Geomatics for Mobility Management. A comprehensive database model for Mobility Management

In urban and metropolitan context, Traffic Operations Centres (TOCs) use technologies as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) to tackling urban mobility issue. Usually in TOCs, various isolated systems are maintained in parallel (stored in different databases), and data comes from different sources: a challenge in transport management is to transfer disparate data into a unified data management system that preserves access to legacy data, allowing multi-thematic analysis. This need of integration between systems is important for a wise policy decisions. This study aims to design a comprehensive and general spatial data model that could allow the integration and visualization of traffic components and measures. The activity is focused on the case study of 5T Agency in Turin, a TOC that manages traffic regulation, public transit fleets and information to users, in the metropolitan area of Turin and Piedmont Region. In particular, the agency has set up during years a wide system of ITS technologies that acquires continuously measures and traffic information, which are used to deploy information services to citizens and public administrations. However, the spatial nature of these data is not fully considered in the daily operational activity, with the result of difficulties in information integration. Indeed the agency lacks of a complete GIS that includes all the management information in an organized spatial and “horizontal” vision. The main research question concerns the integration of different kind of data in a unique GIS spatial data model. Spatial data interoperability is critical and particularly challenging because geographic data definition in legacy database can vary widely: different data format and standards, data inconsistencies, different spatial and temporal granularities, different methods and enforcing rules that relates measures, events and physical infrastructures. The idea is not to replace the existing implemented and efficient system, but to built-up on these systems a GIS that overpass the different software and DBMS platforms and that can demonstrate how a spatial and horizontal vision in tackling urban mobility issues may be useful for policy and strategies decisions. The modelling activity take reference from a transport standards review and results in database general schema, which can be reused by other TOCs in their activities, helping the integration and coordination between different TOCs. The final output of the research is an ArcGIS geodatabase, tailored on 5T data requirements, which enable the customised representation of private traffic elements and measures. Specific custom scripts have been developed to allow the extraction and the temporal aggregation of traffic measures and events. The solution proposed allows the reuse of data and measures for custom purposes, without the need to deeply know the entire ITS environment system. In addition, The proposed ArcGIS geodatabase solution is optimised for limited power-computing environment. A case study has been deepened in order to evaluate the suitability of the database: a confrontation between damages, detected by Emergency Mapping Services (EMS), and Traffic Message Channel traffic events, has been conducted, evaluating the utility of 5T historical information of traffic events of the Piedmont floods of November 2016 for EMS services

What kind of information do drivers need? An investigation of drivers' information requirements in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Past research indicated that driver information requirements were varied (e. g. Spyridakis et al., 1991) and the motorists population cannot be consider homogeneous in terms of information requirements (e. g. Haselkorn et al., 1991). Some of the previous studies even suggestedth at before the so-called intelligent systemsg o into production, several unresolved issues concerning what kind of information drivers require need to be resolved. Thus, this thesis is interested in exploring several human factors issues concerning drivers; ' information requirements. First, the study is trying to provide at least a general picture of what kind of information is suitable to be presented to drivers in certain types of journey. Secondly, the thesis is interested in exploring the suitable timing and mode to present the required information to the target audiences. Besides the aforementioned human factors issues, this research also investigated how drivers plan their routes and find their way in unfamiliar destinations. The study is also interested in examining criteria used by drivers in choosing a route to their intended destination. Finally, this thesis aims to measure respondents' behavioral responses when they were given several traffic messages on congestion while commuting to and from work. The results also revealed that local drivers used more than one strategy for route planning and wayfinding in unfamiliar locations. Maps were the main strategy used by most of the respondents who participated in this study. Other strategies used by respondents were asking a passer-by, relying on memory and going without preparation. Apart from that, this study also demonstrated the difficulty in arriving at a general conclusion concerning the appropriate criteria that drivers would use in selecting a route for different trips. Local drivers would use a variety types of criteria in order to choose a route to a particular destination. However, the thesis identifies that drivers mainly employed three types of criteria in selecting a route to a particular destination. These criteria were safety, saving mileage and avoiding congested routes The final study (Study 3) was interested in extending the results of both studies I and 2 particularly the presentationo f congestionm essagesto its end users,i . e. motorists. An experiment was conducted to investigate drivers' response towards the presentation of traffic messagesa bout congestion.T he findings clearly supportedp revious work that found different types of information are likely to elicit different kind of responses from the drivers. In addition, local drivers also had ideas about the design of future traffic messages on congestion. For example, the need to have a quick solution when faced with the problem, e. g. offer alternate route; the need to have information on travel time if they decided to use the alternate route recommended by the systems; and some of the messages should be given as early as possible to serve as pre-trip advanced warning to drivers. The findings clearly demonstrated the preference for having more information rather than less

Holland City News, Volume 27, Number 42: November 4, 1898

Newspaper published in Holland, Michigan, from 1872-1977, to serve the English-speaking people in Holland, Michigan. Purchased by local Dutch language newspaper, De Grondwet, owner in 1888.https://digitalcommons.hope.edu/hcn_1898/1042/thumbnail.jp

Traffic Routing in Urban Environments: the Impact of Partial Information

There are many studies concerning the problem of traffic congestion in cities. One of the best accepted solutions to relieving congestion involves optimization of resources already available, by means of balancing traffic flows to minimize travel delays. To achieve this optimization, it is necessary to collect and process Floating Car Data (FCD) from vehicles. In this paper we evaluate the repercussions of partial information on the overall traffic view, and consequently on the outcome of the optimization. Our study focuses on the role of the user participation rate and the availability of Road Side Units to collect the FCD. By means of simulation we quantify the impact of partially-available information on the computation of route optimization, and how it impedes traffic flows. Our results show that even minor uncertainties can significantly impact routing strategies and lead to deterioration in the overall traffic situation

Developments in currency and banking at the Cape between 1782 and 1825, with an account of contemporary controversies

The investigation that forms the substance of this thesis has been conducted on historical lines. An intensive study of the Currency and Banking developments in the old Cape Colony between the years 1782 and about 1825, reveals the typical currency development from a money economy to a credit economy. Prior to the beginning of the nineteenth century, there were no commercial banks with the result that there was no credit structure built up on a metallic reserve whereby the amount available for trade could have been multiplied several times. This study of the origin and development of the inconvertible paper rixdollar will enable us to form a correct judgement of the various methods adopted to supply the public exigencies, and the effects of such tampering, in destroying the credit as well as the value of the currency. It will be seen that inconvertible notes can be issued without any limit and when the issuers have a free hand, their value depends solely on the moderation of the issue. The inflation of an inconvertible paper currency may be either automatic or deliberate. The authorities may issue increased currency to meet what they believe to be trade demands, but, in fact, they may issue more than enough and the result will be unconscious inflation. The authorities will argue that more currency is needed because prices are rising, while their opponents will contend that prices are rising because too much currency is being issued. Further, this investigation will reveal the dangers of Government Banking and Government interference in the sphere of currency; the ease with which paper is issued and the difficulty of stopping the issue of notes. Inconvertible notes may be limited to an amount which can circulate without any depreciation, but in that case there can be no more of them than there would have been if they had been convertible, and no object is served by their being inconvertible. Generally, it may be said that the immediate cause of resort to inconvertible paper has almost always been the pressure of public finance. Funds must be raised in some way, and an additional issue of inconvertible notes affords the easiest, though not the best, method of raising them. Such issues lead eventually to uncertainty, discredit and depreciation, which harm the nation's credit and disorganise trade