Real-time decision support system for the Mitchell Smart Freeway

The Mitchell Smart Freeway (Southbound): Live decision support project has been completed. The project looked to enable Main Roads Western Australia (MRWA) to exhaustively test response plans for both typical and atypical network events, such as accidents, congestion, adverse weather conditions, and unexpected incidents.

Partnering with MRWA on this work was Aimsun.

Context

MRWA has delivered the Smart Freeway Mitchell Southbound project. Ramp metering signals were installed on all 16 southbound on-ramps between Hester Avenue and Vincent Street, and 23 above-lane gantries with electronic signs were installed on the Mitchell Freeway, allowing MRWA to provide motorists with information on upcoming road conditions.

To leverage the investment in smart sensors as ramp metering as part of the Mitchell Smart Freeway project, and maximise existing infrastructure and research investment, MRWA has partnered with iMOVE to establish a decision support system for the Mitchell Smart Freeway.

Objectives

The project objectives were:

• Simulation tool development: The core focus lies in developing a cutting-edge simulation tool that mimics the complex dynamics of freeway traffic and its interaction with Smart Freeway ITS.
• Response plan testing: Mitchell Live enables exhaustive testing of response plans for both typical and atypical network events, such as accidents, congestion, adverse weather conditions, and unexpected incidents.
• Increased situational awareness and response capabilities: Virtual simulation provides control room operators with superior situational awareness, resulting in better decision making, proactive incident prevention, and improved overall road management.

Solution

Working collaboratively, Aimsun and MRWA have developed Mitchell Live – a proof-of-concept, real-time decision support tool in Aimsun Live. Mitchell Live fits right into any traffic control centre, continuously processing live field data and simulating vehicle movement inside road networks, with full temporal coverage (24x7x365).

Mitchell Live also replicates the sophisticated STREAMS algorithm through the Aimsun-HERO API, a highly innovative R&D initiative.

Combining live data feeds and high-speed simulation, Mitchell Live mirrors the Smart Freeway’s advanced Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), allowing the operators to anticipate the network operations with unparalleled accuracy, forecasting up to an hour into the future.

Results

Mitchell Live was successfully developed and is currently deployed. It is a:

• Proof-of-concept for faster than real-time managed motorway operations, providing an overview of the current state of the network as well as the predicted state up to one hour into the future, with full temporal coverage (24x7x365)
• Aimsun Live operational testbed with ITS and ramp metering facilities

Use cases

In addition to its real-time capabilities, Mitchell Live also allows for:

• A virtual environment to test and optimise response plans for typical and atypical network events along the Mitchell Freeway corridor. Operators can gauge the impact of different scenarios and uncover potential bottlenecks.
• Operators to quantify the effectiveness of different response plans by observing changes in traffic patterns resulting from different variable message sign (VMS) messaging.
• Mitchell Live is also a tool for operator training, allowing operators to gain situational awareness and insight into network performance.

Expected project impacts

With Mitchell Live, we can observe the current and predicted state of the road network to gain valuable insight into network performance and potential bottlenecks. We can evaluate response plans to real and test incidents, allowing Main Roads operators to build a library of effective response plans for typical and atypical network events along the Mitchell Freeway. Mitchell Live is a valuable real-time decision support tool aiding daily traffic operations.

Elliott Panos, Smart Freeway Operations Readiness Manager, Main Roads Western Australia