Automating Urban Freeways: Policy Research Agenda
Publication: Journal of Transportation Engineering
Volume 116, Issue 4
Abstract
Population growth, continuing suburbanization, and higher labor‐force‐participation rates, combined with a virtual halt in new freeway construction, have led to rapid increases in traffic congestion in the U.S. This congestion is costly; for example, the cost of highway congestion in the Los Angeles region is estimated to be $3.6 billion per year. Roughly half of this congestion is estimated to be caused by incidents, and 63% is on freeways. In the future, planners project that congestion will increase dramatically and that the proportion of delay on surface streets will increase, as congestion spreads. Automated freeways have been proposed as a solution to urban traffic congestion. Paper describes the staged development of automated urban freeways and then suggests a series of research topics related to the major policy issues of road capacity, air quality, noise, safety and liability, cost and equity, privacy, and organizational complexity. These difficult questions should be resolved before public acceptance for the technology is sought. Policy research on these matters should be carried out before or at the same time as the technology is being developed.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
Altshuler, A. (1979). The urban transportation system: Politics and policy innovation. MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass.
2.
“Automobile travel reduction options for urban areas.” (1985). Inst. of Transp. Engineers, ITE J.
3.
Barwell, F. T, (1973). Automation and control in transport. Pergammon Press, Oxford, England.
4.
Bender, J. G., and Fenton, R. E. (1970). “On the flow capacity of automated highways.” Transp. Sci., 4, 52–63.
5.
Benjamin, P. (1976). “Comparison of dual‐mode and other urban transportation systems.” Special Report No. 170, Transp. Res. Board, Washington, D.C.
6.
Bolt Berank and Newman (1976). “Highway noise: Generation and control.” Special Report No. 173, Transp. Res. Board, Washington, D.C.
7.
Borins, S. F. (1988). “Electronic road pricing: An idea whose time may never come,” Transp. Res.: A, 22A(1), 37–44.
8.
Brand, D. (1976). “Dual‐mode: Automating high‐cost urban transportation rights‐of‐way.” Special Report No. 170, Transp. Res. Board, Washington, D.C.
9.
Brown, L. R., et al. (1988). State of the world: 1988. W. W. Norton and Co., New York, N.Y.
10.
Buchanan, C., et al. (1963). Traffic in towns. HMSO, London, England.
11.
Canty, E. T. (1976). “Conference summary.” Special Report No. 170, Transp. Res. Board, Washington, D.C.
12.
Cheaney, E. S. (1976). “Economic and reliability tradeoffs in dual‐mode systems.” Special Report No. 170, Transp. Res. Board, Washington, D.C.
13.
DeLuchi, M., Johnston, R. A., and Sperling, D. (1989). “Transportation fuels and the greenhouse effect.” Forthcoming in Transp. Res. Record, No. 1175.
14.
Draft: Costs of congestion. (1987). Southern California Association of Governments, Los Angeles, Calif.
15.
Dunham, W. B. (1987). “The impact of the insurance liability problem on state DOTs.” Transp. Quarterly, 41(1), 73–78.
16.
De Marco, V. R. (1976). “Dual‐mode system development program of the urban mass transportation administration.” Special Report No. 170, Transp. Res. Board, Washington, D.C.
17.
Elias, J., et al. (1977). “Practicality of automated highway systems.” Vols. 1 and 2, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C.
18.
Everest, G. C. (1980). “Nonuniform privacy laws: Implications and attempts at uniformity,” Computers and privacy in the next decade, Lance J. Hoffman, ed., Academic Press, New York, N.Y.
19.
Fenton, R. E. (1970). “Automatic vehicle guidance and control: A state of the art survey.” IEEE Trans. on Vehicular Control Techn., VT‐19(1).
20.
Fenton, R. E. (1979). “A headway safety policy for automated highway operations.” IEEE Trans. on Vehicular Tech., VT‐28(1), 22–28.
21.
Freedman, W. (1987). The right of privacy in the computer age. Quorum Books, New York, N.Y.
22.
French, R. L. (1988). “Road transport informatics: The next 20 years.” Technical Paper No. 881175, Soc. of Automotive Engineers.
23.
