The increasing demand of traffic in metropolitan areas can not only be coped with by the ongoing extension of the road network. Instead, for many years now efforts have been made to allow for better use of the existing traffic infrastructure by the deployment of dynamic traffic information systems. New telecommunication and information technologies as outlined by the term "Telematics" allow the use of short-term affecting measures for traffic management, guidance and control. These appropriate actions are being applied to control traffic supply as well as traffic demand. Traffic management based on telematics is favoured as a promising approach in order to handle inevitable traffic more efficiently, to use vehicles and roads better, to support the use of environment-friendly means of transportation and finally to reduce unnecessary traffic. Two basic strategies can be identified to reduce traffic problems by means of telematics technologies:
Extensive, reliable and real time information on the current traffic situation allows the traffic user to pinpoint either existing or anticipated congestion of the traffic network at any time and to modify his mobility demand with respect to time, space and traffic mode. The traffic situation includes various information sources such as traffic volumes, traffic jams and bottlenecks caused by road constructions as well as the occupancy of parking facilities and real time information on public transport. Although the general preference of car usage in today's traffic must be recognised, a traffic management based on telematics is dedicated to re-distribute restricted infrastructural resources by intelligent traffic control.
Goals of an ITS based traffic management
The dependencies between impacts and effects of such a dynamic traffic management are characterised by high complexity. The general framework of organisational and regulational issues in Germany has proved to be a particular challenge for the realisation of an integrated traffic management. These circumstances require the support of information technology for planning, realisation and operational processes of dynamic traffic management. This research focal point deals with the following research and development areas:
Analysis, modeling and simulation of traffic processes
Control and guidance of road traffic by an integrated traffic management in compliance with organisational and regulational frameworks
Traffic guidance strategies and traffic management strategies
Traffic information systems and traffic engineering systems including:
Development and prototyping of technical components of intelligent transport systems
Development and pilot operation of collective, individual and personalised traffic information services (www.movi.de)
dynamic navigation in consideration of traffic safety aspects
Abstracts of recent research projects are provided under PROJECTS . Selected articles published at congresses, in journals and books over the last 3 years are listed under PUBLICATIONS . More LINKS direct to projects, partners and institutions related to the current work of the research focal point. If you are interested in PRACTICAL WORK EXPERIENCEget in touch with the CONTACT PERSON of this research area.
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