Los Angeles Smart Traveler Field Operational Test Evaluation

Problem

The Los Angeles Smart Traveler Field Operational Test (FOT) is one of the largest and most comprehensive ATIS (Advanced Traveler Information Service) experiments to date. The system is multi-modal and offers traffic, transit, and ride-matching information. The FOT tested the delivery of ATIS services through multi-media kiosks, touch tone phones, and PC modem links.

Traveler information systems are currently being promoted for their potential to support policy efforts aimed at influencing travel behavior. Seeking alternative routes of travel to avoid congestion, changing times of travel, changing travel modes to transit, and ridesharing are all possible means of beneficially influencing both traffic congestion and air quality. The evaluation considered the following:

• Financial impacts
• Functional characteristics
• User acceptance
• Other impacts

Findings

The kiosks provided a new medium for obtaining pre-trip traveler information. They were found to be reasonably user-friendly and made information on all three of the major travel modes accessible in a wide variety of locations. Survey results indicated a high degree of user satisfaction, yet the overall usage rate was low (an average of 25 transactions per day), relative to the cost of providing the kiosk service. Low usage combined with high capital and operating costs yielded a total cost per use of approximately $2.00 (over a five-year lifetime of the kiosk).

Kiosks placed in office locations had the lowest usage while kiosks placed in Union Station in downtown Los Angeles and kiosks placed in shopping malls had the highest usage. This finding suggests that the kiosks may be used more for non-work related trip information when users have more time, such as for shopping trips or by tourists.

The telephone system called ARMS (Automated Ridematching Services) was found to have very little use (34 persons per week). From a small telephone survey of ARMS users it was concluded that most users used the service to seek regular ridesharing opportunities and not the featured one-time ride service. The survey also suggested that low usage can be attributed to a hesitancy among travelers to take or offer rides to people who are unknown. Most users rely on friends or family members for one-time ridesharing. The researchers concluded that there is not enough interest in ARMS to justify its cost of operation.

The modem service was found to have significant usage (approximately 400 uses per day). This component of the ATIS system did not have the multi-modal component at the time of evaluation and instead only reported Caltrans congestion information. Usage was found to be higher in the mornings and evenings, consistent with commuter trip planning.

Overall conclusions about the project were as follows:

• The management burden associated with this demonstration was a significant. The scope of future demonstrations ought to be no larger than is necessary to adequately test a product or concept.
• Data requirements and management should be established early in the project. Automated data systems generate huge amounts of data. It is essential that summary data requirements be established in the project planning phase.
• Structure and timing of the evaluation should allow for the analysis of the travel impacts of the technology being evaluated. Short term demonstrations do not allow for evaluation of whether the ATIS initiatives are having their desired impact on traveler behavior.