Bluetooth Applications
“The transportation
industry is on the
threshold of a new
information era”
Figure 4: The Bluettooth unit is compact and rugged and ideal
for any geographical and meteorological environment
equipment throughout the world. Traffax has a patent useful for the management of major events in that it can
pending to provide both US and international protec- be used to identify points at which spectators can be
tion of its technology. The units are produced and tested directed to alternate portals and transportation facili-
in a number of configurations for a variety of applica- ties. It is possible that this capability might also prove
tions related to traveler information and traffic manage- useful for managing flows during occurrences of major
ment. It is also in use to support a number of engineering evacuations associated with catastrophic events such as
and planning activities including performance meas- hurricanes, earthquakes or terrorist strikes.
urement and collection of origin-destination data.
Closing thoughts
Rhapsody in blue The combination of low cost, ubiquitous travel time data
Bluetooth equipment is installed at intervals of one to for freeways derived from GPS technology, with the tar-
two miles along roadways on which traffic data is being geted use of Bluetooth data for facilities and transporta-
collected. In spite of its low cost and high reliability, this tion modes that are not well served by GPS data, offers a
installation requires additional data collection infra- solution to the current shortcoming of ITS. The transpor-
structure, a need that many agencies attempt to avoid. tation industry is on the threshold of a new information
For this reason, the Bluetooth equipment does not nec- era that will permit the dissemination of reliable infor-
essarily compete with the GPS and cellular technolo- mation to motorists, and will permit public agencies to
gies, but rather offers a complimentary technology that improve their management of transportation facilities
can be used for surveillance where the others cannot through the rapid identification of incidents, and assess-
provide needed information. In addition to arterial data, ment of their impacts on an areawide bases.
the Bluetooth equipment will function reliably in tunnels We may finally be able to truly manage traffic by
and urban canyons where the absence of GPS or cellular diverting appropriate numbers of vehicles to alternate
signals prevents these technologies from providing routes, and managing these routes in a way that can
needed data. accommodate the diverted traffic. Is it to early to specu-
The Bluetooth equipment can be used for collection of late that, at last the words “intelligent” and “advanced”
origin-destination (O-D) data at lower costs and with as used in the acronyms Intelligent Transportation Sys-
higher assurances of privacy than that which is possible tems and Advanced Traffic Management will become
with either post card surveys or license plate matching. realities instead of slogans? TH
It has also been used for measuring pedestrian flows at
major sporting events including the NASCAR Brickyard For more imformation on Traffax and BluFax, email Phil
400 automobile race. The combination of O-D informa- Tarnoff at
tarnoff@umd.edu or visit the Traffax website at
tion and pedestrian flow measurement has proved to be
www.traffaxinc.com
38 Vol 4 No 1 Thinking Highways
www.thinkinghighways.com
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