WINDSOR-SARNIA
BORDER ADVISORY SYSTEM
Presented by
Roger Browne, M.A.Sc., P. Eng.
ITS Program Section
Ministry of Transportation, Ontario
October 27th, 2010
Second Plenary
OUTLINE
Background - Project Scope
 Key Issues and Challenges
 Project Status and Next Steps
 Questions

Transportation Border Working Group : Oct, 2010
BORDER ADVISORY SYSTEM
BACKGROUND-PROJECT SCOPE
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BACKGROUND

Under the Intelligent Border Crossing study, a
vision was established that identified three key
areas of focus:
 Traffic
Management and Operations
 Advanced Traveler Information
 Public/Private Sector Needs
VISION – THREE KEY ASPECTS [1]

Traffic Management and Operations
 Providing
real-time information en route
 ITS to facilitate improved safety and efficiency at the
border approaches
 ITS to aid motorists and commercial vehicles in
decision-making
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VISION – THREE KEY ASPECTS [2]

Advance Traveler Information (ATI)
 Providing
information to motorists and commercial
vehicle operators via the Internet
 Combination of border wait-time plus traffic
conditions along the route
 Intended for pre-trip planning purposes
 Provides real-time, historic log and prediction of
traffic conditions and border wait-times
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VISION – THREE KEY ASPECTS [3]

Additional Public/Private Sector Needs
Similar to ATI however, customized, value-added
information
 Real-time and historic information of significant value to:




Border crossing authorities CBP and CBSA
Commercial Vehicle Operators (CVO)
Border Crossing Operators – Windsor-Detroit Tunnel, Blue Water Bridge,
Ambassador Bridge, etc.
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PROJECT SCOPE – BORDER ADVISORY SYSTEM

Traffic Management and Operations
 System
to provide border wait-time information for
motorists and commercial vehicles en route
Current Border Delay
Ambassador
Bridge
Detroit Windsor
Tunnel
10 MIN
8 MIN
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OTHER BORDER ADVISORY SYSTEM WARRANTS
Border Advisory System is a key piece to meeting
other requirements
 Advanced Traveller Information

Information generated by system can be published on
the web for pre-trip planning purposes
 Balance border traffic demands on provincial level


Public/Private Sector Needs
Border delay combined with traffic delays to estimate
travel times along selected routes
 Information generated to be provided directly to CBP or
CVOs

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Transportation Border Working Group : Oct, 2010
KEY ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
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ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
Project presents many challenges both
logistical and technical
 Logistical

 What
information and where?
 Support from border crossing operators

Technical
 Algorithm
to determine border wait-time
 Technology to collect data
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WHAT INFORMATION AND WHERE?
Concerns regarding the value in providing detailed
information so far upstream
 Addressed via:

Project team asks the question, “If I were a motorist or
a commercial vehicle traversing this route, what
information am I really looking for and where?”
 Resolution of information to become more detailed the
closer you get
 Maybe need to supplement with real-time information
regarding travel times to get to Windsor or Sarnia

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BORDER DELAY INFORMATION (WHERE)
(CONCEPTUAL MOCK-UP OF LOCATIONS BASED ON REST STATIONS)
BORDER ADVISORY SIGN (WHAT INFO)
CURRENT BORDER WAIT-TIMES (mins)
CARS
Windsor-Detroit Tunnel 5-10
0-5
Ambassador Bridge 5-10
0-5
TRUCKS
15-20
Detroit-River
5-10
Int’l Crossing
0-5
15-20
TRUCKS
0-5
0-5
BORDER CROSSING OPERATORS
Concern that the information provided may
inadvertently cause a loss in revenue
 Addressed via:

 Generally
motorists don’t divert from their set plan;
commercial vehicles generally cannot divert from
programmed crossing
 Independent, unbiased historic information can be
used for business forecasting
 Becoming active stakeholder could result in new
potential revenue stream
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ALGORITHM DEVELOPMENT
Mathematical models or algorithms are required
to take traffic data and calculate or predict
border wait-times
 Freeway vs Arterial Approach

 Freeway
to Inspection Lanes – Straight forward
 Arterials to Inspection Lanes – Far more complex
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ALGORITHM PRINCIPLE
QUEUE
LENGTH
SERVICE
RATE
BORDER
WAIT-TIME
Service Rate = 5 veh/min; Queue Length = 10 vehicles;
Therefore, Border-Wait-Time = 2 mins
FREEWAY APPROACHES TO BORDER CROSSING



Traffic queues from primary inspection lanes directly
onto freeway
Freeway spillback is the only queue/wait-time that
needs to be measured
No other constraints on freeway
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ARTERIAL APPROACHES TO BORDER CROSSING



Traffic queues from primary inspection lanes onto one
or more municipal streets
Queuing also independently caused by high traffic
volumes at signalized intersections
Driveways and other side-friction can also impose
further queuing and delays
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TECHNOLOGY TO COLLECT DATA

Technology must be non-intrusive
 Not
possible to get inductive loops on bridges or
tunnels given potential traffic impacts during
installation and maintenance

Technology must cater to sensitivities
 Video-based
systems may not be permitted due to
current or future re-hashed security concerns
 Probe-based information must be anonymous
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Transportation Border Working Group : Oct, 2010
PROJECT STATUS AND RECENT FINDINGS
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PROJECT STATUS
Official kick-off meeting held in September
 Project Information Briefing Sessions held with
Blue Water Bridge and Windsor-Detroit Tunnel
border crossing operators
 Significant progress made with respect to
laying out the approach and tackling the issues

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BORDER WAIT-TIME MEASUREMENT APPROACH
Determine what information
required and location
Determine data needs to generate
this information
Develop mathematical algorithm to
generate this information from data
collected
Select and test technologies
capable of providing the data
required
Compare border wait-time
calculated against ground truth
Modify or calibrate algorithm based
on findings
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TRAFFIC ENGINEERING PERSPECTIVE

Considering whether or not there is an overload
of information to be provided

Consideration being given to whether or not
there is a need to have additional information
in the City of Windsor itself
Possible Scenario
INFORMATION FOR MOTORISTS
Ambassador
Bridge
Border
Wait-Times
Windsor-Detroit
Tunnel
Border
Wait-Times
Travel Time to US
via Ouellette
Travel Time to
US via Hwy 3
Border Delay +
Travel Times
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GROUND TRUTH INFORMATION
Original Delcan proposal calls for calibration
runs to confirm operation of algorithm
 Now considering Bluetooth readers to establish
database of ‘ground truth’ information for
comparison and calibration of algorithm

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DATA COLLECTION TECHNOLOGY
Concerns over microwave given inaccuracy of
readings at lower speeds
 Consideration being narrowed down to:

Microloops installed under bridge structures where it is
easy to install and maintain without affecting traffic
 Bluetooth Readers with some form of prediction model
based on mapping current conditions with historic data
 Smart phone GPS tracking application whereby an APP
is developed and motorists volunteer their information
in exchange for detailed traffic information on a whole

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NEXT STEPS

Sarnia Approach
Currently negotiating arrangement with Blue Water
Bridge to have additional micro-loop detection added to
their ongoing contract
 With detection installed, algorithm developed for
freeway-to-inspection lane can now be tested and
calibrated


Windsor Approach
Currently working on concept of operations and strategy
for messaging
 Developing detailed plan to gain support from WindsorDetroit tunnel operator

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QUESTIONS
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FOR MORE INFORMATION
Roger Browne, M.A.Sc., P. Eng.
Senior Project Engineer
ITS Program Section
Ministry of Transportation, Ontario
Roger.Browne@ontario.ca
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