Channels of Delivery of Travel Information

Channels of Delivery of Travel Information
(Static and Dynamic On-Trip Information)
Index
Purpose
Description
Relevance for Large Scale Events
Options
Technologies
Impacts
Integration potential
Implementation
Best Cases and Examples
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Purpose
Delivery of travel information is essential for travelers to plan their journeys and carry out their journeys.
Travel information can help travelers make well informed decisions on departure times, selections of
modes of transport, selections of routes and interchanges etc. Travel information can also provides
travelers information on any abnormal situation or waiting times, thus reducing travelers’ stress during
their trips and increasing the comfort level of their trips. Travel information delivered can be static and
dynamic (or real-time) information. Travel information can be pre-trip or en-route. For pre-trip information,
travel information can help traveler to know which transport to take, where and when to take the
transport, how to get ticket, how much it costs. Pre-trip information can provide both static and dynamic
information. En-route information are often used to provide dynamic information about waiting time, road
closures, parking availability, current events and other information which will help traveler select the most
appropriate modes of transports
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Description
Travel information can be delivered via various channels. Travel information can be delivered through
traditional media, e.g. radio; it can also be delivered through innovative media, e.g. in-vehicle navigation
system, mobile phones (including smart phone applications). Travel information can be provided by public
transport operators, information service providers, road operators, public authorities, event organisers as
well private information providers. A travel information provider should collect information internally or
externally, and then delivers such information to end users.
Passenger information is generally available from:
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Displays at stops/stations/interchanges (static and dynamic information)
On-board display
Internet (cable and wireless)
Telephone service, including SMS
Smartphone apps.
Motorist information is generally available by:
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VMS
Internet
Radio broadcast (audio and digital)
On-board navigation system (dynamic route guidance)
Telephone enquiry services
Smartphone apps
Currently pre-trip information mainly delivered via internet (websites). Many public transport operators
have their own websites which provides static and dynamic information. Static information includes
bus/metro route maps and journey plans using the public transport network. Dynamic information includes
real-time arrival times, information on service abruptions, incidents etc. Information service providers also
use websites to provide static information, e.g. Google and Nokia (map.nokia.com). Such websites provide
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journey planning for public transport users, pedestrians and motorists. While Google map has little dynamic
information, some websites provides good dynamic information on road closure, incidents, public transport
service disruptions etc.
En-route information is delivered to users via either personal devices such as radio, mobile phone,
navigation device, or public devices e.g. VMS. For public transport users, en-route information mainly
includes real-time departure/arrival times of public transport vehicles and information on service
disruption. En-route information is delivered to public transport users mainly through displays at bus/metro
stops and mobile phones (e.g. SMS, wireless internet, and smart phone applications). En-route information
also includes information on interchanges, i.e. guiding travelers to find next transport mode.
En-route information for motorists mainly includes real-time traffic information, e.g. congestion, severe
weather warming, road closure, etc. Real-time parking space availability is also one type of en-route
information delivered to motorists. Traditionally en-route information often delivered to users via VMS or
radio. But in recently years, such information is often delivered via personal devices such as smart phones
and navigation devices. While delivering to in-vehicle devices, information may be delivered via RDS-TMC.
In recent years, Cooperative Vehicle Infrastructure Systems (CVIS), i.e. vehicle-to-vehicle, infrastructure-tovehicle, are also used for travel information delivery.
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Relevance for Large Scale Events
All types of channels delivering travel information have been extremely useful tools for large events as they
are able to advise traveler pre-trip and make available real-time information en-route. Information
delivering to travelers in the context of large scale events may include:
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Public transport network map
Journey planning (public transport, car and multi-modal)
Disruption in road network and public transport network
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Options
Internet (website) is the main deliver channel of travel information. Web-based traveller information
dissemination has developed rapidly in the last few years along with the boom in all Internet service. Realtime traffic information can now be accessed free of charge via numerous websites. Many of these sites
have been designed in collaboration with infrastructure owners/managers and local authorities. This
appears to be a particularly attractive way to rapidly disseminate pre-trip traveller information including
route planning and weather. Information provided includes:
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Map and journey planning
Incidents (roadwork, events, congestions)
Costs
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A travel information website can be operated by public transport operators (which normally covers only the
operator’s network), city/regional authorities, e.g. Bayern Info, (which normally covers an entire city or
region), and information service provider, e.g. Google or Nokia (which may have a global coverage).
Some examples are shown below.
Figure 1 shows the Journey Planner provided by Transport for London (TfL). The TfL journey planner
provides route planning using the TfL public transport network and walking. It includes dynamic
information, e.g. engineering work, and gives a journey plan based on real time information, i.e.
engineering work or service disruption has been taken into account when a journey plan is calculated.
Figure 1 Transport for London (TfL) Web-based Journey Planner (including real-time information)
VMS is also one of traditional media used to disseminate information en-route. VMS are digital road signs
which are located either on the roadside or on gantries above the carriageway. VMS provides information
on real-time traffic information, e.g. dynamic speed limits, congestion warning, severe weather warming,
dynamic route guidance, and parking space availability. Figure 2 shows Overhead message panels mounted
on gantries (typical on motorways and used to give traffic information, speed recommendations and
emergency messages)
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Figure 2 VMS on motorways
Radio (audio) is one of the oldest media to deliver travel information. However, it still has been widely used
today. An end user survey in Athens in 2010 (through the Viajeo project) shows that users trust information
received from radio more than from other media, i.e. websites. Therefore, radio should still play an
important role in delivery of travel information. Information delivered via radios often concern unexpected
events, e.g. congestion, traffic accidents, road closure, cancellation of public transport etc. Digital radio can
also connect to RDS-TMC (Traffic Message Channel) to display traffic message. Detailed description of RDSTMC can be found in the following section “Technology”.
