Other Tests
   
Ohio/Kentucky DOT/TEC Test
This test was conducted in Fall 1994 over a period of 6 weeks at one test site in Cincinnati, Ohio. TEC Consulting conducted the tests and compared three detectors, each from a different technology, against loops: the EIS radar, a video detector and a passive acoustic detector. The objective of this test was limited to determining the best detection technology for the ARTIMIS freeway traffic management system around Cincinnati.
   
The results were summarised in a questionnaire published by Ohio DOT in 1995. Ohio DOT concluded: The RTMS by EIS was the best.

"Sensors that can be mounted to the side of the road (such as the RTMS) have an advantage over overhead placement, which requires lane closure."

The EIS RTMS was selected as the main detector for the first stage of ARTIMIS. A few video detectors supplemented the system.

In 1998, with the benefit of long-term experience with the two detection systems, the second phase of ARTIMIS design was based exclusively on the RTMS.
   
 
New York City DOT Tests
These three brief tests were conducted by NYCDOT and by the Institute for Transportation Systems at College University, New York in 1994. They were meant to verify the performance-suitability of the RTMS to ATMS projects within New York City.

The tests were conducted in two locations on the Van Wyck Expressway and at an intersection in Brooklyn. Manual observation and counting was performed and analysed.

The test report, which was presented at a Society of Civil Engineers Conference in 1995 by Dr. Mitsuro Saito of CUNY and Raman Patel of NYCDOT, stated:

"Although the results from the three tests are not definitive, it can be concluded that the tested microwave system can collect necessary traffic data with accuracy comparable with the existing loop detectors."
   
 
Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) Tests
A permanent counting station with RTMS and loops, was installed in Toronto on the heavily-travelled Don Valley Parkway during the 1991/1992 winter. All 7 lanes were monitored by loops in the road and by the side-fired RTMS. Hourly lane counts were compared for an entire winter. Figure 1 shows the integrated counts for the entire month of March '92 for the 7th lane. This lane is an off-ramp, which is the most susceptible to occlusion. The results show an almost identical count to loops all through the month and an RTMS/loop count ratio close to 1.0 at all times of the day including peak hours.

These findings were presented by Jackson Wang, E. Ryerson Case and Dan Manor at VNIS '92 in Oslo, Norway.

Figure 1 - Don Valley Parkway Comparative test
 
 
Lincoln Tunnel Test
Another test performed by JFK Associates in 1994 excellent results. A single foeward looking RTMS unit was installed in the Lincoln Tunnel, New York and its volume data compared to loops.
ZONE 1
ZONE 2
Loop Count
177
177
Microwave
180
180
Percent difference w.r.t Loop counts
+1.7%
+1.7%
 
 
       
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