In Toronto, connected vehicles have potential to reduce travel times by 37 percent, reduce emissions by 30 percent, and improve safety indicators by 45 percent.

Experience modeling connected vehicle applications in Toronto

Date Posted

02/23/2015

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Toronto, Ontario,

Canada

Identifier

2015-B00980

Assessing the Potential Impacts of Connected Vehicle: Mobility, Environmental and Safety Perspectives

Summary Information

This research assessed the potential impacts of implementing connected vehicle (CV) applications in the city of Toronto. Researchers reviewed existing literature on connected vehicles, developed an algorithm to simulate communication among V2V and V2I-enabled vehicles, and used a micro-simulation modelling platform (PARAMICS) to quantify potential impacts on mobility, emissions, and safety. Scenarios with random incidents were generated at varied levels of market penetration to evaluate impacts on mobility in the form of travel time savings from real-time route guidance, improved safety from fewer collisions, and environmental benefits from reduced vehicle emissions.

METHODOLOGY

The model network represented traffic conditions in north Toronto where a variety of alternate routes are available to vehicles subject to lane closures, construction zones, and heavy congestion. Connected vehicles on the network were able to save and broadcast travel times and other information (i.e., incidents) to nearby vehicles or roadside units within range of DSRC communications (1000 meters).

Connected and non-connected vehicles were introduced to the network at varied levels of market penetration (0 to 50 percent) and then incidents were introduced to assess impacts. The model was replicated 10 times using different seed values to account for the stochastic nature of vehicle release into the network and driver characteristics. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess performance at different congestion levels, market penetration levels, and timeliness of route guidance information.

Data collected from PARAMICS was used to estimate impacts on travel times and a Surrogate Safety Assessment Model (SSAM) was used to evaluate safety impacts. When time to collision (TTC) data were below threshold levels, a collision was assumed. Impacts on emissions were estimated using the Comprehensive Modal Emission Model (CMEM) as a plug-in to the PARAMICS platform.

FINDINGS

The results indicate that connected vehicle technology has great potential to reduce emissions, alleviate congestion, and minimize the probability of incidents.

Connectivity between vehicles shows the potential to improve corridor travel times up to 37 percent through providing more informative routing choices to drivers.
As for improving safety indicators, increasing the market penetration of connected vehicles can improve the safety index (probability of incidents) up to 45 percent.
Finally, CMEM modeling indicates that CO2 emission factors can improve up to 30 percent.