Project Summary
Problem Statement: Recently UC Irvine developed and implemented a new methodology to collect high resolution truck activity data traveling on the California freeway system that will be implemented at over 90 strategic truck corridors in California under the sponsorship of California Air Resources Board (ARB) and California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). The developed model uses the existing traffic detector infrastructure and can accurately predict up to 63 body classes. However, most of the current implemented sites monitored only the slow truck-traveled lanes, even though many two-axle medium and light duty trucks are allowed to travel on inner lanes. Hence, not all light and medium duty truck activity is being captured at these locations.
Proposal: Work underway on the project includes performing an inventory of the lane coverage at implemented sites, identifying optimal locations for proving full advanced detector coverage across all lanes, installing and configuring detectors at selected sites, and investigating the model and system enhancements.
At the conclusion of the project, detailed vehicle classification data across all lanes will be available at strategic highway corridors in California. These new data will be used to improve inventory development and air quality modeling, which are the basis for critical planning efforts such as the State Implementation Plan (Federal Clean Air Act), Scoping Plan (AB-32), Sustainable Freight Action Plan (Executive Order B-32-15), and California Transportation Plan (SB-391). This will also help us better understand how and where trucks travel in California. Furthermore, the data will help us track progress on performance of Sustainable Communities Strategies under SB 375, and can be used by MPOs for transportation demand model calibration and validation.
Expected Impact and Benefits: The purpose of this project is to enhance and expand the current data collection capability by improving the existing models and expanding coverage of this advanced classification system across all lanes at key cordons. This study will identify strategic locations where cards could be installed to collect the truck body classification data that is beneficial for ARB, Caltrans, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), and other state agencies. This research involves the following tasks: (1) identifying potential locations for installing the cards; (2) deploying the cards and other required accessories; (3) and system enhancement.
