Travel Time Estimation based on Bluetooth Sensors: Results from a Comparative Field Test

摘要

Providing reliable traffic information such as travel times and traffic advisories to the roadusers on the web and along roads is one of the many tools used by the Danish RoadDirectorate (DRD) to keep traffic flowing on the national highway grid. This type ofinformation can be beneficial in mitigating the negative effects of congestion and gives theindividual road user an opportunity to plan his/her journey optimally. DRD typically utilizesinductive loops, microwave radars and ANPR-cameras to collect information about traffic.However, these technologies are expensive to deploy and often disrupt traffic underinstallation. In recent years, bluetooth traffic sensors have emerged as a cheaper alternative tothese technologies. In Denmark various studies have been carried out to assess the potential ofthis new emerging technology. However, the majority of these studies have been conducted incities characterized by slow moving vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians. As the nationalhighway network in Denmark predominantly consists of motorways and highways withrelative high speeds, DRD wanted to assess the accuracy and reliability of such a system on amotorway. This paper presents results from a field trial conducted by DRD aimed at gatheringexperiences with the use of this technology within the field of travel time estimation.