The Japan research and development effort to achieve a cost effective road administration is moving ahead aggressively. The travel time data gathering from trucks and taxis has started to control vehicle operation appropriately. Besides using probe car, the other current available tool is the vehicle information and communication system (VICS). VICS disseminates information based on the data gathered by TV camera, traffic counter and othersensors and operational machinery along trunk roads. Originally intended for disseminating traffic information chiefly aiming at motorists, VICS has not been studied for proficiency with other uses. This study, focusing on usability of VICS data, was begun with the analysis on VICS data sphere and features. Different approaches are classified for using the probe datafor road administration, and a review of road service performance measurement is conducted using VICS data to evaluate a road project. The outcome revealed that VICS data provides a snapshot of congestion conditions over the extended areas, as well as time sequential shifts in conditions, showing changes by hour of day, which allow us to understand correlative relations. The outcome explicitly indicates a potential usage of VICS data for further road traffic improvements. For the covering abstract see E134653.
Abstract