Skip to main content

New report: technology is a game changer

For decades, planners and engineers have gathered traffic data using expensive, time-consuming surveys and processes. A new AirSage white paper, "The Future of Transportation Studies: A Comparative Review" looks at the emerging trends that are transforming the transportation planning industry and examines traditional traffic data collection methods and new complementary technologies at the forefront of the transportation industry.
September 18, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
For decades, planners and engineers have gathered traffic data using expensive, time-consuming surveys and processes.

A new 6178 AirSage white paper, "The Future of Transportation Studies: A Comparative Review" looks at the emerging trends that are transforming the transportation planning industry and examines traditional traffic data collection methods and new complementary technologies at the forefront of the transportation industry.

The traditional methods of compiling origin-destination data, household travel surveys, vehicle intercept surveys and licence plate surveys, are being supplanted by new technologies such as Bluetooth or data from from cell phones, tablet computers and laptops.

Interest in the new technologies is being driven by constrained research/study budgets, says the report, as well as the fact that new technology can deliver larger, more accurate data samples much faster, making the data more current than most other methods.

Increasingly, public agencies and commercial clients are studying and using new strategies, especially cellular data, to supplement or replace traditional traffic study methods.

Bluetooth and license plate surveys eliminate some of the drawbacks of traditional survey methods. Both can cost less and be completed more quickly than household and vehicle intercept surveys. However, because both require expensive equipment, they share the same restriction of covering only a limited geographic area.

Cellular technology eliminates many of the drawbacks of traditional surveys, Bluetooth tech¬nology and license plate surveys. The technology is relatively low cost, data can be collected and analysed in just weeks, and the size and scope of a cellular traffic study are virtually unlim¬ited.

Based on preliminary findings, a household travel survey augmented by a cellular survey provides the richest pool of data, but the length of time to complete the study is long and costs (due to the household survey) are high. Cellular surveys, which provide unprec¬edented amounts of current and historical data at a relatively low cost, offer an effective and affordable alternative for regions of any size.

The full report is available here. (link %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkExternal http://airsage.com/Contact-Us/White-Paper/ Airsage false http://airsage.com/Contact-Us/White-Paper/#sthash.YgugSkMz.dpuf false false%>)

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • USDOT releases advanced ITS ePrimer
    January 10, 2014
    USDOT has released its new ITS ePrimer, a web-based textbook on intelligent transportation systems, providing transportation professionals, educators, students, and others with a series of up-to-date, web-based modules describing key ITS topics, with a multi-modal perspective. The ITS ePrimer replaces the Intelligent Transportation Primer first published in 2000 in collaboration with the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) and ITS America. Public and private agencies and educational institutions
  • Nu-phalt acquires Jetpatcher New Zealand
    March 20, 2018
    Nu-phalt now has comprehensive Innovative Patching solutions for every country with its Thermal Repairs and Jetpatcher’s Spary Injection Patching, following an agreement between the two companies ahead of Intertraffic. The partners will work with UK and oversees clients to continue to offer better value bespoke products to the market place. Steve Smith, managing director of the Nu-phalt, said: “We have invested a lot of time and expense into developing a range of innovative patching solutions for the
  • CCDD launches platform to reduce distracted driving in Canada
    January 22, 2018
    To help governments and stakeholders develop effective strategies to reduce distracted driving, the Canadian Coalition on Distracted Driving has launched a new web-based information hub at www.diad.tirf.ca/ehub. It is led by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) and its Drop It And Drive program, in partnership with The Co-operators.
  • OptiBus launches AI solution to help transit operators reduce service delays
    May 3, 2018
    Technology company Optibus has launched its artificial intelligence optimisation solution to help transit operators reduce delays and provide an improved service for passengers. Called On Time, the platform's proprietary algorithms analyse data created during daily transit operations and help transit operators determine issues that impact a timely service – such as rush hour traffic, driver behaviour and vehicle type. The system collects and analyses historical operational data from GPS systems and other