Identifying the Optimum Forecasting Horizon to Apply the Singular Spectrum Analysis on Daily Road Traffic Volume Forecasts

The paper delivers an assessment of Singular Spectrum Analysis (SSA) forecasting ability for short- and medium-term forecasting horizon, on real time traffic volume data. The key study goal is to estimate forecasting pertinency for daily traffic volume, based upon measurements at toll station. The suggested methodology is tested on real data from Moschohorion and Pelasgia Toll Station – Greece, utilizing custom developed forecasting software toolbox. Applied research results confirm an advanced forecasting ability of proposed methodology for short-term forecasting horizon against medium term forecasting horizon, when performance is compared upon the statistical criteria of the coefficient of determination R2. The obtained results present that SSA forecasting model could provide a competent forecasting methodology for road traffic volume data.

Juden auf der Oberen Donau: Transport und Verkehr im Österreich des frühen 18. Jahrhunderts

The toll registers of Aschach in Upper Austria covering the period from 1627 to 1775 are an outstanding series of sources for the history of transport and trade in the early modern Upper Danube basin. At the Aschach toll station each vessel shipping up- and downstream the Danube as the most important traffic route in the Upper-German and Austrian area had to pay dues. The information comprised in the toll registers enables us to reconstruct the movement of goods and people between the Austrian Danube region and its neighbouring countries. This study analyzes the significances of the Upper Danube as a traffic route for Jews in the 1st half of the 18th century. Especially the Viennese Court Jews used the waterway for the supply of the Imperial army in Hungary with provisions and other military goods. They also received foodstuff, beverages and other consumer products via the Danube. Jewish traders, especially from Prague, used the Danube for their frequent journeys to the fairs in Linz, whereas other Jewish travelers on their way to Vienna or even further frequently embarked on vessels in Regensburg.

The forecast and analysis of toll channel scale of expressway toll station

With the rapid growth of highway traffic, congestion of highway toll station has become a common phenomenon in peak hours. However, the congestion at the toll station has a serious impact on the normal operation of expressway. When the queuing vehicles overflow the toll station, the queue leader will lose control, and the operation of the main line vehicles will be seriously disturbed. This paper analyzes the causes of queuing phenomenon in toll stations, studies the characteristics of different toll channels and traffic flow, and then establishes the traffic flow theory model, and classifies the toll stations according to the average delay.

Assessing the Environmental and Economic Footprint of Electronic Toll Collection Lanes: A Simulation Study

Electronic toll collection (ETC) plays, as part of transport demand management (TDM) measures, an important role in preventing traffic congestion and improving the environmental conditions in urban and rural areas. An attempt is made in the framework of this paper to evaluate the overall performance of a toll station when a lane is dedicated to ETC. The case study refers to a toll station in the Thessaloniki Metropolitan Area, Greece. Scenarios considered specific traffic characteristics, variable toll booth setups, and different penetration rates of the ETC tag users for car and heavy vehicles. The tool used in the evaluation process was the PTV Vissim traffic simulation software. The operation of the toll station during a specific peak-hour period was simulated with the aid of the specific software. In total, 39 alternative scenarios were developed and compared to determine the level of penetration rate for which the ETC lane would be effective for different toll booth setups. Results showed that when the right lane of the toll station is converted to ETC lane, the penetration rate of this lane must be greater the 15% for the private vehicles and 20% for the heavy goods vehicles (HGV) to reduce traffic congestion and to improve environmental conditions. It was also found that when an additional ETC lane was introduced to the existing toll station set up, traffic congestion and the associated environmental conditions were much improved even for low penetration rates. It must be noticed that the results from the use of discounted cash flow methods like internal rate of return (IRR), net present value (NPV) and benefit–cost ratio (BCR) showed that all economic indicators converge as penetration rate increases in all toll booth setups. Therefore, there is a specific penetration rate threshold above which the economic viability of the investment is secured. These findings can assist the design of an effective policy in terms of the optimized operation of a toll station and sustainable mobility planning.

Traffic Measurement and Congestion Detection Based on Real-Time Highway Video Data

Since global road traffic is steadily increasing, the need for intelligent traffic management and observation systems is becoming an important and critical aspect of modern traffic analysis. In this paper, we cover the development and evaluation of a traffic measurement system for tracking, counting and classifying different vehicle types based on real-time input data from ordinary highway cameras by using a hybrid approach including computer vision and machine learning techniques. Moreover, due to the relatively low framerate of such cameras, we also present a prediction model to estimate driving paths based on previous detections. We evaluate the proposed system with respect to different real-life road situations including highway-, toll station- and bridge-cameras and manage to keep the error rate of lost vehicles under 10%.