A key component to addressing the reliability issue related to urban mobility is conveying this reliability-related information to system users so that they can make informed decisions about their travel. The goal of the SHRP 2 L14 project, Effectiveness of Different Approaches to Disseminating Traveller Information on Travel Time Reliability, is to examine what combination of words, numbers, and other features of user information messages, along with communications methods and technology platforms, best communicate information about travel time and reliability to travellers so they can make optimal travel choices from their point of view, such as whether to take a trip, departure time, mode choice, and route choice. This final report documents the research conducted as part the SHRP 2 L14 project. One of the main work products from the L14 project is the Lexicon for Conveying Travel Time Reliability Information, which offers recommendations to system operators on appropriate ways to provide travel time reliability information to travellers so that the information is most likely to be understood and used by travellers to influence their travel choices. The research team identified several key elements of a lexicon entry that were deemed necessary to completely present each term and how it might be used within the transportation community. One purpose of this final report is to describe the process that led to the development of the lexicon. The research began with a literature review to document existing practices and lessons learned regarding the communication of both travel and non-travel-related reliability information. The team then focused on conducting expert interviews and a technology and innovation scan to further examine the state of the practice in communicating information to travellers. The team also conducted a series of human factors experiments, including focus groups and surveys, to assess travellers’ comprehension and preferences for various reliability-related words and phrases. Finally, two laboratory experiments developed a utility function for travel time reliability information by observing participants’ use of reliability information during simulated commute trips and soliciting their opinions about the monetary value of that information. The lexicon was developed as the final task of this project. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting