Future of freeway corridor traffic management

Even before energy became a major National concern, social and economic constraints on new highway construction had led to increased emphasis on more efficient use of existing facilities, particularly freeways. This paper describes the problems which freeway travelers can encounter, reviews the recent history in techniques and systems to enhance freeway traffic flow and concludes with a discussion of a major project, known as the Integrated Motorist Information System (IMIS), which is intended to be a demonstration of coordinated management of traffic in a freeway corridor. Proposed features of this system, to be implemented on the Northern Long Island (New York) Corridor, include traffic surveillance, motorist aid, and communication of data to a control center which would coordinate appropriate responses such as: display of warning and traffic diversion messages by means of roadside variable-message signs and roadside radio, metering of freeway entrance ramps, arterial traffic signal control, and coordination of appropriate emergency services. In addition, pre-trip information, routing advice at major traffic generators, and preplanned incident management provisions are envisioned as parts of the system.