HK01- CIVIL ENGINEERING PROGRAMME

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA SABAH
COURSE
KA40102 TRAFFIC ENGINEERING
TITLE
FIVE PRIMARY FUNCTIONAL AREAS OF INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM
DATE OF CONDUCT
25 NOVEMBER 2016
DATE OF SUBMISSION
1 NOVEMBER 2016
PREPARED FOR
DR. AZIZUL BIN LADIN
PREPARED BY
NAME
ELDREN JAMEE
MOHD ASYRAF ISMAIL

1.0

Introduction

MATRIX NO.
BK13110098
BK13160580

SIGNATURE

What is intelligent transportation system (ITS)? ITS is the application of

computer technology to the transport sector. ITS systems gather data about the
transport system, process it, and then use the processed data to improve the
management of the transport system which is later used to provide the transport
user with more and better information on which to base their transport decisions
based on T. Rye (2006). While based on L. Vanajakshi et al. (2010), ITS is an
establishes a route to resolve, or at least minimize traffic problems. ITS encompass
all modes of transportation such as air, sea, road and rail which intersect various
components of vehicles, infrastructure, communication and operational systems.
Thus, to simplified ITS, it is an advanced applications which, without embodying
intelligence as such, aim to provide innovative services relating to different modes
of transport and traffic management and enable various users to be better informed
and make safer, more coordinated, and 'smarter' use of transport networks.
What can ITS help achieve in real life? ITS can help transport planners to
achieve policy objectives in many different ways. It can help to tackle congestion,
pollution, poor accessibility and even social exclusion. It can also help to reduce
journey times and improve reliability either in actuality, or simply by changing
peoples perceptions. Plus it can help improve the efficiency with which transport
systems function. When thinking about ITS it is vitally important to consider it, not
as an end in itself, but as a means to achieve ease of transportation policy
objectives. It is possible that in some circumstances ITS may not be the best means
of achieving transport policy objectives, but in other circumstances, it will. The trick
is to select it for the latter situation, not the former.
While there are more ITS examples available in real life which are used to
provide innovative services relating to different modes of transport and traffic
management and enable various users to be better informed and make safer, more
coordinated, and 'smarter' use of transport networks. Five main primary functional
areas of ITS are Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS), Advanced Traveler
Information Systems (ATIS), Commercial Vehicle Operations (CVO), Advanced Public
Transportation Systems (APTS) and Advanced Vehicle Control Systems (AVCS).
Below will explain in more details about the five main primary functional areas of
ITS.

2.1

Advanced Traffic Management System

Advanced traveler information includes static and real-time information on

traffic conditions, and schedules, road and weather conditions, special events, and
tourist information. It can be offered with value added options like sports scores,
stock quotes, yellow pages and current news. ATIS is classified by how and when
travelers receive their desired information pre-trip or en-route and is divided by user
service categories. Operations essential to the success of these systems are the
collection of traffic and traveler information, the processing and fusing of
information often at a central point, and the distribution of information to travelers.
Important components of these systems include new technologies applied to the
use and presentation of information and the communications used to effectively
disseminate
this information.
Traveler

information

systems

distribute

information

using

several

communications technologies. The most widely used are wireless broadcast,

electronic data lines to remote terminals, and telephone advisory messages.
Traveler information is displayed as icons on map databases, as alphanumeric text
messages, and as recorded messages accessed by phone. Collecting traffic
information has historically been the task of public authorities although private
firms distributing traffic information to radio and TV often use their own means to
collect information. Public authorities using various combinations of loop detectors,
cameras, probes, and data from other authorities can generally access more
comprehensive or accurate traffic information and centralize it in a Traffic
Management Center (TMC).
The growing trend in traveler information systems is to fuse the public sector
data with value added private sector data services and disseminate it from a central
point. There are a variety of business models being discussed among both public
and private participants across the country. Apart from transit based ATIS systems,
most systems rely on the quality and availability of other ITS infrastructure
components. The presence of Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS), where
data is gathered and fused, is essential for effectively disseminating real-time
traveler information to the public. In many ways issues involved in ATMS

development also have a direct effect on the success of comprehensive ATIS

systems.

