Applications of Trajectory Data from the Perspective of a Road Transportation Agency: Literature Review and Maryland Case Study

TL;DR

This paper reviews how transportation agencies can leverage trajectory data for various analyses and demonstrates its potential through a Maryland GPS trace case study, aiding decision-making and planning.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive literature review of trajectory data applications in transportation and presents a case study analyzing 20 million GPS traces from Maryland.

Findings

Trajectory data enhances demand estimation and traffic prediction.

GPS traces reveal new insights into transportation system behavior.

Case study demonstrates practical applications and benefits.

Abstract

Transportation agencies have an opportunity to leverage increasingly-available trajectory datasets to improve their analyses and decision-making processes. However, this data is typically purchased from vendors, which means agencies must understand its potential benefits beforehand in order to properly assess its value relative to the cost of acquisition. While the literature concerned with trajectory data is rich, it is naturally fragmented and focused on technical contributions in niche areas, which makes it difficult for government agencies to assess its value across different transportation domains. To overcome this issue, the current paper explores trajectory data from the perspective of a road transportation agency interested in acquiring trajectories to enhance its analyses. The paper provides a literature review illustrating applications of trajectory data in six areas of road transportation systems analysis: demand estimation, modeling human behavior, designing public transit, traffic performance measurement and prediction, environment and safety. In addition, it visually explores 20 million GPS traces in Maryland, illustrating existing and suggesting new applications of trajectory data.