One method of disseminating travel information in Southampton, UK, is through the use of Variable Message Signs (VMS). This paper describes the recent research undertaken to assess their effectiveness. Two methods have been considered: the analysis of UTC data to estimate driver response to VMS messages, and the subsequent use of an off-line traffic assignment model to quantify the network benefits. Seven incident scenarios occurring on one particular test site (Bassett Avenue) have been investigated. For each scenario, average diversions of 17% were measured at the key decision point upstream of the incident. This translates into an average network journey time saving of approximately 34 vehicle hours (or an annual financial saving for VMS strategies related to an incident on Bassett Avenue of 7650).
Samenvatting