Driver Acceptance of Weather-Controlled Road Signs and Displays

1997 ◽  
Vol 1573 (1) ◽  
pp. 72-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pirkko Rämä ◽  
Juha Luoma
Keyword(s):  
Speed Limit ◽  
Variable Speed ◽  
Variable Speed Limit ◽  
Road Signs ◽  
Road Sign ◽  
Road Section ◽  
Variable Speed Limits ◽  
Road Condition ◽  
Driver Acceptance ◽  
Local Weather

This study was designed to investigate driver acceptance of the weather-controlled road signs and displays on Finland’s southern coast where road condition changes are particularly frequent and rapid. There were 36 variable speed limit signs and five variable message displays to warn about hazardous conditions on the 14-km-long experimental road section. Local weather and road surface conditions were monitored automatically from road weather stations; the information gathered was used for determining appropriate speed limit, as well as for controlling variable slippery road signs and temperature displays. Five hundred ninety drivers were interviewed 3, 4, 11, and 13 months after the introduction of this new road section. The results showed that drivers recalled the variable signs very well. Furthermore, 81 percent of the drivers said that the posted speed limit was appropriate, and 95 percent of the drivers stated that the variable speed limits were useful. However, only a relatively small proportion of drivers estimated that the slippery road sign or temperature display influenced their behavior. The main implication of this study is that the concept of the weather-controlled road signs and displays is a promising one. However, objective data will be collected in order to estimate the effects of the weather-controlled road signs and displays on driver behavior and to evaluate the profitability of the system.

Use of Portable and Dynamic Variable Speed Limits in Construction Zones

2018 ◽  
Vol 2672 (16) ◽  
pp. 35-45
Author(s):  
Josh Van Jura ◽  
David Haines ◽  
Andrew Gemperline
Keyword(s):  
Intelligent System ◽  
Speed Limit ◽  
Department Of Transportation ◽  
Variable Speed ◽  
Construction Work ◽  
Work Zones ◽  
Dynamic Variable ◽  
Variable Speed Limit ◽  
Speed Limits ◽  
Variable Speed Limits

The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) implemented dynamic management of portable variable speed limit (PVSL) technology to reduce regulatory speed limits through an active work space (AWS). UDOT also developed and tested an intelligent system approach to alter speed limits in construction work zones. The goal of the PVSL system was to provide a portable and dynamic system that was easy for construction personnel to use to prudently reduce speeds within an AWS and make construction work zones safer for workers and the traveling public, while limiting the need to reduce speed throughout the AWS, rather than the entire construction work zone. This was achieved through temporary regulatory reductions in driver speeds within the immediate boundary of an AWS when workers were on site and exposed to the danger of errant vehicles during active construction. The system also raises speed limits when workers were not present. This PVSL system used a dynamic variable speed limit (VSL) algorithm to raise and lower the regulatory speed limits. The PVSL system also provided a queue warning algorithm that operated independent of the VSL algorithm to control messages posted on the portable variable message sign (PVMS) trailers to disseminate dynamic information to drivers. UDOT has completed 2 years of PVSL system deployment testing in four separate construction work zones to evaluate the effectiveness of the system. This paper highlights key elements that guided development of the PVSL system, along with the successful results from deployment of the system.

Numerical Simulation of Traffic Flow in the Tollgate Area with Variable Speed Limits

2011 ◽  
Vol 130-134 ◽  
pp. 3404-3409
Author(s):  
Wen Xing Zhu ◽  
Zhi Ping Jia
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Flow ◽  
Velocity Model ◽  
Flow Speed ◽  
Open Boundary ◽  
Speed Limit ◽  
Variable Speed ◽  
Variable Speed Limit ◽  
Speed Limits ◽  
Optimal Velocity ◽  
Variable Speed Limits

We investigate behaviors of vehicles passing a controlled area with variable speed limits (VSL) before a tollgate. The traffic flow mathematical model is formulated based on optimal velocity model. The typical sketch of tollgate area is plotted and variable speed limit signs are set in the area to control the traffic flow speed for fear of accident and congestion. Simulations are carried out to examine the influence on traffic flow passing the controlled area with different number of the speed limit signs under open boundary condition. The simulations results show that more speed limit signs may reduce the risk of rear-end collision and the occurrence of the congestion in the tollgate area.

Cycle-based variable speed limit methodology for improved freeway merging

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 632-640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Zhang ◽  
Lei Zhang ◽  
David K. Hale ◽  
Jia Hu ◽  
Zhitong Huang
Keyword(s):  
Speed Limit ◽  
Variable Speed ◽  
Variable Speed Limit

scholarly journals Variable Speed Limit and Ramp Metering for Mixed Traffic Flows: A Review and Open Questions

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 2574
Author(s):  
Filip Vrbanić ◽  
Edouard Ivanjko ◽  
Krešimir Kušić ◽  
Dino Čakija
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Control ◽  
Ramp Metering ◽  
Transport Infrastructure ◽  
Control Algorithms ◽  
Speed Limit ◽  
Mixed Traffic ◽  
Traffic Flows ◽  
Variable Speed ◽  
Variable Speed Limit ◽  
Traffic Demand

The trend of increasing traffic demand is causing congestion on existing urban roads, including urban motorways, resulting in a decrease in Level of Service (LoS) and safety, and an increase in fuel consumption. Lack of space and non-compliance with cities’ sustainable urban plans prevent the expansion of new transport infrastructure in some urban areas. To alleviate the aforementioned problems, appropriate solutions come from the domain of Intelligent Transportation Systems by implementing traffic control services. Those services include Variable Speed Limit (VSL) and Ramp Metering (RM) for urban motorways. VSL reduces the speed of incoming vehicles to a bottleneck area, and RM limits the inflow through on-ramps. In addition, with the increasing development of Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) and Connected AVs (CAVs), new opportunities for traffic control are emerging. VSL and RM can reduce traffic congestion on urban motorways, especially so in the case of mixed traffic flows where AVs and CAVs can fully comply with the control system output. Currently, there is no existing overview of control algorithms and applications for VSL and RM in mixed traffic flows. Therefore, we present a comprehensive survey of VSL and RM control algorithms including the most recent reinforcement learning-based approaches. Best practices for mixed traffic flow control are summarized and new viewpoints and future research directions are presented, including an overview of the currently open research questions.

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