TITLE:
Paper the Resilience of ITS: Variable Message Signs Contribution to Road Network Resilience under Incident and High Congestion Conditions: A State of the Art Review
AUTHORS:
Hashmatullah Amiri, Hongtao Li
KEYWORDS:
Resilience, Robustness, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), Variable Message Signs (VMS)
JOURNAL NAME:
World Journal of Engineering and Technology,
Vol.10 No.1,
February
14,
2022
ABSTRACT: Any failure or disruption in traffic flow can propagate through the road network. However, the server of such disruption and its consequences depends on the robustness and resiliency of transportation systems. In this context, traffic management (TM) measures will help the traffic stream to prevent the occurrence of such conditions or recover faster after experiencing the disruption. The main objective of this paper was to elaborate the contribution of TM measures to the resiliency of transportation systems, as well as, their vulnerability against external threats. Furthermore, a concept design for variable message signs (VMS) is developed and evaluated in terms of contribution to the resiliency of road networks. As well, new vulnerabilities associated with the implementation of VMS are investigated. The result of this study pointed out that ramp-metering, variable message signs, variable speed limits, and autonomous vehicles are valuable tools to mitigate the severity of traffic disruptions. VMS is one of the most effective approaches that enhance traffic resiliency by reducing traffic inflow to congested areas. However, these measures have opened new vulnerabilities to threats, especially cyber-attacks. Several cases of VMS hacks have occurred in the world and provided false messages to road users. It gets even worse with using an integrated wireless communication interface. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the security of such systems in advance, before practical application.