THE APPLICATION OF AUTOMATED TV BROADCAST TECHNOLOGY AND INTERACTIVE TELEVISION FOR THE ATLANTA TRAVELER INFORMATION SHOWCASE

The USDOT/FHWA is supporting an initiative to implement a Traveler Information Showcase (TIS) in the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area during the summer of 1996. The showcase will provide the users with real-time and static information on transportation and destination selection. Five Independent Service Providers (ISP) will present the information to the users. This paper discusses two of these services: (1) a standard cable television broadcast in which detailed information on real-time transportation conditions is automatically produced, and (2) an interactive television broadcast in which the viewer can select specific transportation information including driving and transit trip planning. This is the first time that such sevices are being made available to the public. Since a television is the most ubiquitous consumer high-bandwidth information device, a successful demonstration of these information services will lead to these techniques being adopted throughout the country. All the real-time information will come from a server which is combining the data from a variety of sources: surveillance video cameras; loop detectors; and phoned reports from traffic monitors at park and ride lots, highway patrol, traffic and police officers.