Estimating the average speed of public transport vehicles based on traffic control system data

Abstract

Intelligent Transport Systems are a valuable source of traffic information, covering both private and public vehicles. The main problem, however, is that very few studies are conducted to determine the speed of buses, trams and trolleys in urban networks in relation to traffic conditions. The paper investigates how ITS systems data could be used to model the speed of Public Transport vehicles. This is now possible thanks to the implementation of TRISTAR, an Integrated Traffic Management System covering the Tri — City (Gdansk, Sopot, Gdynia). The objective of the analysis is to develop a method for modelling Public Transport vehicle speed. To that end data from TRISTAR subsystems were used. The paper explains how various data can be collected, used and combined to develop speed models. The results of analyses and a proposed speed model for Gdynia's Public Transport vehicles are presented. This is to be further verified by applying the proposed method in another city or other cities. The speed model can also be used for updating existing public transport timetables. It is also possible to use the speeds for calibrating macroscopic simulation models.