Intelligent transportation application for smarter and greener commute

• Main Author: Kakkar, Geetansh
• Language: English
• Published: University of British Columbia 2013
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/44170

It is well known that an information-rich environment needs to be developed where travelers and transit users have all the comprehensive and accurate information on travel options. The need is to capture, synthesize and deliver real time and up-to-date information, that is not only vehicle or infrastructure based but also environmentally relevant, that also supports building a transportation system that promotes environmental improvements. This work, Intelligent Transportation Application for Smarter and Greener Commute, gives all the useful and relevant pieces of information that the commuters seek, before starting their commute [travel time, cost, route comfort, trip's green level (emissions caused), current traffic situation], displayed in a comparative manner for all travel modes. Observed incidents can be reported and also searched, by commuters. Additionally, the work provides green performance rating to the user and the best mode suggestion for the journey entered by user, based on the relative importance of various journey characteristics, to the user. A sample of volunteer candidates were asked to use this in order to evaluate the work and a significant shift was seen in their travel mode choice from private to public transport. The idea to promote green transportation is also successfully executed through this work and the observations bolster this argument. With environmental concerns growing, the transportation system that a country needs should be one that improves the scene without affecting environment, something well implemented with this work. The impact of this work on future policy is that the information provided could also be used by the transportation agencies to see which areas are affected by incidents and restore normalcy at the earliest. Concisely speaking, smarter travel is guaranteed. === Science, Faculty of === Physics and Astronomy, Department of === Graduate