Evaluation of the Transferability of Incident Detection Algorithms Developed for Singapore Expressways

ABSTRACT

Two new detection algorithms, single-station DV (dual-variable) and dual-station CODE (COmbined Detector Evaluation) were developed earlier using 160 incidents collected along Singapore's Central Expressway (CTE). The transferability of these CTE-developed algorithms is assessed, as a case study, using 100 incidents collected from the Tullamarine Freeway and South Eastern Freeway in Melbourne, Australia. The investigation covers the differences in traffic detector systems (loop detectors versus video-based), road geometry and behaviour between drivers in Singapore and Australia. The re-calibrated application of these algorithms to freeways in Melbourne yielded a reasonably good detection performance as well as satisfying the average expected performances of seven traffic management centres surveyed in the USA. The results suggested that the detection logic of the algorithms developed for CTE possessed reasonably good transferability and are also suitable for receiving traffic inputs from video-based detectors as well as from loop detectors.     

Passenger route guidance system for multi‐modal transit networks

In many public transport oriented cities in the world, especially Asian cities, the public transport system has been developed extensively, to the extent that it has become increasingly difficult to navigate. Although inter‐modal transfers are common and often necessary, a complete set of the routes across transport modes is generally not presented in a form that is accessible to travelers, as each operator would only publish its own routes. Moreover, the common nonlinear fare tables together with inter‐modal fare discounts pose challenges to travelers in deciding their best routes. This study develops a multi‐modal passenger route guidance system, called eFinder, to aid travelers with their combined mode‐route choices. We discuss the architecture and features of this system in this study. This system forms a platform for disseminating public transit information and should complement further development and use of the public transport network by enabling travelers to make informed choices.     

Airport taxi service regulation: An analysis of an exclusive contract

Taxi service at a number of major airports is supplied by one taxi company under an exclusive contract with the airport operating authority. Conventional wisdom suggests that airport taxi service produced under exclusive contract is socially inefficient. This was found to be true at the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport. In this paper we analyze the exclusive airport taxi service at Honolulu International Airport as a case study. At Honolulu International Airport, the terms of the exclusive airport taxi service contract are far less restrictive than those at Dallas/Fort Worth. Our analysis indicates that exclusive airport service can provide high quality service, reasonable prices and revenues to finance airport service. We conclude that is not the exclusivity, but rather the terms of the contract and the circumstances specific to each market that determines which system is best for a particular place.     

Port development within the framework of Malaysia's transport policy: some considerations

There is disjunction between the national port policy and the national transport policy in Malaysia, as the latter, for much of its time, focused on national integration rather than trade facilitation. During Malaysia's concentration on national integration, it relied on Singapore as its main port. This allowed Singapore to develop as a centre of transport for Malaysian trade. To break Singapore's stranglehold on its cargo and to make Port Klang a regional hub port, Malaysia must reconcile its national transport and port policies, with the main aim of facilitating trade. In view of the strong presence of transnational corporations in its trade and the fact that world trade today is based on reciprocity, Malaysia may have to consider a more laissez faire approach with regard to port development.     

Port development within the framework of Malaysia's transport policy: some considerations

There is disjunction between the national port policy and the national transport policy in Malaysia, as the latter, for much of its time, focused on national integration rather than trade facilitation. During Malaysia's concentration on national integration, it relied on Singapore as its main port. This allowed Singapore to develop as a centre of transport for Malaysian trade. To break Singapore's stranglehold on its cargo and to make Port Klang a regional hub port, Malaysia must reconcile its national transport and port policies, with the main aim of facilitating trade. In view of the strong presence of transnational corporations in its trade and the fact that world trade today is based on reciprocity, Malaysia may have to consider a more laissez faire approach with regard to port development.     

Algorithm fusion method to enhance automatic incident detection on Melbourne freeways

This paper addresses the transferability issue faced by many practitioners in developing an effective and efficient automatic incident detection algorithm for different freeways. An algorithm fusion procedure developed for the Central Expressway in Singapore is evaluated to demonstrate its transferability potential in detecting lane-blocking incidents along freeways in Melbourne, Australia. This study observes that the flow-based algorithm fusion options that use a set of different detection threshold values for various pre-incident traffic flow conditions possess promising transferability potential. They give a reasonably high detection rate of above 80% with false alarm rate levels below 0.2% with mean-time-to-detect values less than 150 seconds. These flow-based algorithm fusion options significantly outperform a model specifically developed for traffic conditions on freeways in Melbourne. In conclusion, this method is capable of providing an alternative to the commonly practiced methods in detecting incidents along different sites.