City of Houston Launches New Arterial Travel Time Tool in West Houston
Houston Mayor Annise Parker and the City of Houston’s Department of
Public Works & Engineering announced a new traffic management tool for
Houston drivers using state-of-the-art Bluetooth technology. This
probe-based travel time approach allows drivers to see real-time travel
flow via the Houston TranStar web site using Bluetooth readers, placed
at key locations in west Houston. Commuters in the area will now be able
to navigate around potentially congested roadways, saving time and
money.
It’s the largest known deployment of Bluetooth technology by a
governmental agency nationwide.
“The nearly 250,000 people who live here, as well as the 12.7 million
people who work in and travel through this area, will greatly benefit
from this new technology,” said Mayor Annise Parker. “We know that west
Houston is one of those areas experiencing increased growth.”
In the project’s early research stage, using previous technology with
toll tag readers as the identifiers was priced at $90,000 per location.
The newer, Bluetooth-based devices were deployed at a total cost of
$50,000 along with the utilization traffic signals in the service area.
The City’s total cost avoidance is approximately $4.5 million.
The Bluetooth Readers identify an anonymous identification (ID)
addresses associated with Bluetooth devices such as cell phones,
headsets and automobiles. Those addresses are then matched between
intersections and the travel time is calculated. The anonymous Bluetooth
ID number is deleted once a match has been made.
The 62-square-mile area is bounded by IH-10 (Katy Freeway) on the north,
IH-610 (West Loop) on the east, the Westpark Tollway on the south and up
to and including SH-6 on the west. Approximately 12.7 million vehicle
miles travel daily through this corridor, covering four major employment
centers: Uptown Houston, Westchase, Memorial City and the Energy
Corridor.
Funded by the City of Houston, this Bluetooth-based AWAM (Anonymous
Wireless Address Matching) sensor technology was researched and
developed by the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI), a part of the
Texas A&M University System. It is the first phase of a wider
Intelligent Transportation Systems deployment that will include
Pan-Tilt-Zoom Cameras and Dynamic Message Signs. The success of this
project may lead to expanded coverage in other areas of the City. The
map can be viewed at
www.houstontranstar.org.
