There is now a hint of where traffic planning is headed, riding on technology. Traffic studies conducted by those sections of Anna University and IIT-Madras that deal with questions of traffic and transportation rely on technological tools. These tools are part of an Intelligent Transportation System (ITS). Though a few of these tools are already being used in a few contexts, we may still be far from having a full-fledged ITS. But, we seem to be heading there.
A professor of a city college says, “A full-fledged ITS will factor in weather conditions on roads, freight control, GPS mapping, emergency management, communication satellites, tunnel monitors, Geographical Information System and helicopter observation. The main aim of these modern traffic surveys is to provide real-time information about traffic to traffic planners.”
Around three years ago, as part of an experimental academic project by IIT-Madras, 100 GPS devices were fixed in MTC buses, 30 cameras and 15 antennas were installed on the IT Corridor, Velachery Road and Taramani Road and Variable Message Signs (VMS) were installed at six locations in the city. Based on this system, flow of traffic is still being monitored by researchers at IIT-M.
Traffic volume count
The present: Vehicles crossing a particular point, at a given time, are counted manually, normally for an hour. In this method, enumerators manually count the number of vehicles, record the types of vehicles and also take into account the turning movements of these vehicles at junctions.
The future : In ITS, electronic sensors are placed near the road or embedded in the roadway. These devices use transmitted energy such as radar waves or infrared beams to detect vehicles, and sends out a print-out recording the number of vehicles seen during the given hour.
Parking survey
The present: Parking surveys consider the number of parked vehicles and the average duration of parking. They also see how occupied the parking bays are, and from that, they calculate the rate of usage of the available parking space. Currently, enumerators note down the registration number of each parked vehicle.
The future: In ITS, availability of parking space will be technologically monitored and the information shared with motorists as well as the control room through mobile apps. This information will also be shared on Variable Message Sign Boards placed at carefully-chosen locations.
Accident survey
The present: Now, the police analyse possible causes of an accident using a collision diagram, which shows the approximate path of the vehicles/pedestrians involved in an accident. The map may also indicate physical features of the road such as its width, median and footpath.
The future: In ITS, camera matching and photogrammetry methods are used to analyse the cause of accidents. In the camera-matching method, photos of the accident spot are loaded to create a 3D model of the spot as well as the road surface. Physical evidence is then mapped from the photos onto the 3D roadway to create a three-dimensional accident scene drawing. Photogrammetry is used to determine the three-dimensional geometry of the accident spot from the original two dimensional photos. These 3D images can be used as evidence. Photographs from several angles are imported into the software to get a clear picture.
(With inputs from K.P. Subramanian, former professor, Department of Urban Engineering, Anna University)
