CORDIS Archive

Telematics Applications for Transport Research Information4th Framework ResearchProjects

ENTERPRICE TR 1020

ENTERPRICE concerns development of a Mobility and Traffic Information Centre, which takes on the function of generating multimodal traffic information from raw data in various traffic systems, combining the information, and presenting it for use by various private and public information services.

Setting the Scene

The ENTERPRICE project was established to develop and demonstrate important elements of the information service chain. It is based on existing data bases and sources in traffic control and other transport systems in Hessen, the Netherlands and Switzerland. The objectives were:
o to support administrative decision-makers in traffic management operations and situations, by setting up an information platform at each of the project's sites. Data and information from existing content-providing systems are integrated on the platform and fed into information services.
o to set up partly inter-modal and multimodal information services, and to operate and demonstrate them using various dissemination media.

Approach

The development followed the information service chain, which can be presented as follows:
1 Content Owners, consisting of regional and local authorities, Municipalities, Public Transport Associations, Railway and private organisations, etc who run existing control and information centres for transport modes on road, rail and air.

2 Content Providers, represented by the same parties, who offer relevant data from their sources via operational and information centres, but are in the first instance each limited to one transport mode.
3 Information Providers, where the data and information are processed on the information platform, which is called a MObility and Traffic Information Centre or MOTIC. The MOTIC is divided into two major parts which address:
o Traffic Information, messages representing traffic situations and predictions in a road network, which is done in the Traffic Information Centre or MOTIC-TIC.
o Traffic Management, provided by a specific analysis tool, the Strategic Management Centre or MOTIC-SMC.
The MOTIC functionalities offer added value to the information services.
4 Service Providers, public authorities and private organisations, who currently have various servers installed providing the following services:
o Regional Internet, which provides multimodal Traffic messages, Traffic data (Level of Service) and Construction Site Information
o Regional Fax, which offers multimodal Traffic messages, Construction Site Information and Public Transport Information
o Short Messages, providing Traffic messages on motorways
o Traffic Information and Warning, offering Traffic messages via Radio Data Service/Traffic Message Channel using the ALERT/C standard
o Teletext, providing Traffic messages, Construction Site Information, PT and Parking information
o Digital Audio Broadcasting and MoTiV, providing Parking Information
o Traffic Management, which offers intermodal Traffic messages and Traffic Data (Level of Service) Information on traffic situations with transfer opportunities to Public Transport etc.
o Mobility Services in a Mobility Service Centre, comprising information from the MOTIC such as Traffic messages, Traffic data and Construction Site Information, and information from other sources, to provide route recommendations including intermodal trip planning, tariff information and ticket sales.
5 Finally, information dissemination to Users, both public decision makers and private end users such as travellers. Here, media such as PCs, portable and mobile Points of Information, Information Desks, Fax, TV and Radio are used.

Results and Achievements

Two main applications have resulted from the project: the Mobility and Traffic Information Centres or MOTICS, which add value to traffic data, and the Services, which utilise the comprehensive and high-quality information.
Mobility information is provided not only on road traffic but also on other transport modes, combining data from different sources. Since the systems and Mobility Service Centres offer intermodal services, it is hoped that they will contribute to a shift in traffic to compatible modes of transport. Traffic management strategies can be tested prior to their implementation, using an integrated simulation mode.
The resulting information covers more aspects of mobility and traffic information than has previously been possible, and by means of modern forms of information distribution like the Internet, this information reaches a much larger group of end users.
ENTERPRICE has placed emphasis on automatic processing and handling of information for traffic management. In this respect it contrasts with other projects, which focus on the interfaces between system operators who take over raw information and process it manually, whereas ENTERPRICE sets out to add value within the MOTIC system through automatic feasibility checks, fusion and combination of data. It combines and assists information provision and traffic management by offering traffic operators a tool for the evaluation of transport scenarios which take intermodality aspects into account.
In the process, interfaces are used which have been developed and standardised in other projects, to generate information within the MOTIC from different sources and forward it to other services. As examples, RTP systems and sophisticated OBUs and payment systems are supported.

Conclusions and Plans for the Future

This represents a major step towards a new future for European transport which ensures sustainable and safe mobility of persons and goods within an area without internal frontiers.
Some systems developed within the framework of the project, such as the Mobility Service Centre in Frankfurt and the Internet service, have continued operating after the end of the project. They will not only continue to contribute to the provision of overall traffic information in the Frankfurt region but will serve as an example for future developments in this area.
ENTERPRICE was a start-up project. The aim is to continue development of all the activities towards market-oriented operation and to exploit the systems and services commercially.

Contact Details

Project Coordinator:
Mr. Georg Stern
Tel: +49.611.366 3443
Fax: +49.611.366 3484
E-mail: g.stern.hlsv@hsvv.hessen.de
Research Area: Traffic Information Services and Centres
Timescale: 01.01.96 - 30.04.99
Keywords: MOTIC; Traffic Information Services; Traffic Information Centres
Key Project Participants:
Hessisches Landesamt für Stra?en- und Verkehrswesen (DE)
ASIT, Security and Information Systems in Transport Services Ltd. (CH)
Empresa Mixta de Trafico SA (ES)
Eratosthenes Ltd. (GR)
Heusch/Boesefeldt GmbH (DE)
Ministry of Transport RWS-AVV (NL)

Public Deliverables

D 3.1 Report on General User Needs for Traffic Information and other Traffic Services