Transit tech aims to cut traffic woes
If you have ever had a morning that you got every green light on the roadway, chances are it’s not just your luck changing. The traffic signal system has likely learned the traffic pattern of that time of day and changed its timing to match it.
As more cities move toward so-called “intelligent transportation systems,” the benefits could include a shorter commute.
It’s the result of government agencies interpreting traffic data compiled from several sources by engineering firms like VHB, which employs 120 people in downtown Orlando.
“The trick is, how do we optimize getting people through traffic signals,” said Dave Mulholland, VHB’s regional vice president in Orlando. “It’s a great tool for industry professionals to make the right decisions in real time.”
At its Robinson Street office recently, Mulholland showed off a tool the company offers that gives users real-time traffic information.
The city of Orlando is working with VHB to use smart systems to monitor traffic and analyze possible solutions to bottlenecks.
For example, a live demo at VHB recently showed traffic crawling along at 21.33 mph on I-4 downtown at 10:23 a.m. on a Tuesday.
The data is often provided through sensors that use Bluetooth technology to detect cellphones in vehicles, then track how quickly that signal moves. With that information, transportation agencies can suggest alternative routes if traffic slowed further, creating a real-time adjustment for traffic flow.
University of Central Florida pro- fessor Essam Radwan said VHB has done good work in traffic analysis.
The goal has been to use communication, traffic control and technology to make people safer while they move, whether by foot or by car, he said.
The technology will become more crucial as the massive $2.3 billion I-4 construction project moves forward. That project will likely get more congested before traffic headaches go away, Radwan said.
“Until we get there, we’ll have to suffer a little bit,” he said. “It’ll get worse before it gets better.”
The state now uses smart systems and sensors on the Interstate system, and those tools help engineers spot problems during I-4 construction. The construction on I-4 includes adding more sensors for better coverage.
As the Florida Department of Transportation project heads toward its 2021 projected completion date, traffic data will increase in importance to local governments.
FDOT also uses a system of sensors, cameras and engineers, with a growing emphasis on integrating those systems.
Jeremy Dilmore, a transportation system engineer for FDOT’s freeways, said that’s important because so many businesses and agencies build different options for interconnected systems.
“We are trying to find things that talk to each other. We want a world where everyone can build their own communications systems [that interact],” he said.
If a particular part of a roadway is constantly congested, for instance, maybe that’s where transportation officials widen the road, Dilmore said.
Or perhaps timing on traffic signals could be tweaked, or the agency could introduce a bus route that would help alleviate some congestion.
Dilmore said engineers and transportation professionals have always wanted the kind of data that is being collected now.
“Now, it’s not only available but it’s becoming more cost-effective,” he said. “The challenge is to make sure we can share that broadly.”
Orlando deputy public works director Charles Ramdatt said simulations and real-time data collection can pinpoint exactly how projects like the I-4 construction will affect the city.
Or it can help him determine how many people walk down Church Street during the lunch rush or how many cars run north on I-4 during the Friday rush hour.
“The traditional method [of gathering that data] is gathering it once, using that data and modeling it using archaic models,” said Ramdatt, who has been in his position since 2003. “That’s outdated and the limited information is very difficult to use when applied to several scenarios.”
VHB entered the Orlando market in early 2015, when it acquired the local company GMB Engineers & Planners. The move gave the company a bridge into traffic simulations.
The field is an outgrowth of the sensors used in modern roadways, along with the growing prevalence of mobile phones and the Bluetooth technology embedded within them.
Commuters often see the fruits of the data VHB uses, such as overhead signs with estimated travel times, without knowing it.
“We are making a bigger commitment to the technical side of how we move people and creating a visualization of that,” Mulholland said. “Our clients now have this data and are trying to figure out the best use of it.”