Variable Message Sign Location Selection Basing on Drivers’ Perception

Abstract

Abstract Variable Message Sign (VMS) location has impacts on the total travel time of transportation network. However, drivers with various characters have different understanding on each route travel time under information conveyed through VMS, which leads to different route choice behaviors, especially for schematic VMS. So VMS guidance may lead to induced congestion and increase the total travel time when drivers’ perception isn’t considered. To address this problem, a VMS location selection model basing on drivers’ responses to schematic VMS and their satisfaction degrees to VMS-based information service is proposed to minimize the total travel time. And a case study of Jiading New Town indicates that the total travel time decreases as drivers’ compliance rates rise. But the rate of descend declines gradually. And the total travel time keeps steady when drivers’ compliance rates approach 1, which indicates that VMS-based total travel time reduction decreases with drivers’ compliance rates increasing. However, VMS is effective on reducing the total travel time even though drivers’ compliance rates are lower than 1.