Partnership can predict traffic and let you know before you drive

Today, I'm reading about some exciting news for commuters.  A team from IBM Research, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), and the University of California, Berkeley, are developing the Smarter Traveler solution to help commuters avoid congestion and enable transportation agencies to better manage traffic.

Imagine you're about to drive to work.  You're a smart commuter, so you check the traffic report before you leave home.  Your route looks clear.  Twenty minutes later, you're stuck in traffic, anxious, frustrated, and wasting expensive gas.  Every ten minutes, a voice on your radio reminds you that the road you're on is jammed.  Because you're between exits, there is little you can do but remain stuck.

Smarter Traveler initiative aims to keep you out of this

Now imagine that, before you leave home, you get a text message or an email advising you that a section of the route you typically take is likely to be congested.  It's not congested now, but 20 minutes from now--when you get to that spot--it will be.  The message suggests an alternate route that is unlikely to be congested.  You change your plans and enjoy a stress-free commute.

Commuters in the San Francisco Bay Area are testing that predictive technology right now, thanks to the new Smarter Traveler initiative.  Because participants receive the message before they get behind the wheel, it's safe.  And, because the routes they drive are less congested, they're enjoying more time with their families and spending less at the gas pump.

The researchers at IBM, Caltrans, and UC Berkeley understand that you're better off if you know what problems might await you on your normal drive, and even better off if an alternative route is automatically suggested to you.

Most communities have a system for measuring traffic volume and speeds.  Now this partnership has developed a model to take that data and predict what traffic will be like when you're likely to be on the road.

In the final step, the program communicates safely to you before you get behind the wheel, when you can still use that information to make driving decisions.

It may be early in the game, but I think this sounds terrific.  When commuters are alerted ahead of time, they avoid roads that are likely to be congested and can even end up preventing the predicted congestion from ever occurring by altering their routes.  Because they've received the message when they're not driving, no one's safety is put at risk.

Safe communication.  Less gas consumed.  Time saved.  Frustration averted.  That's intelligent transportation.

Comments

[Nationwide AutoTransport]

Excellent!!! We use different systems to track *CURRENT* traffic conditions, but nothing that is predictive in nature. This will be a great tool for commuters and transporters alike especially in the most congested of areas! We go to DC once a year for Spring Break at Easter time, and we always get hung up around Richmond VA all the way up (we drive from North Carolina). Since I'm not from around there, I didn't know it was a badly congested area (pretty much all the time I guess!) so this would really be a great thing to use. Thanks for sharing the info!

[Wade White]

Consider extending such technology to public transit so travelers can see their other options (if/where they exist) so the choice between "the train" and "the car" can be even more informed.

[Michael Anguelo]

Dear sirs: This is not a new letter, I had sent it many times to any where to every where to any body, and no body listen, I just want to save lives.

For almost two years I had been sending an E-mail to most every body, trying to give this revolutionary idea with respect to the traffic lights accidents at traffic lights on majors avenues and street of cities big and small:

My idea is to maintain in RED the traffic lights at the intersections for a period of time of "FIVE SECONDS", doing this we give a window of five seconds to the drivers that distracted or not, takes the red light at an intersection
So in any case if one driver takes the red light,the other driver is at stop, preventing what I see every day here in Miami terrible accident at the intersection, I had been in this situation twice, that's why I am pursuing this crusade. Making this idea a reality, we prevent about 95% of the tragic accidents in the intersections, with this five second in red at all direction, never two(2) vehicle will be crossing the intersection AT THE SAME TIME, at least one but not two, avoiding a tragic accident and fatal lost of lives.

Also I had been advising to synchronizing the traffic lights at the major streets and avenues, this action will save time, less pollution, more safety and money, to the drivers and alleviating the traffic flow, this is a win, win situation for all and a saving of fuel to the public and of course Money too.

Hear I am including an article by Department of Transportation related to intersections accidents
statistic.
Intersection Safety

In 2009, there were 33,808 fatalities on our Nation’s roadways. Of these, 7,043 (20.8% of total fatalities) were intersection or intersection related.
An intersection is a planned point of conflict in the roadway system. With different crossing and entering movements by both drivers and pedestrians, an intersection is one of the most complex traffic situations that motorists encounter. Dangers are compounded when we add the element of speeding motorists who disregard traffic controls. Despite improved intersection design and more sophisticated applications of traffic engineering measures, the annual toll of human loss due to motor vehicle crashes has not substantially changed in more than 25 years.
Intersection safety is a national, state and local priority. Intersections represent a disproportionate share of the safety problem. As a result, organizations such as the FHWA, NHTSA, the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), the American Automobile Association (AAA), and other private and public organizations are devoting resources to help reduce the problem.
Best regards. From Miami
Michael Anguelo
manguelo@bellsouth.net

[Scott Tisthammer]

Wow, I wonder why President Obama, DOT, and Ray LaHood don't support bringing freight transportation into the 21st century using 21st century IT?

While air traffic controllers, Ray LaHood suggests won't be sleeping on his watch, a little late Ray, and they already are! A little behind the happening there Ray I suggest you have somebpdy else promote highspeed rail, and not txting while driving while you keep your eye on the big pic?

That's how it works at the top Ray and I would think President Obama would want his people handling their position in such a way he doesn't look like he isn't doing his job? Maybe President Obama needs some advice and you are missing an opportunity, just saying Ray, unless you have no idea what's going on and the people you expect to tell you, like President Obama depends on you, your people aren't getting the job done, telling you either?

Seems to me we have a serious problem, it isn't air traffic controllers sleeping on the job, infrastructrue $2.2 trillion in disreapir, freight transportation wasting billions of dollars a year running on an outdtaed model, while I have been sending President Obama, Ray LaHood, John Mica, many other representatives ideas on this very subject matter, it's the people we elect and pay to get the job done, NOT bringing freight transportation into the 21st century using 21st century IT!

Seriously Ray, unless you're comatose, high on your position, refuse to listen to ideas on how to bring freight transportation into the 21st century, how do you you keep watch, and plan on keeping everybody else awake? Reading this how do you suggest you are any different than an air traffic controller sleeping on the job?

Presdient Obama claims to be all about energy independence/security, high speed rail, smart grid yet we haven't had a transportation bill in almost two years?

His entire administration while he passed health care reform we allow freight transportation to run on an outdated 1980s model costing US billions of dollars a year, over an infrastrcuture $2.2 trillion in disrepair while spending billions through stimulus and Tiger Grants yet health care costs and infrastructure costs go up due to the failure of our representation to listen to ideas they claim to want to hear?

I have promoted INRIX, prepass as the FMCSA claims on their site as proven, an sent ides to President Obama and ray, LaHood yet they refuse to listen or respond, this not being posted will be proof enough.

I have a hard time accepting the failure of DC, from economy, to health care, to infrastructure, to budgets, to you name it, while I send ideas President Obama claims to want, and I get no response/respecct, the White House and DOT obvioulsy have priorities screwed up, as distracted as kids txting, freight transportation costing US billions of dollars a year, no transportation bill in two years, and air traffic controllers proof enough?

Get back with me, get with President Obama, have him send somebody else, but get with me Ray and I'll show you how to save billions of dollars, create jobs, bring freight transportation into the 21st century saving US billions of dollars in freight rates, offset fuel costs, reduce accidents, emissions, health care costs, traffic congestion, and all using 21st century IT you all claim to be all about yet refuse to implement?