Berlin, Germany, Summer, 2006 Real-time traffic information with short term prediction capability is a critical requirement for successful traffic management. This requires real-time data combined with algorithms for estimating the current traffic state and forecast scenarios. A fundamental influence on traffic conditions is the effect of traffic incidents and events. In essence, when the available infrastructure changes, (i.e., road closures, etc.) motorists react to those changes. Estimating the effects of incidents and events is a task that assignment methods of traditional transportation planning are designed to handle. The PTV TrafficPlatform, with its real-time traffic modeling system VISUM Online, combines the dynamic estimation of traffic conditions with the effects of traffic incidents and events. Therefore, it is a tool for incident and event management including the evaluation of their effects and the assessment of various response strategies.
It is important to highlight the value proposition offered by the propagation algorithms used by VISUM Online. These algorithms enable real-time traffic estimation and prediction along roadways that are NOT under surveillance. This ability makes PTV’s technology unique in the market place.
The PTV TrafficPlatform with VISUM Online has been implemented at the Traffic Management Center in Berlin, Germany (see Figure 1) as a real-time traffic estimation and prediction system for incident and special event management. Key tests for the system were the FIFA World Cup events in Berlin which included the World Cup Finals. In addition to actual soccer matches, there were numerous accompanying events around the city center which heavily impacted traffic operations. For example, the major arterial “Straße des 17. Juni” was closed during the entire World Cup to make room for the “Fan Meile,” an outdoor fan activity center hosting large video screens, vendor booths, food and beverage stalls and numerous other fan activities.
The State Government of Berlin had adopted a two-prong strategy to traffic management during the World Cup event. First, it undertook a thorough impact analysis process to develop mitigation strategies for the known street closures. These mitigation strategies included the change of traffic signal control, intersection approach lane allocation and flow metering into the downtown core (see Figure 2). Secondly, it heavily promoted the real-time traffic information services provided by the Traffic Management Center. These services included:
Internet Travel Information Portal. The central web portal contained information about travel options to and from the World Cup events by public transit, car and bicycle. Travel advisories included multi-modal real-time routing for auto, transit and park-and-ride based on anticipated road closures and traffic congestion.
E-Mail Service: Third-party public and commercial media channels were able to subscribe to an e-mail service that provided real-time traffic news including road closures and congestion every half hour.
Hot-Line: Throughout the entire event, the traffic information service was available by phone for questions and advice.
Even though all the mitigation measures illustrated in Figure 2 were planned, not all of them actually had to be implemented. The well publicized and subsequent utilization of comprehensive real-time traffic information by travelers minimized the anticipated traffic chaos.
Figure 1: Traffic Management Center Berlin, Germany
Figure 2: Mitigation Measures for World Cup Street Closures
For more information, visit Berlin’s Traffic Information Portal at
www.vmzberlin.de/vmz. Click on the English link in the upper right corner of the page.
