A location-aware framework for intelligent real-time mobile applications

The Location-Aware Information Systems Client (LAISYC) supports intelligent, real-time, mobile applications for GPS-enabled mobile phones by dynamically adjusting platform parameters for application performance while conserving device resources such as battery life

Documented Impact of Transportation Demand Management Programs Through the Case Study Method

What are the internal and external conditions of a work site that influence the success of its commuter choice program, aside from the trip-reducing services and incentives themselves? This article shares the results of two studies that used a more rigorous case study method for discerning the relative influence of conditions within and outside of the control of a work site. It also discusses the useful application and elements of the case study method as well as the location for finding properly documented case studies that describe successful programs. Recommendations are developed for work sites to implement commuter choice programs for TDM marketing professionals to identify receptive work-site candidates and for TDM researchers to investigate further using the case study method. By understanding the relative importance of various conditions, TDM professionals, employers, and employee transportation coordinators are better equipped to exert influence on factors within their control to develop more effective programs

Measuring the Impacts of Employer-based Transportation Demand Management Programs on an Interstate Corridor

This article is based on a study that analyzed the impacts of employer-based transportation demand management (TDM) strategies and the performance of a transportation system. The study simulated the effects of the Washington State Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) programs implemented by 189 employers on an 8.6-mile segment of I-5 in the Seattle downtown area. This comprehensive dataset included before/after employer trip reduction plans and the origins/destinations of nearly 63,000 commuters working for those 189 employers. The current performance of the selected network was compared to that of a scenario with reduced vehicle trips due to CTR programs added back onto the network. The hypothesis of the research was that a widescale adoption of employer-based strategies is likely to have a measurable difference on the performance of a transportation system. The analysis found the reduction in AM peak delay due to TDM programs implemented in the study area was 152,489 vehicle-minutes and 17,297 vehicle-miles of travel. Savings in PMpeak delay were 169,486 vehicle-minutes and 14,510 vehicle-miles were reduced. Fuel saved in the AM and PM peaks were 3,489 and 4,314 gallons, respectively. Some segments and periods saw significant improvement. The study proved that comprehensive TDM programs could have a significant impact on the operation of a major Interstate corridor

Travel Assistance Device (TAD) to Help Transit Riders - Deployment to transit agencies

The ability to travel where and when one desires is a basic requirement for independent living that most people take for granted. To travel independently, a transit rider practices at least 23 skills including finding the route, arriving at the correct stop on time, and determining when to exit at destination. Travel trainers who provide one-on-one instruction on public transportation, report that recognizing a landmark near the desired bus stop, requesting a stop at the proper time, and exiting the bus at the destination stop are among the most challenging skills to master for individuals with cognitive disabilities. Parents/guardians are often reluctant to encourage the use of fixed-route transit due to their own hesitations about a person\u27s abilities and well being. Prior studies by the research team developed the Travel Assistance Device (TAD) mobile phone software application that addresses these challenges and supplements the trainer’s instruction. TAD provides various informational prompts including the audio messages “Get ready” and “Pull the cord now!” and vibrates to alert the rider to pull the stop cord. These prompts are delivered to the rider in real-time as he or she rides the bus using the embedded global positioning system (GPS) technology in off-the-shelf cell phones

Measuring the Impacts of Employer-based Transportation Demand Management Programs on an Interstate Corridor

This article is based on a study that analyzed the impacts of employer-based transportation demand management (TDM) strategies and the performance of a transportation system. The study simulated the effects of the Washington State Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) programs implemented by 189 employers on an 8.6-mile segment of I-5 in the Seattle downtown area. This comprehensive dataset included before/after employer trip reduction plans and the origins/destinations of nearly 63,000 commuters working for those 189 employers. The current performance of the selected network was compared to that of a scenario with reduced vehicle trips due to CTR programs added back onto the network. The hypothesis of the research was that a widescale adoption of employer-based strategies is likely to have a measurable difference on the performance of a transportation system. The analysis found the reduction in AM peak delay due to TDM programs implemented in the study area was 152,489 vehicle-minutes and 17,297 vehicle-miles of travel. Savings in PMpeak delay were 169,486 vehicle-minutes and 14,510 vehicle-miles were reduced. Fuel saved in the AM and PM peaks were 3,489 and 4,314 gallons, respectively. Some segments and periods saw significant improvement. The study proved that comprehensive TDM programs could have a significant impact on the operation of a major Interstate corridor

Enhancing Transit Safety and Security with Wireless Detection and Communication Technologies

Public transportation systems are among the most open public facilities in the world and susceptible to breaches of security. Reconciling the need for workplace safety and security with budgetary pressures requires new approaches to increase the effectiveness of existing solutions while preserving flexibility and low costs. An inexpensive sensor-based intrusion detection system that remotely monitors and notifies on- and/or off-site personnel of any incidents can significantly multiply the observational effectiveness of a few onsite safety or security personnel monitoring a facility. The advancement in the miniaturization of circuits has produced small computing devices allowing the development of pervasive applications that only a few years ago were not possible. The combination of such devices with wireless networks and micro-electro-mechanical systems technology provides a new platform for research and development of innovative monitoring applications. This project developed a low-cost, scalable, real-time intrusion detection and remote notification system called WSN-IRNS, using wireless sensor networks with the purpose of enhancing the safety and security of transit facilities. WSN-IRNS provides a cost-effective alternative or supplement to traditional wired security systems for protecting vulnerable areas and facilities such as garages, tunnels, and transit yards. The Internet-connected system supports real-time intervention by notifying personnel upon the detection of an intrusion through multimedia messages, which can include captured camera images that are delivered directly to mobile phones. Field tests have successfully demonstrated the proof-of-concept of the system, although adjustments and fine tuning of system parameters will be needed for environment-specific installations