Glimm, J., and Fenton, R. E. (1980). “An accident‐severity analysis for a uniform‐spacing headway policy.” IEEE Trans. on Vehicular Techn., VT‐29(1), 96–103.
24.
Gosling, G. D. (1987). “A research plan for highway vehicle navigation technology.” PATH Working Paper UCB‐ITS‐PWP‐87‐1, Institute of Governmental Studies, Univ. of California, Berkeley, Calif.
25.
Heilbrun, J. (1981). Urban economics and public policy. St. Martin's Press, New York, N.Y.
26.
Hendriks, R. W. (1985). “California vehicle noise emission levels.” Transp. Res. Record, No. 1033, 60–70.
27.
Hoffman, L. J. (1980). Computers and privacy in the next decade. Academic Press, New York, N.Y.
28.
Holmes, E. H. (1974). Coordination of urban development and the planning and development of transportation facilities. U.S. Dept. of Transportation, Washington, D.C.
29.
Irwin, A. (1985). Risk and the control of technology. Manchester University Press, Manchester, England.
30.
Jeffery, D. J. (1985). “Communicating with the driver: Road/vehicle electronic communication.” 15th Int. Engrg. and Safety Study Week.
31.
Johnston, R. A., and DeLuchi, M. A. (1989). “Evaluation methods for rail transit.” Forthcoming in Transportation Research: A.
32.
Johnston, R. A., Sperling, D., and Craig, P. P. (1988b). “Freeway automation policy issues.” SAE Tech. Paper Series No. 881211, Future Transp. Conf., San Francisco, Calif.
33.
Johnston, R. A., et al. (1988a). “Automating urban freeways.” ITS Review 11:4, 4–6.
34.
Kanafani, A. (1987). “Towards a technology assessment of highway navigation and route guidance.” PATH Working Paper UCB‐ITS‐PWP‐87‐6, Inst. of Transp. Studies, Univ. of California, Berkeley, Calif.
35.
Koshi, M. (1988). “An overview of motor vehicle navigation/route guidance developments in Japan.” Paper, Roads and Traffic 2000 Conf., Berlin, Sept., 7 pp.
36.
Laudon, K. C. (1980). “Comment.” Computers and privacy in the next decade, Lance J. Hoffman, ed., Academic Press, New York, N.Y.
37.
Lenard, M. (1970). “Safety considerations for a high density automated vehicle system.” Transp. Sci., 4, 138–158.
38.
McGean, T. (1976). Urban transportation technology. D.C. Heath and Co., Lexington, Mass.
39.
Meyer, M. D., and Miller, E. J. (1984). Urban transportation planning. McGraw‐Hill, Book Co., Inc., New York, N.Y.
40.
Mills, E. S., and Hamilton, B. W. (1984). Urban economics. Scott, Foresman and Co., Glenview, Ill.
41.
Money, L. J. (1984). Transportation energy and the future. Prentice‐Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.
42.
Nakashita, H., Okamoto, H., Kawabata, T. (1987). “Advanced mobile traffic information and communication system (AMTICS).” National Police Agency, Traffic Bureau, Traffic Planning Division, Japan Traffic Management and Technology Association.
43.
“National transportation policies through the year 2000.” (1979). Final report, National Transportation Policy Study Commission, Washington, D.C.
44.
“New York Times/CBS poll.” (1988). Christian Sci. Monitor, Sept. 14, page 6.
45.
Oettinger, E. R. (1980). “Comment.” Computers and privacy in the next decade, Lance J. Hoffman, ed., Academic Press, New York, N.Y.
46.
Orski, C. K. (1976). “Issues in new transportation systems and technology.” Special Report No. 170, Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C.
47.
Owen, W. (1982). “An American transportation diary.” Urban transportation: Perspectives and prospects, Herbert S. Levinson and Robert A. Weant, eds., Eno Foundation, Westport, Conn.
48.
Owen, W. (1975). “A transport strategy for California's development.” Monograph No. 23, Institute of Urban and Regional Development, Univ. of California, Berkeley, Calif.
49.
Palatnick, A. S., and Inhelder, H. R. (1970). “Automatic vehicle identification systems: Methods of approach.” IEEE Trans. on Vehicular Tech., VT‐19(1).
