Heterogeneous urban traffic data and their integration through kernel-based interpolation

Purpose This paper aims to present collection and analysis of heterogeneous urban traffic data, and integration of them through a kernel-based approach for assessing performance of urban transport network facilities. The recent development in sensing and information technology opens up opportunities for researching the use of this vast amount of new urban traffic data. This paper contributes to analysis and management of urban transport facilities. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, the data fusion algorithm are developed by using a kernel-based interpolation approach. Our objective is to reconstruct the underlying urban traffic pattern with fine spatial and temporal granularity through processing and integrating data from different sources. The fusion algorithm can work with data collected in different space-time resolution, with different level of accuracy and from different kinds of sensors. The properties and performance of the fusion algorithm is evaluated by using a virtual test bed produced by VISSIM microscopic simulation. The methodology is demonstrated through a real-world application in Central London. Findings The results show that the proposed algorithm is able to reconstruct accurately the underlying traffic flow pattern on transport network facilities with ordinary data sources on both virtual and real-world test beds. The data sources considered herein include loop detectors, cameras and GPS devices. The proposed data fusion algorithm does not require assumption and calibration of any underlying model. It is easy to implement and compute through advanced technique such as parallel computing. Originality/value The presented study is among the first utilizing and integrating heterogeneous urban traffic data from a major city like London. Unlike many other existing studies, the proposed method is data driven and does not require any assumption of underlying model. The formulation of the data fusion algorithm also allows it to be parallelized for large-scale applications. The study contributes to the application of Big Data analytics to infrastructure management.