A Traffic Data Visualisation Tool

MTV
Motorway Traffic Viewer

MTV (Motorway Traffic Viewer, now version 2.1) is a specialist graphical tool with advanced features to analyse and visualise motorway traffic and signal data.

The software has been developed to meet current challenges of increasing traffic demand and the need to ‘keep traffic moving’ by examining motorway traffic under different conditions. It is aimed at traffic engineers, traffic officers, data supervisors and transport advisors working in the field of motorway traffic management and monitoring.

MTV uses motorway traffic and signal data obtained from MIDAS (Motorway Incident Detection and Automatic Signalling) loops. MIDAS detector loops are placed in every lane of a motorway spaced ideally every 500m. The loop data are assembled into files which records count, speed, traffic density and vehicle length, averaged for each minute of the day. MTV then takes this data, including signal settings and motorway geometry, processes the information in a specified form and produces detailed graphical outputs of the behaviour of traffic or operational performance of the controlled motorway systems.

TRL has worked closely with the Highways Agency to ensure compatibility with technical standards. MTV can be configured for any MIDAS instrumented motorway by creating MTV specific databases from the Highways Agency Data.mdb files.

Updates to MTV 2

MTV 2.1, the latest software version of TRL’s Motorway Traffic Viewer has been updated. As the Highway Agency progresses the national roll out of MIDAS on the UK motorway network, a new format has been produced for the traffic counting data (TCD) file, called MIDAS 7. As well as previous features, new features include:

• Acceptance of MIDAS7 TCD files
  MTV can now accept MIDAS7 TCD files. MIDAS7 TCD files hold additional site information, like the geographical address of each loop. Previously this information had to be "looked-up" in an MTV static database. If a MIDAS7 TCD file is supplied, MTV can now plot the corresponding traffic data without a corresponding site database. The Binary Converter has also been updated to cater for the new MIDAS7 TCD format.
• Acceptance of MIDAS signal databases with additional fields
  MTV can now accept signal setting databases with the two extra fields named STATUS and PROPOSED SETTING. Back compatibility is also ensured and so either format of signal database can be supplied.
• Non-standard motorway and loop names
  Motorways named like Ax(M) can now be plotted by MTV. Furthermore, loop names with a numerical digit at the end (particularly prevalent on the ATM section of the M42) are plotted correctly by MTV.
• Runtime improved
  The run-time of MTV has been improved, particularly if only a handful of loops are being plotted.
• Run Binary Converter from MTV
  The Binary Converter can now be run directly from MTV.
• Single User Access Level
  There is now only one user access level for MTV and Binary Converter.
  

MTV 2 offers unique technological capabilities including:

• Binary conversion of Highways Agency Traffic Count Data in text/ASCII or formatted Excel file
• Network Editor facility to support the analysis of other MIDAS instrumented motorway data
• Daily Plot – for showing detailed traffic and signal data at appropriate locations as a way of investigating the interplay between traffic and variable speeds or flows
• The Accident Plot – for an overview of an incident or accident and its effects on both carriageways
• The Lane Distribution Plot – for traffic counts by lane at each loop site on links and through junctions in user defined intervals
• The Junction Plot – for an overview of flows (histogram) and speeds (by colour) by a user defined time period on a motorway
• The Hard Shoulder Running Plot – giving an indication when traffic flows are sufficient to benefit from the opening of an additional lane
• User friendly and intuitive graphical user interface
  

MTV offers innovative solutions in meeting customer needs

• Use of MTV for incident management investigation e.g. prediction of traffic flow breakdown and tracking of shockwaves in time and space
• Use of MTV for journey times analysis and identification of congestion ‘hotspots’
• Use of MTV to check operation of controlling motorway systems and hardware for optimal performance
• Use of MTV to evaluate Controlled Motorway (CM) system operation and performance
• Use of MTV to examine traffic behaviour e.g. understanding lane changing behaviour
• Use of MTV to tackle congestion problems by identifying and evaluating congestion 'hotspots'
  

MTV Case Studies

MTV was used on the M25 Controlled Motorway Scheme to visualise and interpret traffic conditions and signals. The tool proved invaluable in the understanding of motorway traffic behaviour and evaluating the performance of variable speed limits on the M25 Controlled Motorway. MTV was also used to ‘fine tune’ system parameters for optimal performance.

MTV has also been used in a number of projects to assess the quality of MIDAS traffic data from many MIDAS schemes on the UK network. Some of these projects include:

• Monitoring the journeys of ‘abnormal load’ vehicles
• Commissioning of new MIDAS motorway sections and accident investigations
• Identifying, evaluating and understanding congestion
• Assisting the MIDAS taskforce
• South-east operations division – HA
• Assisting SSR Bristol Innovative ITS controlled measures
• Assisting SSR Bristol on ATM scheme