Challenge Bibendum - Smarter transportation systems for transportation information management

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Home DISCOVERING THE SOLUTIONS Urban mobility IBM enabling smart transportation systems

IBM enabling smart transportation systems

05-12-2010 by Challenge Bibendum

Resume:
IBM meeting today’s transportation challenges with a solution portfolio for smart transportation systems. This article is an excerpt from IBM's "Transportation information management solutions from IBM" solution brief. © Copyright IBM Corporation 2010

Smarter transportation systems for transportation information management

A population explosion, urbanization and globalization are stressing our transportation networks. These factors have created an increase in transportation demand that is outstripping current capacity. A well integrated transportation and technology system can help address the issues that are created when demand is greater than capacity. Such a
system provides the tools and infrastructure for:

Predicting demand better and optimizing transportation infrastructure and assets
Improving traveler and customer experiences
Improving operational efficiencies while reducing carbon emissions
Assuring and sustaining safety and security

In this system, vehicles of all types can be instrumented and interconnected with the systems of transportation operators. These instrumented, interconnected systems and devices also generate volumes of new data. Advanced analytics can turn that data into intelligence—insight that transportation providers can use to make better decisions, often in real time. A main component of such smarter transportation systems is transportation information management, which has numerous benefits for transportation providers.

How IBM’s transportation information systems can help

Transportation information management supports the archiving and retrieval of data generated by transportation system applications and enables intelligent applications that use archived information. Decision support systems, predictive information and performance monitoring are examples of applications that transportation information management enables. In addition, transportation information management systems can help transportation operators plan routes, schedules and maintenance and enhance safety and security.
Transportation information management solutions and services from IBM® provide transportation operators with greater control over the flow and operation of their infrastructure.
Transportation information management can help public and private transportation providers coordinate their existing physical infrastructure with new technologies, such as sensors,
cameras and dynamic signs.

A comprehensive solution portfolio for transportation information management

The transportation information management solution portfolio from IBM includes research, technology, software and consulting services for: asset management; analytics and performance management; resource optimization; surveillance and video analytics; traffic prediction.
The results include faster travel times, flexible tolling and fare options and better navigation information. It is also possible to analyze information generated by the infrastructure to make fact-based decisions about where to invest capital for future transportation projects. For example, with transportation information management solutions from IBM, an agency or company, working with others in a smart transportation ecosystem, can deliver traveler advice to Web browsers, 511, personal digital assistants and smart telephones. Performance reporting and analytical software, such as a traffic prediction tool, can help optimize traffic flow and passenger journeys.

A transportation information management solution helps Kyoto plan for the future

Kyoto, Japan, has implemented a transportation information management solution jointly developed by the IBM Tokyo Research Laboratory and Kyoto University that can simulate abroad range of urban transportation situations. This simulator system provides the current status of traffic, including current speed and positions of vehicles and even the distance between cars. City planners can use the system to simulate a broad range of urban transportation situations, including millions of vehicles involved in complex traffic interactions. By adding a variety of attributes to the model, the system can simulate traffic conditions with an eye to reducing carbon dioxide and potential accidents. In addition, Kyoto can use simulations created by the solution to predict what will happen if some one builds a new office building, sports arena or other major facility in metro Kyoto and how to improve planning of roads and public transportation.

Traffic prediction

IBM has developed a traffic prediction tool that helps municipalities, transportation operators and hubs that struggle with congestion. This tool uses real-time data and projects it into the near future, producing accurate, near-term traffic predictions that can help improve transportation operations and planning.
A few of the processes that this solution can enable include traffic planning, dynamic enterprise resource planning, congestion-based tariff setting and route guidance. It also facilitates decisions for variable-message sign information and assists with proactive signal setting and ramp metering.
The solution has a number of benefits, such as greater prediction accuracy than existing methods. It can run on medium-sized and large networks in real-time for greater efficiency. It provides valuable predictive data, including input for traveler information systems that can help with route planning. It is also possible to augment the tool with a number of extensions. For example, one extension enables the input of up-to-date traffic data into planning and simulation tools

A transportation authority in Singapore uses an IBM tool to improve traffic management

The Singapore Land Transport Authority needed to resolve ongoing traffic management issues. With the help of IBM Global Business Services, the IBM Watson Research Center, IBM Global Innovation Outlook and IBM Singapore, it installed an IBM traffic prediction tool. Predictive analytics from the tool provide the authority with a highly reliable view of traffic conditions in the present and near future. As a result, the authority can adjust signal settings, variable message sign displays and ramp meters to display travel advisories and help prevent traffic congestion. During a pilot, the tool predicted traffic flows over pre-set durations (10, 15, 30, 45 and 60 minutes).Overall prediction results were well above the target accuracy of 85 percent.
The tool helps the authority better predict and avoid traffic congestion. It offers transportation planners access to a rich set of traffic pattern data stored in vast data warehouses. With the tool, the authority can mine the data for trends and patterns while also taking into account temporal and spatial relationships.

Instrumented, interconnected and intelligent making mobility smarter and more sustainable

IBM is a market leader in collaborating with transportation
clients to deliver the fastest time to value with minimum risk. Our expertise; innovative solutions; comprehensive hardware, software and services; and broad experience with transportation implementations worldwide can help transportation operators achieve these objectives:

Predict demand and optimize capacity, assets and infrastructure.
Improve traveler, commuter and customer experience.
Improve operational efficiency while reducing environmental impact.
Assure safety and security.

IBM’s powerful analytical tools can aggregate, analyze and act on data gathered from disparate sources—providing solutions for planning, scheduling, routing, customer relationship, pricing, revenue management, intelligent traffic and infrastructure management. Our practical experience can help mobility become smarter—more instrumented, interconnected and intelligent.

Transportation information management solutions from IBM- full paper

Read also in this section:

- A new Award for “European Green Capitals”
- CarSharing, the car becomes a service
- Stockholm, a green city
- The contribution of technology to limit traffic jams
- Singapore’s congestion pricing system
- Multimodal tools
- “Organizational” solutions against traffic jams and gridlock

Categories: Congestion - Connected mobility - Urban mobility - Urban strategies

Keywords: - Infrastructure - Transportation

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