ADAPTIR™ System Features     ADAPTIR™ System Benefits   ADAPTIR™ Information

Improving safety and managing congestion in work zones is a high priority throughout the transportation industry.  Each year upwards of 1,000 fatalities occur in work zones alone.  In fact, work zone accidents involving injuries and property damage constitute 2-3 percent of all law-enforcement-reported work zone accidents. The actual percentage is likely to be higher as several crashes that occur upstream of a work zone (e.g., a rear-end collision at the end of a work zone queue) are not always reported as work zoneaccidents.  Over one-half of the reported accidents involve either a rear-end or sideswipe/angle collision.  Major contributing factors to work zone accidents include exceeding safe speeds / speed limit and  high travel speed differentials upstream of the work zone.  In addition, major work zone operation inevitably produce congestion, which frustrates travelers whether they be commuters, commercial vehicle operators, or tourists.  Furthermore, industry studies cite "lack of credible information" as a key source of stress facing all travelers.   Current static signs and stand-alone, preprogrammed Variable Message Signs (VMS) do not adequately address the cited problems, because their messages are often obsolete and/or not detailed enough to be useful. ADAPTIR™ an innovative Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) technology was developed to address this growing problem of work zone safety and congestion.

ADAPTIR™ is a portable, automated, real-time, condition-responsive traffic control and congestion management system.  It integrates conventional traffic management components such as Variable Message Signs and Arrow Panels with speed sensors, roadside remote stations, wireless communications technology, and an on-site PC. Adaptir™ operates around-the-clock, in all weather conditions, and has low power requirements for virtually maintenance-free operation. Optionally, ADAPTIR™ can be integrated with Highway Advisory Radio to provide up-to-the-minute diversion/alternate route information.

When deployed in or upstream of a work zone or congested area, the system acquires speed data from multiple locations, analyzes the data to predict delay and identify hazardous conditions, and presents detailed, time-stamped advisory messages to drivers. The message library is customized to include speed, lane use, and alternate route information.   The transportation, economic, and human benefits from improved safety and reduced congestion are substantial, by reducing speed differentials,delays, and congestion ADAPTIR™ enhances highway safety and delivers improved public productivity.

The ADAPTIR™ system has been extensively field-tested in the State of Maryland and represents a mature and reliable technology. It was deployed for the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1998 for a year long project and will be deployed in several other States in 1999.

ADAPTIR™ System Features

• Collection of traffic data with proven traffic sensor technology
• Retrieval of traffic data using wireless communications independent of the public cellular network for guaranteed access
• Central System Controller (CSC) with software to analyze traffic data on-site.
• Menu-driven software for simple and effective system design and operations
• Automated message selection and updating based on current traffic conditions
• Customizable VMS message templates with adjustable message thresholds adaptable to any work zone environment
• Optional HAR message capability
• Supports multiple VMS/HAR manufacturers and upgradeable to be NTCIP compliant
• Remote access and control plus manual override options
• Data and message logs for historical reference
• Portable and self-contained for all environments

• Low power requirements and all-weather housing for minimum maintenance costs

ADAPTIR™ System Benefits

• Accident Reduction

  Conservative estimates of crashes in major work zone operations (over one full construction season) indicate 10+ collisions (all types combined), the most common accident type (40% of work zone crashes) being rear-end collisions resulting from high speed differentials between upstream and downstream traffic.  For every work zone accident there is, on average, one injury, and 1% of work zone crashed involve a fatality

• Congestion Mitigation

  Closing of a lane due to an accident reduces capacity by 50-70%.  Reducing traffic delays that result from construction-related congestion can produce savings with a value four times higher than direct benefits from accident savings

• Savings From Use of ADAPTIR™

  The 1997 dollar value of saving a single major injury was $310,000; a single fatality was $1,260,000.  The benefit-cost ratio for a major construction project will exceed 6:1; and will increase as the system is redeployed on other projects in subsequent construction seasons

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