Research was conducted on traffic surveillance systems for urban freeways and investigations made on /1/ a method for predicting travel time on an urban freeway in the event of a traffic tie-up, and /2/ the effectiveness of an airborne observer to reroute traffic in the event of a traffic tie- up. a mathematical logic was developed to predict travel time on an urban freeway in the event that a mishap causes a breakdown in traffic flow. the calculations are to be performed in real time on a high-speed digital computer. evaluation was made of the effectiveness of an airborne observer to minimize delay by issuing alternate route advisories to motorists. preliminary design was accomplished for a surveillance scheme in which a closed-circuit television camera is borne aloft by a tethered balloon. considering the technical, operational, and economic problems involved, this research concludes that a balloon- borne closed-circuit television system should be considered as a new technique for area surveillance.
Abstract