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Access Type
Open Access
Document Type
thesis
Degree Program
Civil Engineering
Degree Type
Master of Science in Civil Engineering (M.S.C.E.)
Year Degree Awarded
2012
Month Degree Awarded
May
Keywords
Traveler Information, Traveler Behavior, Switching, Logit Model, Revealed Preferences
Abstract
This study used focus groups and surveys to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the Regional Traveler Information Center (RTIC) at UMass Amherst. The evaluation was completed by obtaining the awareness, usage, and perceived effectiveness of RTIC’s information by residents in the Pioneer Valley. It was found that awareness of RTIC is limited due to its lack of advertisement. Usage is focused primarily on its webcams and advisory information. Surveys showed that participants perceive RTIC to be useful, even though they may never have seen the information before (the survey provided a chance for them to become familiar with the service). Revealed preference data were collected regarding the travelers' most memorable instances where real-time traffic information was provided. A binary logit model of a traveler's switch decision (route, departure time, mode, destination, trip cancellation, or combinations of them) with real-time traffic information was specified and estimated. It was found that travelers have an increasing tendency to switch away from the original option when the resulting delay caused by congestion increases. Receiving congestion and crash information also provided a tendency to take an alternative travel method. It was found that males tend to switch more often than females, and young individuals switch less often.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7275/2930244
First Advisor
Song Gao
Second Advisor
John Collura
Popup Survey for MassTraveler
MassTravelerInitialResultsForMassDOT.pdf (455 kB)
Initial Results from Popup Survey (Hurricane)
FullScaleSurvey.pdf (131 kB)
Full Scale Survey
IntermediateModel.py (12 kB)
Intermediate Model File (Open with Notepad)
FinalModel.py (12 kB)
Final Model File (Open with Notepad)
IntermediateOutput.pdf (222 kB)
Intermediate Model Output
FinalOutput.pdf (221 kB)
Final Model Output