Approach to Optimization of Winter Road Management Operation by Taxi Probe Data

Traffic smoothness must be ensured through winter road management. The average travel speed is a key of indicator that represents traffic smoothness. In this study, we used taxi probe data to obtain average travel speeds in the Sapporo urban area, Japan for a long period of time, and analyzed the relationship between the average travel speed and various winter weather and road surface conditions. Also, the authors calculated the monetary value of the increase in average travel speed afforded by snow and ice control operations. The authors had been acquiring taxi probe data 6 months from October 1st, 2010 to March 31st, 2011, with the cooperation of a taxi company. Differences in average travel speed between the winter season and the non-winter season have been found to vary depending on weather and road surface conditions. The authors survey has found that snow and ice control operations increase the average travel speed of road users. Improved average travel speed increases the benefits for road users. The cost-benefit analysis of snow and ice control operations for national highways in Sapporo found that the estimated benefits of winter road management operations far exceeded the cost of such work operations. This paper proposes an approach to a balance and optimization of winter road management and winter service using the taxi probe data.