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Southeastern Transportation Center |
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Research |
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PRINCIPLE INVESTIGATOR: Dr. Atef Ghobrial; Dr. Theodore
Poister, School of Public Administration and Urban Studies, Georgia
State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, 404-977-6543
EXTERNAL PROJECT CONTACT: Mr. R.A. Charles, Director,
Eastern Region Marketing, Collins, Air Transport Division of Rockwell
International Corporation, Suite 100, 4897 Riverdale Road, Atlanta,
GA 30337-6088, 404-977-6543
PROJECT OBJECTIVE: To focus on assessing the role
of automatic vehicle location (AVL) systems in transit safety
and emergency management. It will provide a technical description
of available and potential AVL systems technologies and analyze
their safety capabilities as well as develop a safety metric that
can be used by transit agencies to evaluate the effectiveness
of an AVL system as related to safety and emergency management.
MODAL ORIENTATION: Transit
PROJECT ABSTRACT: Crime and fear of crime is a major
problem in the U.S. transit systems, particularly those serving
large urban areas. A study conducted by the Transportation System
Center concluded that increased crime against patrons has serious
consequences for transit systems in terms of reduced ridership
and in the willingness to fund transit investments. The significance
of transit safety is underscored by the requirements of the legislated
Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA)
for local transit agencies to develop passenger safety plans.
Safety of vehicle operations is another concern.
Automatic vehicle location (AVL) is a powerful tool
for monitoring and controlling a fleet of vehicles. Although
widespread in Europe, many AVL systems are just being tested and
implemented by the transportation industry in the U.S. The Federal
Transit Administration (FTA) has created the Advanced Public Transportation
Systems (APTS) program as part of the US DOT initiative. The
AVL systems are primarily installed in systems for bus monitoring
and management.
MILESTONES, DATES: Project to begin August 1, 1994
and end December 31, 1995
BUDGET: $78,328
STUDENTS: Proposed research will include two graduate
research assistants and one undergraduate student assistant.
T2 ACTIVITIES: Results will be disseminated
to the professional community through the anticipated publication
of at least two articles in major transportation journals. The
research results available to practitioners and the transit community
by producing a manual and presenting the approach and results
in various conferences dealing with transportation technology
and safety issues.
POTENTIAL BENEFITS: Providing technical description
of AVL systems technologies and a metric that can be used by transit
agencies to evaluate the effectiveness of an AVL system as related
to safety and emergency management.
TASK DESCRIPTION:
1. Review literature and survey
AVL systems; design and mail a questionnaire to AVL suppliers,
selected members of IVHS America, AVL researchers, transit agencies
and selected European operators. with this information develop
certain profiles of safety system technologies and management.
2. Site visits to selected transit agencies and
labs, FTA officials, and others, to discuss AVL technologies
with suppliers, researchers, operator, etc.
3. Development of a system-wide metric in which
to weigh the relative importance of the various components of
the transit safety system.
4. Development of some "efficiency" ratings of individual elements with each component in the security system.
5. Assessing the overall transit safety system by
combining the metric weighing scheme (Task 3) and the efficiency
ratings (Task 4).
6. Prepare a technology transfer guideline document
to assist transit agencies in evaluating different AVL systems,
communication links, and in-vehicle safety technologies.
7. Prepare the final report.
TITLE: Evaluation of the Impact of Truck Safety Programs
on Accident Reduction.
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