Publications & Studies

Amber, Emergency, and Travel Time Messaging Guidance for Transportation Agencies - A report compiling dynamic message sign (DMS) messaging practices from across the country, specifically involving messages related to America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response (AMBER) Alerts, emergency/security, and travel times. The appendices are also very useful with results from interviews and a literature database of references for DMS.

Assessment of the Potential of ATIS to Reduce Travel Disutility in the Washington DC Region - This study used the HOWLATE (Heuristic On-Line Web-Linked Arrival Time Estimator) methodology to quantify the benefits of a prospective personalized pre-trip notification service in the Washington DC region.

ATIS Practices in Europe and North America: A Report on Comparative Analysis - This is the final report from the ATLANTIC Research Project's subtask the compared current practices of traveler information systems, including business models, that have been tried in recent years in countries on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. (See www.atlan-tic.net for more information on the ATLANTIC Project.)

ATIS U.S. Business Models Review - November 2001 update to the collective understanding on Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS) business models.

Changeable Message Sign Operation & Messaging - This project will documented the available empirical and analytical evidence that can be used by agencies to support policies, procedures, practices, and messages associated with the operation of changeable message signs.

Communicating With the Public Using ATIS During Disasters: A Guide for Practitioners - This document provides advice on use of Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS) during disasters and is intended not only for state and local transportation agencies but for their partners in public safety and emergency management agencies. It offers practical guidance to managers of transportation management centers and emergency operations and to public information officers who may be called on to staff joint information centers during disasters.

Developing Traveler Information Systems Using the National ITS Architecture (PDF 2.74MB) - August 1998, PDF file requiring Adobe Acrobat Reader.

FHWA's Public Roads article on "Gearing Up for SafeTrip-21" which seeks to spur deployment of the latest and best technologies to help reduce congestion.

Greater Yellowstone Regional Traveler and Weather Information System (GYRTWIS) December 2003 - This Final Evaluation Report builds upon the ongoing GYRTWIS evaluation being conducted by the Western Transportation Institute / Montana State University (WTI/MSU). This evaluation complements WTI/MSU’s GYRTWIS evaluation by investigating the following three areas: System impacts of 511 on usage and customer satisfaction; pavement thermal model accuracy; and case studies of the business model, institutional challenges & 511 implementation issues.

Intelligent Transportation Systems for Traveler Information: Deployment Benefits and Lessons Learned (EDL #14319) - Congestion Initiative Leaflet on Traveler Information. The U.S. Department of Transportation launched the National Strategy to Reduce Congestion on America's Transportation Network. One element of this strategy is to advance low-cost operational and technological improvements that increase traveler information through expanded use of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). This leaflet discusses how ITS technologies can be used in traveler information to curb congestion and smooth traffic flow. For more information about the National Strategy to Reduce Congestion on America's Transportation Network, please visit the U.S. DOT's Moving the American Economy: National Strategy to Reduce Congestion web site, http://www.fightgridlocknow.gov.

Model Deployment of a Regional, Multi-Modal 511 Traveler Information System (Electronic Document Library Number 14248 ) - This document presents the findings of the national evaluation of the 511 telephone traveler information system "Model Deployment" in Arizona. The United States Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) National 511 Model Deployment supported a wide range of enhancements to the existing statewide Arizona 511 system, including the addition of several new types of information and significant redesign of the user interface.

Portable Changeable Message Sign Handbook November 2003 - The purpose of this handbook is to present basic guidelines for the use of portable changeable message signs (PCMS). This handbook presents information on the PCMS and is intended to illustrate the principles of proper PCMS use.

Providing a Highway System with Reliable Travel Times - Transportation Research Board's (TRB) Future Strategic Highway Research Program (F-SHRP) Web Document 3: Providing a Highway System with Reliable Travel Times details the research necessary to relieve highway congestion and improve the ability of commuters, shippers, and travelers to predict their trip time and reduce the amount of variation in their expected travel time.

Quality Control Procedures for Archived Operations Traffic Data: Synthesis of Practice and Recommendations - This report summarizes and provides recommendations for quality control procedures to be used for archived data that have been collected and saved by traffic operations systems.

Real-time Traveler Information Services Business Models: State of the Practice Review - This State of the Practice Review documents a range of business models for real-time traveler information services, and provides 'real world' examples of how States and regions are developing partnerships and business plans within the business model frameworks.

The Roadway INFOstructure: What? Why? How? - This TRB Transportation Research Circular (EC057) summarizes an August 21-23, 2002, workshop in Irvine, California, which examined the Federal Highway Administration's vision for a Roadway INFOstructure.

Sharing Data for Traveler Information: Practices and Policies of Public Agencies - This report documents the current state of the practice, describing how the public and private sectors deal with data ownership and sharing, and examines policies aimed at facilitating data sharing and ultimately improving the quality and quantity of information that reaches travelers.

Travel Time Messaging on Dynamic Message Signs - Chicago, IL (FHWA-HOP-05-049) - Read about how Chicago developed travel time messaging.

Travel Time Messaging on Dynamic Message Signs - Houston, TX (FHWA-HOP-05-051) - Read about how Houston developed travel time messaging.

Travel Time Messaging on Dynamic Message Signs - Nashville, TN (FHWA-HOP-05-050) - Read about how Nashville developed travel time messaging.

Travel Time Messaging on Dynamic Message Signs - Portland, OR (FHWA-HOP-05-048) - Read about how Portland developed travel time messaging.

Traveler Information Systems in Europe - This report presents the findings of the study team that participated in an International Technology Scanning Program tour to the countries of Spain, Germany, Sweden, Scotland, and England to learn about multimode traveler information systems and the business practices surrounding them.

Understanding and Predicting Traveler Response to Information - A review of the literature published as of mid-2001 on the topic of traveler response to real-time information at the individual and network levels.