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原文传递 ITS Solutions for Small Urban Areas: Minnesota Automated Regional Systems

题名：	ITS Solutions for Small Urban Areas: Minnesota Automated Regional Systems
作者：	Gordon Melby; Roberta Dwyer
关键词：	ITS; Urban; Minnesota; Automated Regional Systems
摘要：	The need for greater traffic safety and traveling efficiency require new and often innovative ways of monitoring and managing the transportation infrastructure. Through early deployment and the initial model city initiatives, ITS has increased its presence in key urban areas throughout the US. However, smaller urban areas with populations under 150,000 also face similar transportation issues which would benefit greatly from ITS technologies. The key issue for many of these smaller areas is to find solutions that are truly cost-beneficial and match the funding requirements of these less populated areas. The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), together with a team of private partners, has recognized and addressed this need through innovative solutions that bring the best of ITS and communication technologies together through a concept known as MARS (Minnesota Automated Regional Systems). The MARS concept is being deployed in two smaller metropolitan cities, Duluth and St. Cloud. This paper focuses on key components of one MARS deployment in the Duluth metropolitan area of Minnesota, which combines the following systems into one seamless solution: ?Virtual Transportation Operations Center (VTOC). ?Sustainable Traveler Information System. ?Centralized Traffic Signal Management. ?Transit Management System This paper discusses the MARS concept and highlights several innovative approaches used in the Duluth system, including the virtual transportation operations center and roadside VMS, including Variable Speed Limit Signs.. System Requirements Duluth is a relatively small metropolitan area (population 100,000 ) that nonetheless faces significant transportation challenges. A scoping study performed by the consulting firm BRW found the following three key priority problems in the Duluth area: n Incidents in tunnels and inefficiency in handling tunnel incidents. Selection of diversion routes and a way to inform the public of tunnel incidents and alternate routes is required. n Congestion due to seasonal/special events. n High crash rate area at bridge interchanges. To address these and other concerns, a private-public partnership led by Mn/DOT and ADDCO partnering with several companies (see Figure 1 ) developed the Minnesota Automated Regional Systems (MARS) concept, which strives to meet these challenges within project budget resources. Where funding is limited, the MARS concept also allows an open path for future implementation.
总页数：	ITS America. Meeting (9th : 1999 : Washington, D.C..). New thinking in transportation : conference proceedings. 1999. pp9
报告类型：	科技报告