Commercial provision of road traffic information: a study of private sector involvement in radio information broadcasting

The availability of information and its form can exert an important influence over travel behavior. There are now an increasing number of systems available to provide information on road conditions to automobile drivers and truckers although in most cases there is still a strong reliance on radio information. Increasingly the issue is less one of developing a new technology to disseminate traffic information and more one of modifying institutions and behavior. In terms of behavior, there is still considerable inertia in terms of taking up modern information systems which may be rationalized in some cases because systems have been poor in the past, often giving late or inappropriate information. Institutionally, therefore, there is the issue of delivery. This study is concerned with looking at the potential for greater commercial involvement in providing traffic information particularly to leisure travelers. It looks at a case study in northern Virginia that explores the possible involvement of commercial radio in offering information on the Interstate‐81 corridor. The analysis is based upon an interview survey of road users questioning them on the attributes they seek from information radio traffic information sources. The specific aim being to see if there exists sufficient interest in a combined entertainment/information channel to attract commercial interest. The overall conclusion is that while many travelers are regular users of the corridor they do supplement their experiences from information systems and that there is some scope for introducing combined entertainment/traffic information channels.

Keywords:

• Information systems
• Road traffic
• Commercialization
• Incidents
• Traffic delays
• Congestion