PROVISION OF TRAFFIC INFORMATION UTILIZING THE RED TIME OF EACH TRAFFIC SIGNAL

The road traffic environment in Kyoto City is such that the city has become overcrowded with motor vehicles centered around its arterial roads and has been frequented by traffic jams and other traffic obstructions. To properly cope with such severe traffic situations and establish the traffic environment that allows the road users on wheels to travel safety and easily, the Kyoto Prefectural Headquarters has been initiating projects for completion of various traffic control and management functions. The positioning of these projects as important is based on diversion of traffic flow through the provision of traffic information according to each scene of traffic, while taking into account the drivers' need for traffic information. As part of these projects a new system called the New Multipurpose Traffic Information Provision System was developed and designed for traffic dispersion and guidance and has beeen operating the system since April 1994. This system uses a number of small-sized changeable message signs installed at signalized intersections on streets and around tourist spots. The system considers the given cityscape to display information in Character scroll mode only during the red interval, so that drivers stopping at intersections may select a route on their own initiative or may change their plan of traveling. This paper discusses the new system with primary emphasis on the conceptualization and design aspects.