Displays at stops/station are used to display real-time bus arrival times or service disruption information.
Currently, many public transport operators installed displays at public transport stops or stations to display
passenger information.
Navigation devices with connection to real-time traffic information have become popular in recent years.
Many navigation services provider provide real-time information package, i.e. TomTom HD Traffic. A service
provider collects information from various data sources and integrates them for up-to-minute navigation,
i.e. calculating the best route based on real-time information, providing real-time congestion warning and
updating journey times. Navigation devices may receive real-time information via RDS-TMC.
Smart phone applications have been developed by many information service providers, e.g. INRIX Traffic.
Such smart phone applications can provide personalised real-time traffic information based on location of
the smart phone, user’s request and user’s journey plan.
SMS (Short Message Service) is used to send information to public on weather, congestion warming, travel
advice and some SMS offer real-time bus arrival time services.
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Technologies
RDS-TMC(Traffic Message Channel) is a technology for delivering traffic and travel information to motorists.
It is typically digitally coded using the FM-RDS system on conventional FM radio broadcasts. It can also be
transmitted on DAB or satellite radio. It allows silent delivery of dynamic information suitable for
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reproduction or display in the language chosen by the user and without interrupting normal audio
broadcast services. Both public and commercial TMC services are now operational in many countries
worldwide. When data is integrated directly into a navigation system, traffic information can be used in the
navigation system’s route calculation and the driver can have the option to take alternative routes to avoid
traffic incidents. A RDS-TMC receiver may be a standard-alone device but often as a function of digital radio
or integrated with a navigation device. Some examples of TMC receivers are shown below.
Figure 3 Digital radio with TMC function
Figure 4 Navigation device using TMC information
Cooperative Vehicle Infrastructure Systems (CVIS) are a technology to facilitate communication between
vehicles (V2V) as well between infrastructure and vehicles (I2V). Currently, there is no CVIS in operation but
only demonstrations. However, I2V technologies are mature and commercial systems have been
developed. Currently I2V can be used to disseminate information on dynamic speed limits, congestion,
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severe road conditions etc. Current commercial products, e.g. KapshTrafficcom, apply 5.9 GHz DSRC
technology for I2V.
Figure 5 Kapsch Showcase: infrastructure to vehicle (I2V)
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Impacts
Travel information has significant influence on transport mode selection, departure time and route
selection. For example, a car driver may decide to take public transport if road closure information is
received. On contrast, public transport users may decide to drive a car since travel information indicates
that public transport disruption is expected. Users may also choose different departure times based on
travel information.
Overall, simulation results showed that individual travelers who use websites for pre-trip information
would receive annual benefits of a 5.4% reduction in delay, a 0.5% reduction in accident risk, and a 1.8%
reduction in fuel consumption (FHWA, 2003).
Research shows that about 33% of travelers will adjust their departure times based on real-time
information. Of those who adjustedtheir departure times, 52% of them result in shorter travel times.
Simulation results indicated that a 9.5% reduction in total queuing time and a 2.5% increase in average
speed when dynamic navigation is in use.
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Integration potential
Integration potential includes:
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Travel information/traffic data collection;
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Traffic management strategy
Delivery of travel information can be integrated with travel information collection. For example, delivery of
travel information via mobile phone network can be used as a way to collect travel information. With two
way communication, a vehicle can be used as a floating vehicle to collect traffic data. TomTom collects
some of TomTom users’ positions and speed and uses such information for travel information generation,
e.g. congestion warming, incidents etc. TomTom also uses its users’ data for long term traffic data
collection to understand congestion levels of different parts of the network at different times.
Delivery of travel information can be as a part of the traffic management strategy. In recent years, with the
increasing market penetration of navigation devices, using traveler information to give different guided
routes to different drivers has been seen as a method to optimize usage of a road network.
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Implementation
Delivery of travel information can be a private or public service. Private services can be either paid by users
(for example, a monthly charge) or paid by advertise. Implementation of travel information deliver can be
illustrated by the following figure.
Figure 6 implementation of travel information delivery
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Examples
case studies describing use of the tool:
a) in previous large scale events
Shanghai EXPO 2010
For Shanghai EXPO 2010, the local government developed a comprehensive traffic information centre. The
comprehensive traffic information centre integrated information from different sources in Shanghai during
EXPO time, travel information is delivered via:
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internet based information services
touching scans at interchanges, hotels and main tourism venues
displays at metro stations/bus stops
Telephone and mobile phone (SMS services)
Before EXPO, through government funding, 4000 taxis from Shanghai main taxi companies were equipped
with navigation devices that have RDS/TMC terminals to access real-time traffic information. RDS/TMC
information came from Shanghai EXPO comprehensive traveler information platform. The framework of
the EXPO comprehensive travel information service centre is shown in the following figure.
Figure 7 Shanghai EXPO Travel Information Service
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b) Example of TMC in Singapore
In Jun 2006, the first TISA certified TMC Location Table for Singapore was released and a traffic broadcast
service was launched. Updated to version 1.1 in July 2009, the latest updated TMC Location Table version
1.2 that includes more than 150 car park locations within the Central Business District and downtown
areas, was released. The traffic services are available on several models of Smartphones, and Garmin GPS
navigation devices.
In Nov 2010, the Land Transport Authority announced the release of the Location Table for Singapore
which includes traffic incidents information, traffic speeds, parking availability, weather, road closures, etc.
Various brands of GPS systems can provide these dynamic data in the navigation system.
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