Individual Vehicle Speed Estimation Using Single Loop Inductive Waveforms
Publication: Journal of Transportation Engineering
Volume 125, Issue 6
Abstract
Travel time is the reciprocal of speed and is a useful measure of road congestion and traffic system performance. Travel time is also a basic traffic variable that is used in many intelligent transportation system strategies such as route guidance, incident detection, and traveler information systems. Previously, speeds were mainly acquired from double inductive loops configured as speed traps, because single loop speed estimates based on assumptions of a constant vehicle length were inaccurate. However, more accurate measurements of speed can now be accomplished with single loops by utilizing inductive waveforms of vehicles that are output from newer detector cards. An algorithm using signal processing and statistical methods was developed to extract speeds from inductive waveforms. The results show that the proposed algorithm performs better than conventional single loop estimation methods. The results also show that the algorithm is robust under different traffic conditions and is transferrable across surveillance sites without the need for recalibration. The use of the extensive single loop surveillance infrastructure is a cost-effective way of obtaining more accurate networkwide travel time information.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
Arendonk, J. ( 1996). “A comparison of real-time freeway speed estimation using loop detectors and AVI technologies.” Southwest Region Univ. Transp. Ctr., Compendium: Grad. Student Papers on Advanced Surface Transp. Syst., Texas Transp. Inst., Texas A&M University, College Station, Tex., J1–J40.
2.
Athol, P. (1965). “Interdependence of certain operational characteristics within a moving traffic stream.” Hwy. Res. Rec. 72, Highway Research Board, National Research Council, Washington, D.C., 58–87.
3.
Bahler, S. J., Minge, E. D., and Kranig, J. M. (1998). “Field test of non-intrusive traffic detection technologies.” Preprint, Proc., 77th Annual Meeting, Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C.
4.
Hall, F. L., and Persaud, B. N. (1989). “Evaluation of speed estimation made with single-detector data from freeway traffic management systems.” Transp. Res. Rec. 1232, Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C., 9–16.
5.
Hughes Aircraft Company and JHK & Associates. ( 1994). “Vehicle detector field test specifications and field test plan.” Task 4 Rep. for Detector Technol. for IVHS, Contract No. DTFH61-91-C-00076, U.S. DOT, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C.
6.
Jacobson, L. N., Nihan, N. L., and Bender, J. D. (1990). “Detecting erroneous loop detector data in a freeway traffic management system.” Preprint, Proc., 69th Annual Meeting, Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C.
7.
Klein, L. ( 1995). “Modern detector technology for traffic management.” Presentation for the University of California, Irvine, Calif.
8.
Mikhalkin, B., Payne, H. J., and Isaksen, L. (1972). “Estimation of speed from presence detectors.” Hwy. Res. Rec. 388, Highway Research Board, National Research Council, Washington, D.C., 73–83.
9.
Provenza, J. (1985). “Loop detector systems.” Int. Municipal Signal Assn. J., XXII(2), 5–7.
10.
Pursula, M., and Kosonen, I. (1989). “Microprocessor and PC-based vehicle classification equipments using induction loops.” Proc., 2nd Int. Conf. on Rd. Traffic Monitoring, 24–28.
11.
Pursula, M., and Pikkarainen, P. (1994). “A neural network approach to vehicle classification with double induction loops.” Proc., 17th Australian Rd. Res. Board Conf., Part 4, 29–44.
12.
Taylor, S. S. (1972). “Inductive loop detector functions.” Staff Rep. No. 53.08, Department of Traffic, Los Angeles.
13.
Traffic detector handbook. (1990). Institute of Transportation Engineers, Washington, D.C.
14.
Wannacott, T. H., and Wannacott, R. J. (1990). Introductory statistics. Wiley, New York.
15.
Wardrop, J. G. (1952). “Some theoretical aspects of road traffic research.” Proc., Instn. Div. Engrs., 1(2), 325.
16.
White, H. (1980). “A heteroscedasticity-consistent covariance matrix estimator and a direct test for heteroscedasticity.” Econometrica, 48, 817–838.
17.
Wilshire, R., Black, R., Grochoske, R., and Higinbotham, J. (1985). Traffic control systems handbook, Rep. No. FHWA-IP-85-12, Institute of Transportation Engineers, Washington, D.C.
18.
“Workshop on research, development, and testing of traffic surveillance technologies.” (1997). Partners for Advanced Transit and Highways, Richmond Field Station, Calif.
19.
Woods, D. L., Cronin, B. P., and Hamm, R. A. (1994). “Speed measurement with inductance loop speed traps.” Res. Rep. FHWA/TX-95/1392-8, Texas Transp. Inst., Texas A&M University, College Station, Tex.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
History
Received: Jan 11, 1999
Published online: Nov 1, 1999
Published in print: Nov 1999
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.