50.
The path to clean air: Attainment strategies. (1987). South Coast Air Quality Management District, El Monte, Calif.
51.
Peskin, R. L., and Schofer, J. L. (1977). “The impacts of urban transportation and land‐use policies on transportation energy consumption.” U.S. Dept. of Transportation Final Report DOT‐OS‐50118, Washington, D.C.
52.
Plotkin, S. C. (1969). “Automation of the highways, an overview.” IEEE Trans. on vehicular tech., Vt‐18(2), 77–80.
53.
Program on advanced technology for the highway: Bibliographic database. (1988). Inst. of Transp. Studies, Univ. of Berkeley, Calif.
54.
Regional mobility plan. (1988). Southern California Association of Governments, Los Angeles, Calif.
55.
Remak, R., and Rosenbloom, S. (1976). “Peak‐period traffic congestion.” Report No. 169, National Cooperative Highway Research Program, Transp. Res. Board, Washington, D.C.
56.
Robb, M. C. (1987). “Route information systems for motorists,” Transp. Reviews, 7(3), 259–275.
57.
Rule, J. B., et al. (1980). “Preserving individual autonomy in an information‐oriented society.” Computers and privacy in the next decade, Lance J. Hoffman, ed., Academic Press, New York, N.Y.
58.
Sacramento metropolitan area transportation study. (1988). Sacramento Area Council of Governments, Sacramento, Calif.
59.
Salter, R. J. (1983). Highway traffic analysis and design. The MacMillan Press, Ltd., London, England.
60.
Saxton, L. (1980). “Automated highway system: Considerations for success.” Proc. 30th Annual Conf. of the IEEE Vehicular Tech. Soc., Dearborn, Mich.
61.
Shladover, S. E. (1989). “Roadway automation technology: Research needs.” Preprint Paper No. 880208, Transp. Res. Board, Washington, D.C.
62.
Shoup, D. C. (1982). “Cashing out free parking.” Transp. Quarterly, 36(3), 351–364.
63.
Simons, G. L. (1982). Privacy in the computer age. NCC Publications, The National Computing Centre Ltd., Manchester, England.
64.
Sinha, K. C., et al. (1988). “Role of advanced technologies in transportation engineering.” J. Transp. Engrg., ASCE, 114(4), 383–392.
65.
Stephens, B. W., et al. (1968). “Third generation destination signing: An electronic route guidance system.” Highway Res. Record 265, 1–18.
66.
Sterling, T. D. (1980). “Stressing design rather than performance standards to ensure protection of information: Comments.” Computers and privacy in the next decade, Lance J. Hoffman, ed., Academic Press, New York, N.Y.
67.
Statistical abstract. (1986). 107th Ed., U.S. Bureau of the Census, Washington, D.C.
68.
Technology and privacy. (1977). U.S. Privacy Protection Study Commission, Washington, D.C.
69.
Urban ozone and the clean air act. (1988). Office of Technology Assessment, Washington, D.C.
70.
Wachs, M. (1976). “Anticipated attitudinal responses to dual‐mode transit systems and their effects on mode choice.” Special Report No. 170, Transp. Res. Board, Washington, D.C.
71.
Wachs, M. (1982). “Transportation policy in the eighties.” Urban transportation: Perspectives and prospects, Herbert S. Levinson, and Robert A. Weant, eds., Eno Foundation, Westport, Conn.
72.
Waller, P. F., and Hall, R. G. (1980). “Literacy: A human factor in driving performance.” Accident causation. Soc. of Automotive Engineers, Warrendale, Pa.
73.
Ware, W. H. (1980). “Privacy and information technology: The years ahead,” Computers and privacy in the next decade, Lance J. Hoffman, ed., Academic Press, New York, N.Y.
74.
Willingham, F. L. (1976). “Implementation problems of a dual‐mode guideway.” Special Report No. 170, Transp. Res. Board, Washington, D.C.
75.
World almanac. (1986). Pharos Books, New York, N.Y.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
Copyright © 1990 ASCE.
History
Published online: Jul 1, 1990
Published in print: Jul 1990
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.