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High Efficiency Roads with Rerouteing Methods and Traffic Signal Control

Objective

The HERMES project aims at increasing traffic safety and efficiency through improved knowledge of the current state of traffic in a given road network and through the application of control strategies which are based on this knowledge.

Technical Approach

The HERMES project focusses on the enhancement and application of traffic control strategies that are based on on-line Origin/Destination information and Automatic Incident Detection. This work is largely based on results achieved previously in the DRIVE I projects ODIN (V1047) and MONICA (V1056):

In ODIN, algorithms for the on-line estimation of Origins and Destinations of the major streams in urban and interurban road networks have been developed.
In MONICA, algorithms for Automatic Incident Detection on motorways and in urban areas have been developed. Both of these types of algorithms are to be validated now within HERMES in on-line applications.

In the same two projects, initial developments for control models and strategies for rerouteing and traffic signal control that can use this information have been undertaken. Simulation results have already shown that the effectiveness of rerouteing and signal control can be substantially increased, if they are based on O/D information. Detailed rerouteing strategies have been partly developed, but before any implementation is possible, further enhancement is still required as part of the work in HERMES before they can be implemented in a pilot project. The original concept for the on-line network signal control program MOTION, developed in ODIN, has been enlarged within the HERMES project to include automatic incident detection and the appropriate signal control responses. Furthermore, MOTION now includes a number of features to provide absolute or relative bus priority (depending on the operators preselection) on network and local level.

Test sites for the O/D validation are RHAPIT (Rhein/Main) for the extraurban and SCOPE Cologne for the urban application. Within RHAPIT, this will be the basis for the validation of the rerouteing strategies, and within SCOPE Cologne for the test of the traffic signal control algorithms. The urban incident detection is to be tested in SCOPE Southampton, and the extraurban will be tested and compared with the performance of AID provided by INVAID II in MELYSSA (Lyon).

The work on concrete strategies and algorithms as outlined above is complemented by the developement of scenarios for the integrated use of these strategies in an integrated road transport environment.

Key Issues

Origin/Destination estimation
Automatic Incident Detection
On-line traffic control
Rerouteing strategies
Traffic signal control (MOTION)
Scenarios for integrated traffic control

Expected Achievements

The main outcome form the HERMES project are validated algorithms for urban and interurban AID and on-line O/D estimation, validated strategies for interurban rerouting, and the first prototype of the new on-line network signal control system MOTION.

Expected Impact

All algorithms and strategies to be developed and applied in HERMES will contribute to improving traffic flow and reducing congestion. The Automatic Incident Detection, in particular, also aims at increasing traffic safety through avoidance of secondary accidents. The developments towards integrated applications of strategies in HERMES will further contribute to the creation of the Integrated Road Transport Environment as envisaged in the DRIVE programme.

Topic(s)

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Call for proposal

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Funding Scheme

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Coordinator

MVA Consultancy
Address
Mva House Victoria Way
GU21 1DD Woking
United Kingdom

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Participants (7)

Centro Studi sui Sistemi di Trasporto SpA (CSST)
Italy
Address
Via G Giolitti 48
10123 Torino

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GPC-GERD PLOSS CONSULTING
Germany
Address
Breitenbichl 12
8080 Fürstenfeldbruck

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Heusch-Boesefeldt GmbH
Germany
Address
Kleine Johannisstraße 9
20457 Hamburg

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SIEMENS AG
Germany
Address
Hofmannstraße 51
8000 München

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TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITÄT HAMBURG-HARBURG
Germany
Address
Lohbrugger Kirchstraße 65
2050 Hamburg

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Technische Universität München
Germany
Address
Arcisstraße 21
80333 München

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Transport Research Laboratory (TRL)
United Kingdom
Address
Old Wokingham Road
RG11 6AU Crowthorne

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