A COMPLETE REVIEW OF INCIDENT DETECTION ALGORITHMS & THEIR DEPLOYMENT: WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN'T

The purpose of this report is to assess the strengths and limitations of available sensor technologies and their corresponding processing algorithms. The performance of an incident detection system is determined on two levels: data collection technologies and data processing algorithms. Variations in sensor-and-algorithm schemes result in a variety of solutions for incident detection. In this report, three categories (roadway-based, probe-based and driver-based) incident detection technologies and their corresponding algorithms are reviewed and evaluated. The capability, accuracy, reliability and cost of available sensor technologies are emphasized. A variety of algorithms associated with these technologies are also investigated in terms of their performance and ease of implementation. Responses to a nationwide online survey of traffic management centers (TMCs) and traffic operations centers (TOCs) across the U.S., provide first-hand information regarding experiences and problems of implementation. The report includes consideration of incident detection on arterial roads and the use of section-related data in incident detection.