Using archived ATMS data for the performance evaluation of a freeway incident response program

Abstract

The proliferation of new data gathering and archiving technologies has provided a wealth of new transportation data. Engineers, planners and freeway management system operators in many urban areas are finding themselves working in an increasingly data rich environment. The availability of these data allows analysis of multiple aspects of a freeway network from a regional scale down to a single incident. This study uses archived ITS data to evaluate the effectiveness of a freeway incident response program in Portland, Oregon. Data used in this study were extracted from an archived computer aided dispatch database, automatic vehicle location systems, inductive loop detectors, automatic traffic recorders and weather archives. The data are used to show various ways of presenting transportation information being used as indicators of the effectiveness of an incident response program. This type of evaluation is necessary on an on-going basis in order to clearly articulate the benefits and costs of this critical component of the region's traffic management system.