Abstract
Advanced traveler information systems (ATIS) are important to provide travelers with accurate, up-to-date travel information. With the advent of new ATIS technologies, such as smartphone applications, roadway agencies need to understand how travelers use existing ATIS technologies, such as the legacy Highway Advisory Radio (HAR). The University of Central Florida implemented three traveler surveys and one truck driver survey to obtain the opinions of Florida roadway users regarding HAR, the Citizens’ Band Radio Advisory System (CBRAS), and other traffic information sources. Travelers typically preferred dynamic message signs (32%), smartphone applications (23%), and vehicle navigation devices (21%) for general traffic information. Some 57% of travelers were aware of HAR, and 42% of these travelers had used HAR, with 84% of users expressing satisfaction with HAR. Additionally, 87% of travelers said that they would use HAR during emergencies, such as hurricanes. A tree model targeting user satisfaction was developed; the model showed that HAR users who thought HAR should be continued, or who would use HAR in emergencies, as well as more frequent HAR users, were more likely to be satisfied. Only 12% of surveyed truck drivers had ever used CBRAS, but these users tended to utilize CBRAS frequently, and 92% indicated satisfaction with CBRAS. Truck drivers preferred vehicle navigation devices (28%) and smartphone applications (22%) to receive traffic information. Even though these surveys indicate that new technologies are more popular than HAR and CBRAS, these older systems satisfy users and should be kept for redundancy; cellular communications may fail during emergencies.
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