COMPASS, also referred to as Freeway Traffic Management System, is a system run by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) to monitor and manage the flow of traffic on various roads (including 400-series highways) in Ontario.
Contents
- Algorithms
- COMPASS cameras
- Queen Elizabeth Way QEW
- Highway 401
- Highway 402
- Highway 403
- Highway 404
- Highway 405
- Highway 406
- Highway 409
- Highway 410
- Highway 417
- Highway 427
- Non 400 series Highways
- False alarms
- References
COMPASS uses pairs of in-road sensors to detect the speed and density of traffic flow. This data is fed to a central computer at the MTO Downsview office and analyzed by operators, who also view the feeds of traffic cameras placed along the highways. Changeable Message Signs (CMS) then display messages to motorists on the highways, advising them of upcoming collisions, closures, detours and traffic flow.
Algorithms
The primary algorithm used by the Ministry is known as the McMaster algorithm, designed by Professor Fred Hall of McMaster University, in Hamilton, Ontario. Incident Detection algorithms have also been widely used throughout the COMPASS-enabled area.
Research on new algorithm developments and evaluations is performed at the ITS Centre and Testbed (ICAT), at the Civil Engineering department of the University of Toronto. The ICAT is equipped with direct fibre-optic links to the Ministry of Transportation, and received both traffic camera and loop detector data on a live basis. Visual data can be used to confirm the presence of incidents detected by the various algorithms.
COMPASS cameras
Images from most COMPASS cameras are available online via MTO website.
COMPASS has some dedicated cameras used by MTO Enforcement Officers to monitor and manage truck queues at locations such as the Putman Commercial Vehicle Inspection Station. Images from these cameras are not available online.
Highways with COMPASS cameras:
Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW)
Toronto to Stoney Creek, Fort Erie.
Highway 401
Ajax to Mississauga, Ivy Lea, Kingston, London and Windsor). One of the highest-volume highways in the world
Highway 402
(Vyner to Sarnia)
Highway 403
(Misissauga and Burlington)
Highway 404
(Toronto to Markham)
Highway 405
(Niagara Falls)
Highway 406
Highway 409
(Toronto)
Highway 410
(Mississauga)
Highway 417
(the Queensway, Ottawa)
Highway 427
(Toronto)
Non 400-series Highways
False alarms
A false alarm for incident detection is not only highly undesirable, but seriously damages the confidence in the detection system. Therefore, a near 100% alarm accuracy is needed. This does not mean that 100% traffic parameter accuracy is required from the traffic sensors; however, the logical commands that analyze the change in traffic parameters need to be selected carefully in order to minimize the probability of false alarms yet detect all major incidents as well as a high percentage of all other incidents. Most importantly, confirmation of incident and evaluation of incident type by manual inspection of a video camera screen is probably the most significant incident detection technique.