2.2

Advanced Traveler Information System

Advanced traveler information includes static and real-time information on

traffic conditions, and schedules, road and weather conditions, special events, and
tourist information. It can be offered with value added options like sports scores,
stock quotes, yellow pages and current news. ATIS is classified by how and when
travelers receive their desired information (pretrip or en-route) and is divided by
user service categories. Operations essential to the success of these systems are
the collection of traffic and traveler information, the processing and fusing of
information - often at a central point, and the distribution of information to
travelers. Important components of these systems include new technologies applied
to the use and presentation of information and the communications used to
effectively disseminate this information.
Traveler

information

systems

distribute

information

using

several

communications technologies. The most widely used are wireless broadcast,

electronic data lines to remote terminals, and telephone advisory messages.
Traveler information is displayed as icons on map databases, as alphanumeric text
messages, and as recorded messages accessed by phone. Collecting traffic
information has historically been the task of public authorities although private
firms distributing traffic information to radio and TV often use their own means to
collect information. Public authorities using various combinations of loop detectors,
cameras, probes, and data from other authorities can generally access more
comprehensive or accurate traffic information and centralize it in a Traffic
Management Center (TMC).
The growing trend in traveler information systems is to fuse the public sector
data with value added private sector data services and disseminate it from a central
point. There are a variety of business models being discussed among both public
and private participants across the country. Apart from transit based ATIS systems,
most systems rely on the quality and availability of other ITS infrastructure

components. The presence of Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS), where

data is gathered and fused, is essential for effectively disseminating real-time
traveler information to the public. In many ways issues involved in ATMS
development also have a direct effect on the success of comprehensive ATIS
systems.

2.3

Commercial Vehicle Operation

Commercial Vehicle Operations is an application of Intelligent Transportation

Systems for vehicle. It would have a satellite navigation system, a small computer
and a digital radio in each vehicle. Every fifteen minutes the computer transmits
where the vehicle has been. The digital radio service forwards the data to the
central office. A computer system in the central office manages the fleet in real time
under control of a vehicle. In this way, the central office knows where the exact
location of the vehicle are. The individual loads by using bar-coded containers. To
minimize handling-expense, damage and waste of vehicle capacity, optimal-sized
pallets are often constructed at distribution points to go to particular destinations.
A good tracking system will help people to arrive to the destination more than
95%, on planned schedules. If a vehicle gets off its route, or delayed, the vehicle
can be diverted to a better route, or urgent loads that are likely to be late can be
diverted to air freight. The best proprietary systems, such as the one operated by
FedEx, achieve better than 99% on time delivery. Load tracking systems use
queuing theory, linear programming and minimum spanning tree logic to predict
and improve arrival times. The exact means of combining these are usually secret
recipes deeply hidden in the software. The basic scheme is that hypothetical routes
are constructed by combining road segments, and then poor ones are eliminated
using linear programming. The controlled routes allow a truck to avoid heavy traffic
caused by rush-hour, accidents or road-work.
Increasingly, governments are providing digital notification when roadways
are known to have reduced capacity. A good system lets the computer, dispatcher

and driver collaborate on finding a good route, or a method to move the load. One
special value is that the computer can automatically eliminate routes over roads
that cannot take the weight of the truck, or that have overhead obstructions.
Usually, the drivers log into the system. The system helps remind a driver to rest.
Rested drivers operate the truck more skillfully and safely. When these systems
were first introduced, some drivers resisted them, viewing them as a way for
management to spy on the driver. A well-managed intelligent transportation system
provides drivers with huge amounts of help. It gives them a view of their own load
and the network of roadways.

