Traffic Surveillance System using Heterogeneous Sensor Technologies for National Park Service

Continued population growth and expanded commercial development have already push the daily traffic on National Park Service(NPS) Parkways exceeds design capacity especially around the urban area. The Parkways around urban areas usually serve as commuting routes for commuters and as scenic routes for visitors. Heavy traffic in rush hours, high travel speeds during non-peak periods, and condition of the road surface in bad weather have made the Parkways more vulnerable to traffic accidents. It is important to collect and utilize the traffic data to fulfill the needs of improving safety and mobility of the Parkways. Therefore, we propose to develop a visually unobtrusive and self-powered traffic monitoring system, NPS Traffic Monitor HD, for vehicle detection and tracking with heterogeneous detection technologies for the NPS Parkways, while ensuring the long-term preservation of the Parkways' scenic values, recreational opportunities, and rich natural and cultural resources. The proposed system will be able to utilize data collected from inductive loop signature detectors and from at least one alternative detection technology to generate traffic performance measures. We will demonstrate the proof of concept of the proposed system and also identify its potential applications using the George Washington Memorial Parkway (GWMP) facility.