Service definition
“Traffic Condition and Travel Time Information service” means the provision of information on the traffic conditions (LoS) and travel times on identified road segments of the network.Traffic Condition / Level of service (LoS) is a qualitative measure used to relate the quality of traffic service. LoS is used to analyse road networks by categorising traffic flow and assigning quality levels of traffic based on performance measure shuck as speed, volume, delay etc. This is typically based on the continuity of flow.Travel time is the total elapsed time necessary for a vehicle to travel from one point to another over a specified route under existing traffic conditions.As the volume of traffic approaching a point exceeds capacity, LoS falls, and traffic is characterised by stop-and-go waves, poor travel times, low driver comfort, and increased accident exposure.This predictive or real-time information can be provided both on-trip and pre-trip using different information channels.
Service objective
A road user provided with high quality traffic condition and travel time information will react to the information and adapt their travelling and driving behaviour; this could mean changing routes or trip scheduling; as well as reducing speed in congestion.Thus, the road network is used in a more efficient and safe way, with significant contributions to improving environmental performance, energy efficiency and security of road transport.
Service benefit radar
ITS service key words
The following figure shows the typical functional architecture of a “Traffic Condition and Travel Time Information service”.
Functional requirement:
Functional advice:
Sub-function 1 “Data collection”
Tools, devices and methodologies for traffic data collection are not covered by this service description. They depend amongst other things upon the particular used data collection system and are left to the operator to select.
Functional requirements:
The geographical basis of the location code should be left to the road operator to define, anyway the model of information provision to other organisations must respect DATEX II location reference and time stamp model.
Sub-function 2 “Data fusion and processing”
Note: “Data fusion and processing” includes “data validation and certification”. Within Europe different methodologies exist to aggregate the real-time and predictive traffic condition and travel time information. These methodologies are not covered by this service description and are left to the operator to select. They depend amongst others on the particularly used data fusion and processing system and particular traffic model applied.
Sub-function 3 “Information provision”
Different service providers in accordance with specific business models carry out information provision. The information provision to the road user on end-user devices has to be done using various information channels.
Interface requirements:
Note: The required/provided information content depends on availability and the levels of quality criteria table agreed among the partners involved
Interface advice:
OrganisationalArchitecture/BusinessModel
A general overarching description of the key actors, their roles in the value chain and the related conditions for TTI service provision are outlined in Chapter 3.1. More information on new models of cooperation between public and private partners can be found in chapter 4.1.4.2
Organisational advice
Organisational requirements:
Common Look & Feel advice:
Specifically, for traffic condition information
Common Look & Feel requirement:
It is up to the deploying road operator to ensure that physical road signs are well and widely understood by the road users.
Specifically, for travel time information
Common Look & Feel requirements:
No specific requirements or advice.
Information provision standards:
The “Levels of Quality table” for the definition of quality criteria for RTTI and SRTI services, which differentiates data quality into “basic”, “enhanced” and “advanced” (for detailed information see Quality of S Real-Time Services – Quality package) reflects the requirements for the data quality which are needed for Traffic Condition and Travel Time Information services. This table is not enduser oriented as Table 17.
Level of Quality advice:
Table 17 gives the Level of Service recommendations for a Traffic Condition and Travel Time Information service. The background of this concept is descripted in chapter 2.6.
Table 18: Level of Service to Operating Environment mapping table (see also chapter 2.5.3 and ANNEX
Level of service requirement:
Note: Level of services concerning the core criteria“User interface” has only to be considered for traffic condition information (not relevant for traveltimes).