Automation of travel times calculation in the Netherlands

Real-time travel time information gives a better indication of motorway congestion conditions than queue lengths. Travel time information enables drivers to choose a better alternative route. It also provides useful input for traffic control by motorway managers. Rijkswaterstaat (RWS) has carried out research in this field for many years and a number of field trials have taken place. This has resulted in the development of a new system, MoniBas, which uses the available loop data from the RWS traffic monitoring system to calculate travel times for the Dutch motorway network. The system is designed in a modular manner and can be expanded by new, additional, modules. MoniBas is operational since July 2001 and its output is now used by the Dutch national TIC.