Advanced traveller information systems (ATIS) constitute one of the key elements of ITS. While a great deal of research has been conducted to examine various aspects of ATIS, such as data fusion, estimating travel times, what mechanisms are most appropriate for disseminating travel information, and the effects of providing traveller information, currently the most significant factor limiting the wide spread deployment of ATIS is the lack of a cost effective method of obtaining data reflecting network travel conditions. It has been proposed that the ability to autonomously determine the location of wireless communication devices (e.g. cell phones) provide an opportunity to acquire large quantities of travel data without the need to deploy a large and costly network of traffic surveillance equipment. To date, such a system has not been deployed in North America. However, a number of projects have been initiated to examine the feasibility of such an approach. This paper explores the potential that such an approach could have in terms of supporting traffic management and traveller information services. In addition, this paper examines a number of the key challenges that must be overcome before such an approach can be implemented.
Abstract