Abstract:
This proposal addresses the operation of Traffic Management Centers (TMS). Traffic Management Centers play a critical role in the monitoring, management and planning of traffic within urban areas. The goal of the proposed study is to enhance the capabilities of TMCs by providing an advanced and versatile decision support tool that can be used across a broad range of applications. Specifically, the objective is to develop an interactive combined simulation-optimization decision support tool for TMC operations that can be used for both off-line applications as well as in real-time; can assist operators in developing optimal traffic control and management plans for a wide range of incident or emergency situations; can evaluate consequences of operator actions in response to special circumstances; can be used to train operators and management agencies to respond to special circumstances and can be used to plan for eventual emergencies.
The proposed research builds on the unique capabilities and past developments of the research team. It combines the capabilities of researchers from two disciplines: civil engineering and computer science and it includes in its team an untenured faculty member for which the UMass UTC program is committed to provide priority.