Evaluation of Portable Non-Intrusive Traffic Detection System

摘要

The goal of this study is to develop a safe, accurate, simple, and cost-effective method of collecting traffic data by using a Portable Non-Intrusive Traffic Detection System (PNITDS). The system developed for this project provides an alternative to conventional traffic data collection methods, such as inductive loops and road tube counters, by allowing agencies to collect data in high-traffic locations without compromising traffic flow or personnel safety. The selected design consists of a battery-powered, pole-mounted system that serves as a platform for mounting sidefired non-intrusive traffic sensors. Three sensors have been tested under different mounting configurations and traffic levels: the RTMS by EIS, the SAS-1 by SmarTek, and the SmartSensor by Wavetronix. The evaluation focuses on the assessment of traffic sensor performance and the pole-mounted system itself. Test results show that the system developed is practical for short term data collection because it can be quickly and safely deployed without interrupting traffic. The system is designed to attach to various existing roadside infrastructure, such as lighting poles and sign poles, providing flexibility in mounting locations. The sensors evaluated can accurately collect volume and speed data from up to eight lanes when optimally mounted and calibrated. Obtaining length-based classification data requires additional time to calibrate the sensor, but when correctly calibrated, the results provide a reasonable measure of the distribution of vehicle lengths within the traffic stream.