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FHWA-JPO-99-042
FOREWORD
Traffic management centers are increasing in number and are receiving significant
upgrades to respond to growing congestion in the roadway system. This growth
in traffic management activity entails the installation of more and different
types of traffic sensor and control systems. The integration of these systems
leads to greater dependence on automation and intelligent systems to monitor
and process large quantities of data, to assist decision making and to control
traffic. In turn, this growing reliance on automation raises human factors issues
on how traffic management operators share tasks with automation and what kind
of environment is necessary for their work to be effectively completed.
This document provides human factors guidelines and other information to bear
on these issues. For instance, chapters are provided for job design, the user-computer
interface, workspace, controls and displays. Sections are also provided on the
systems engineering design process. As traffic management centers coordinate
with each other to devise new strategies and to meet regional traffic demands,
new issues and new perspectives on the role of the human in traffic management
will evolve. It is anticipated that these guidelines will form a basis for further
examination of future operator requirements and thus continue to support effective
user-system design.
Michael F. Trentacoste, Director
Office of Safety Research and Development
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1. Report No.
FHWA-JPO-99-042
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2.
Government Accession No. |
3.
Recipient's Catalog No. |
4. Title and Subtitle
Preliminary Human Factors Guidelines for Traffic Management Centers
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5. Report Date
July 1999
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6. Performing Organization
Code
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7. Author(s)
Michael J. Kelly
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8. Performing Organization
No.
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9. Performing Organization
Name and Address
Electronic Systems Laboratory
Georgia Tech Research Institute
Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0840
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10. Work Unit No.
(TRAIS)
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11. Contract or Grant
No.
DTFH61-92-C-00094
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12. Sponsoring Agency
Name and Address
Federal Highway Administration
6300 Georgetown Pike, T-304
McLean, Virginia 22101-2296
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13. Type of Report
and Period Covered
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14. Sponsoring Agency
Code
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15. Supplementary
Notes
COTR: Nazemeh Sobhi, HRDS; with assistance from SAIC
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16. Abstract
This document provides human factors guidance for designers, owners,
operators, and planners engaged in the development and operation of
traffic management centers. Specific guidance addresses several dimensions
of the work environment that can affect operator and system performance.
These dimensions include the operator's work space, the equipment that
operators use, and the design of their jobs. Additional guidance is
provided for the user-centered design process. Supporting this guidance
are several sections on operator capabilities. Several chapters address
equipment design and selection. These include the user-computer interface,
controls, displays, and job aids. The chapter on job design addresses
shift work, team work, simultaneous tasks and workload, and the role
of operators designing jobs.
This document is intended for application in planning new TMC's and
for planning modifications to existing TMC's. In addition to guidance
in the design of new equipment, workstations, and software, the document
supports planned modification of equipment and the selection of off-the-shelf
equipment. The guidelines also support specification development. At
the beginning of this project, there was little human factors research
specific to traffic management centers. Therefore, much of the guidance
contained herein is composed of human factors material from non-TMC
specific sources that are, nonetheless, relevant to traffic management
centers. Recent research from this project has been incorporated into
the guidelines. TMC specific guidelines cover areas such as incident
detection and the management of variable message signs. An earlier version
of this document was released under the title: "Human Factors Handbook
for Advanced Traffic Management System Design."
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17. Key Words
Advanced Traffic Management Systems, Equipment Design, Human Factors,
Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), Job Design, Traffic Management
Center, Work Space Design
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18. Distribution
Statement
No restrictions. This document is available to the public through the
National Technical Information Service, Springfield, VA 22161.
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19. Security Classification
(of this report)
Unclassified
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20.
Security Classification (of this page)
Unclassified
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21. No. of Pages
480
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22. Price
N/A
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Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction
of completed page authorized
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