Evaluation of Usability of IntelliDrive Probe Vehicle Data for Transportation Systems Performance Analysis

Abstract

This paper assesses various issues associated with the use of IntelliDrive probe vehicle data generated according to existing protocols. These evaluations are conducted using a virtual IntelliDrive probe vehicle data generator implemented within the Paramics microscopic traffic simulation model. Issues investigated included the ability to monitor queue conditions, the potential for data-sampling bias, effects of privacy rules on collected data, the ability to track vehicles over short distances, the magnitude of data latency induced by the protocols, and the ability to use probe vehicle data to estimate link travel times. The evaluations indicate various improvement needs: (1) generating snapshots at fixed intervals rather than at speed-based intervals, (2) promoting the use of short snapshot intervals, (3) allowing vehicles to include the snapshots they generate while stopped, (4) enabling vehicles to generate link exit snapshots, (5) allowing vehicles to keep uploading new snapshots generated while within range of a roadside communication unit, and (6) revising privacy protocols to ensure that adequate short vehicle tracks can be obtained. The impacts of current privacy rules on the ability to track vehicles over short distances are also outlined.