2.4

Advanced Public Transport Systems

APTS technologies are a collection of technologies that increase the efficiency

and safety of public transportation systems and offer users greater access to
information on system operations. The implementation of APTS technologies is
transforming the way public transportation systems operate, and changing the
nature of the transportation services that can be offered by public transportation
systems. The goal is to provide public transportation decision-makers more
information to make effective decisions on systems and operations and to increase
travelers' convenience and ridership. APTS technologies can be organized into five
broad categories that describe the technologies' relevance to transit applications.
Each category is comprised of a variety of technology choices that are available to
help transit agencies and organizations meet travelers' service needs while
increasing safety and efficiency. The five APTS technology categories are:
Transit Application
Fleet Management Systems

Traveler Information Systems

Electronic Payment Systems

Transportation Demand Management

Description
Aid in boosting the efficiency of transit
systems, reducing operating costs, and
improving transit services.
To provide vehicle information to
travelers at home, at work, on the
roadside, or at bus and rail transit
stations.
To make fare payment more convenient
for travelers and revenue collection less
costly for transit providers.
To maximize the capacity of the current

transportation network in order to meet

the increase in the demand for
transportation services.
To help drivers operate transit vehicles
The Transit Intelligent Vehicle Initiative
more safely and effectively.
An aspect of advanced public transportation technology is better traveler
information, including pretrip information so that travelers can more easily plan
their trips, information provided in terminals or at wayside locations, and
information provided by in-vehicle sources either verbally or by signs. The various
types of customer information systems are typically made possible by an automatic
vehicle location system. Automating the provision of in-vehicle information permits
the vehicle operator to concentrate on driving. Other aspects of advanced systems
are electronic fare payment and transportation demand management.
2.5

Advanced Vehicle Control Systems

Advanced vehicle control systems include individual vehicle controls,

cooperative driver-vehicle-highway systems, and eventually full automation on

certain roadways. Such systems are possible today because of the tremendous
advancements that have been made in vehicle and roadway sensors, servo
systems, image processors, computers, and communication systems. While the
AVCS also makes driving more efficient by providing the driver with better
information about the macro-level conditions that affect his decision-making, the
AVCS can provide information about highly localized and rapidly changing
conditions in his or her immediate vicinity and can initiate actions based on those
conditions. AVCS, therefore, can have more significant impacts on the productivity
(capacity, speed) and safety of road travel. AVCS systems can enable drivers to
operate their vehicles closer together while maintaining a higher level of safety than
at present, by enhancing drivers' ability to detect and avoid hazards and eventually
by assuming responsibility for controlling the speed, steering, and braking of the
vehicles.
As microprocessors and sensors continue to shrink in size and cost, the
deployment of vehicle control systems has become technically and economically
feasible. Vehicle automation programs around the world have demonstrated
remarkable capabilities, such as cars that drive themselves along highways, based

on such inputs as video images from on-board cameras and satellite-based

positioning data. Despite these advances, however, the leap from conventional to
automated highways will require years of refinement, not to mention public
acceptance. Rather than wait for widespread acceptance of AVCS and the resolution
of all automated highway system issues, it is proposed here that existing AVCS
technology be leveraged for niche applications that will demonstrate near-term
benefits and encourage acceptance of vehicle automation. By compensating for the
limitations of the human driver, AVCS makes it possible to achieve step function
increases in road capacity and safety rather than just offering incremental
percentage improvements. AVCS goes beyond the efficient management of the
existing limited system and has the potential to provide quantum improvements in
both throughput and safety. The AVCS program has as its ultimate goal the virtual
elimination of traffic crashes and traffic congestion.

3.0

References

Alves, J. et al. 1997. Advanced Public Transportation Systems: The State of the Art
Update 2000. PULNiX America, Inc. Sunnyvale, California.
Argyropoulos, A. H. et al. 1990. Final Report of the Working Group on Advanced
Vehicle Control Systems (AVCS) Mobility 2000. The Mitre Corporation, Dallas.
Bertini, R. L. et al. 2007. Advanced traffic management system data. Portland State
University, Portland.
Rye, T. 2006. Intelligence Transport Systems. Napier University, Edinburgh.
Vanajakshi, L., Ramadurai, G. & Anand, A. 2010. Synthesis Report on ITS Including
Issues and Challenges in India. Indiana Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai.