ITS model Experiment in Toyota City

The motor vehicle ownership per household in Toyota, one of the major auto industry cities, is high with 1.97. There is severe congestion during rush hours in the morning and evening. In response, a survey to grasp the needs of citizens and to set three themes to cope with the problem was carried out, followed by the ITS Model Experiment. Surveys and tests of this kind will continue to promote the practical use of ITS.

EV cooperative use test

Toyota City conducted the EV Cooperative Use Test using electric vehicles and other types of low-pollution vehicles, in view of continuing provision of safe and secure public transport; introduction of new transportation systems which can contribute to vitalizing urban activities; improvement of urban traffic environment; and smoothening of traffic in urban areas. The test consists of three types of social experiments: Car-pool Test, in which city government employees share cars for daily commuting on weekdays; Cooperative Vehicle Use Test, in which several organizations located in the central area of the city share vehicles for business activities on weekdays; and Short-distance Transportation Test, in which people use vehicles only up to the nearest railway station from home and from a railway station to the destination on weekends.
In the test, the Internet was used as a means for soliciting service subscribers, and the Vehicle Control System, which tracks the locations of vehicles, provides drivers with road information, and controls actions for emergencies using mobile phones, was introduced.

[ Results of the test ]

The four-day Car-pool Test gathered 304 participants, and the number of vehicles for commuting was reduced by 206, with a benefit of JPY 110,000 per day (benefit by reduction in commuting time: JPY 10,000, benefit by reduction in driving cost: JPY 70,000, and benefit by reduction in exhaust gas: JPY 30,000). The 20-day Cooperative Vehicle Use Test attracted 433 participants, and the utilization ratio of official vehicles increased from 36 to 44%, with a benefit by reduction in administrative expenses per day of JPY 30,000. The participants in the eight-day Short-distance Transportation Test was only 35 due to the lack of publicity.

The person who reserved an EV registers at a terminal installed in a depot (photograph 1) using his/her IC card (photograph 2), and uses the EV (photograph 3).
After usage, the EV should be charged using an electric charger installed at a depot (photograph 4). EVs accommodate two persons because most cars used in urban areas are usually occupied by one or two persons.

Test for advancement of road　traffic information system

In Toyota City, vehicles entering the central area from the suburbs and the large volume of through-traffic in the central area frequently cause congestion. To address this problem, a test on the road traffic information system, which effectively provides drivers with traffic information via various media such as information boards, Internet, and CATV, was carried out.
During the test, information on parking lots was provided to vehicles entering the central area from the suburbs, while information on detours such as the inner and outer ring roads was given to through-traffic, to smoothen the traffic in the city by dispersing traffic volume.

[ Results of the test ]
Dispersing traffic volume increased the total cruise length of vehicles using the inner lane of the outer ring road by 1%, but reduced total driving time by 3%, with an increase in the average speed of 1 km/hr. The travel time on the 6.5-km test route (National Highway No. 248) was reduced by a maximum of 4 minutes and an average of 1 minute. The benefit from this was JPY 4.71 million per day (benefit by reduction in travel time: JPY 4.62 million, benefit by reduction in driving cost: JPY 80,000, and benefit by reduction in exhaust gas: JPY 10,000).

Message board displaying predicted travel time for each route
(National Highway No. 248)

Test on Park & Ride (P&R) for events

The transportation of passengers during events is likely to be a problem when the Toyota Stadium with a capacity of 45,000 opens in June 2001. To address this problem, a test, in which temporary park & ride (P&R) parking lots are provided in the suburbs and shuttle buses transport passengers to and from their destinations, was carried out. During the test, two parking lots for park & bus-ride and two parking lots for park & rail-ride were prepared. Information on the parking lots was provided using message boards installed there, road information offices, and the Internet.

The traffic volume on the National Highways Nos. 153 and 248 decreased by 10 to 20% (equivalent to a congestion length of 1.3 to 2.9 km) compared to before the test. The benefit from this was JPY 2.38 million per day (benefit by reduction in travel time: JPY 1.95 million, benefit by reduction in driving cost: JPY 60,000, benefit by reduction in traffic accidents: JPY 50,000, and benefit by reduction in exhaust gas: JPY 320,000).

Sharing rate of each transport mode used by visitors to the event

ITS HANDBOOK 2000-2001（Nov 2000）