Navigating for new traffic solutions

Abstract

Probe data from consumer GPS navigation devices provides a network-wide and cost-efficient data source for measuring vehicle movements. The measurement of traffic volume, route choice and delay on intersections is needed for efficient intersection control. Data collection from road-side sensors can provide this information but is expensive and requires high maintenance expenditures. Probe vehicle data provides an interesting alternative although experimental studies have been confined to small datasets. This study presents the results of intersection performance measurement using a large probe dataset from consumer GPS navigation devices. In this paper the delay and route choice are derived from probe data collected with consumer GPS navigation devices at two intersections in the Dutch city of Delft. The objective is to evaluate the accuracy of probe data collected with consumer GPS navigation devices for the measurement of delay and route choice at intersections. The measurements are compared with loop detection traffic counts and delay estimation from stationary sensors. Probe data from consumer GPS navigation devices provides a suitable data source for the determination of route choice and delay at two test case intersections if a sufficient sample size is available. Route choice is measured with an average error of 1.35% to 3.76%. This new data source is beneficial for a quick assessment of the delay and route choice at intersections, including intersections without fixed detectors or where data from stationary detectors is not easily accessible.