, but more people modified their travel behavior in 1998 than did in 1995 based on the traffic information. As shown in the 1995 survey, most people changed departure time or took an alternate route. Mode shift was fairly negligible in both surveys.

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TravInfo Evaluation (Technology Element) Traveler Information Center (TIC) Study: System Reliability and Communications Interface (9/96-12/97)
Abdulsamad Muhammad

1998

TravInfo is a Field Operational Test of advanced traveler information systems for the San Francisco Bay Area, sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The project involves a public/private partnership which seeks to compile, integrate and broadly disseminate timely and accurate multi-modal traveler information through commercial products and services. The public sector component centers on the Traveler Information Center (TIC), which collects and integrates both static and dynamic traveler information. The TIC began operations in September 1996 and will operate as an FOT through September of 1998. Private sector participation includes Information Service Providers (ISPs), who refine the information and disseminate it to end users. This report documents the evaluation of the TIC performed from September 1, 1996 (date at which TravInfo went on-line) through December 31 1997 with respect to the system reliability and communications interface elements. Particular emphasis is placed on the period between July and December 1997 and the BART strike during September 1997. System reliability examines system failures. The communications interface examines TIC data access on the part of both the public and private sectors. With respect to system reliability, during July to December 1997, a total of thirty-eight internal and non-recurring TIC problems occurred. Eighty-four percent of all problems were either critical or major in severity. Approximately three-fourths of all problems were located in the Processing subsystem. Sixty percent of all problems were associated with TransView, the primary TIC software program. The publicly available traveler information phone service, Traveler Advisory Telephone System (TATS), recorded a fairly constant monthly call volume of between 50,000 and 60,000 calls during the reporting period of September 1996 through December 1997, with the exception of the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) strike (September 1997). AC Transit alone contributed approximately 55% of the overall call volume throughout the reporting period. On average, for Oakland, the busiest regional system, approximately 3% of the TATS system capacity was utilized. The BART strike had a significant effect on overall call volume only during September 1997. Overall, however, the BART strike did not have any lasting effect on overall TATS call volume. The overall call volume went from 57,730 in August to 196,606 during September and then decreased to the ÒnormalÓ level of 56,589 in October. Private sector access of data, via the Landline Data System, has also been quite limited. From November 1996 to December 1997, only three ISPs downloaded data on a continuous basis, one of which downloaded approximately 90% of all data during this reporting period.

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Trav Info Evaluation: The Target Study Phase 1 Results
Randolph Hall

This paper discusses how traffic information is obtained and how the congestion of a major freeway affects travel behavior. Immediately following two congestion-causing major highway incidents south of San Francisco, telephone surveys were conducted of commuters who utilize the affected corridor of highway. The incidents took place two weeks apart on the same corridor of US-101, the first affecting southbound traffic and the second affecting northbound traffic. The travel behavior of commuters before and during their commute at the time of each incident was determined, including how they obtained traffic information and how the information influenced changes in route, mode of travel and departure time. The results of both surveys suggest that traveler behavior is largely unaffected by individual incidents of congestion. Furthermore, although a fair portion of commuters listen to traffic reports, they do not often modify their travel behavior in response. These surveys are the first two of several that will collectively provide insight into how travel behavior changes over time and will allow us to assess the impact of the TravInfo Traveler Advisory Telephone System (TATS) in the San Francisco Bay Area. Passwords: TravInfo traveler information commuter travel behavior ABSTRACT This paper discusses how traffic information is obtained and how the congestion of a major freeway affects travel behavior. Immediately following two congestion-causing major highway incidents south of San Francisco, telephone surveys were conducted of commuters who utilize the affected corridor of highway. The incidents took place two weeks apart on the same corridor of US-101, the first affecting southbound traffic and the second affecting northbound traffic. The travel behavior of commuters before and during their commute at the time of each incident was determined, including how they obtained traffic information and how the information influenced changes in route, mode of travel and departure time. The results of both surveys suggest that traveler behavior is largely unaffected by individual incidents of congestion. Furthermore, although a fair portion of commuters listen to traffic reports, they do not often modify their travel behavior in response. These surveys are the first two of several that will collectively provide insight into how travel behavior changes over time and will allow us to assess the impact of the TravInfo Traveler Advisory Telephone System (TATS) in the San Francisco Bay Area.

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