Improved Speed Estimation From Single-Loop Detectors With High Truck Flow

Single-loop detectors are the most common sensors employed by freeway traffic management agencies. The data are used for traffic management and traveler information. Single-loop detectors can only measure flow and occupancy. Although speed is often the most useful metric, it can only be estimated at conventional single-loop detectors. Typically this estimate comes from the quotient of flow and occupancy multiplied by the fixed, assumed average effective vehicle length. This conventional approach is limited because the actual average effective vehicle length will vary from sample to sample. Many researchers have proposed alternatives to address this problem, and although many of the methods work well under normal conditions, there has been limited research into methods that yield reliable estimates under heavy truck traffic. Heavy truck flows may arise as a function of location or time of day, for example, with proximity to a trucking facility or in early mornings when the number of passenger vehicles drops, respectively. This article presents a new methodology to estimate speed from single-loop detectors in conditions where trucks comprise a large percentage of the fleet. While the focus is on single loop detectors, the work is equally applicable to side-fire microwave radar detectors that emulate single-loop detectors.