Travel Time Estimation Techniques for Traffic Information Systems Based on Intervehicle Communications

As traffic congestion continues to grow on our roadway systems, trip travel times are becoming less consistent and less predictable. To help travelers plan trips better, traffic information systems are becoming increasingly valuable. These traffic information systems can be used off board (e.g., on the Internet before trip departure) or on board; several navigation systems exist that can provide real-time traffic information. Most traffic information systems are based on a centralized architecture focused on a traffic management center (TMC) that collects, processes, and disseminates traffic data. As an alternative approach, there has been recent interest in decentralized traffic information systems, that is, those that are based on intervehicle communications (IVC). As IVC-equipped vehicles travel the roadways, they can share information on network traffic conditions, and regional traffic information can soon be established. Decentralized systems avoid potential single-point failures that a TMC-based sys...