An operational framework to integrate traffic message channel (TMC)in emergency mapping services (EMS)

Abstract

Traffic Message Channel (TMC) is a technology for delivering traffic information to vehicle drivers. Sources of traffic information typically include police departments, Traffic Information Centers (TICs), camera systems, traffic speed detectors, floating car data, so on. Both public and commercial TMC services are operational in many countries. TMC messages can be also exchanged among TICs formally using standard protocols. The term emergency mapping (EM) encloses all activities finalized to produce geographic data on the consequences of a natural or man-made events. Emergency mapping services (EMS) normally exploit satellite or aerial imagery in order to extract the extent of the area affected and the impact on local infrastructures. In this paper, the authors verify the impact of the integration of TMC information in routinary EMS, exploiting the flood event occurred in November 2016 in north-west Italy as a case study. After an introduction to the problem and a description of TMC technology and of EMS, all technical aspects related to the integration of the two services are deeply described. Extracted traffic events have then been integrated and compared with EM products generated for the event previously mentioned. Finally, opportunities, limits, future enhancement and refining are summarized in the conclusions.

Keywords

• Traffic Message Channel
• Copernicus Emergency Mapping Service
• traffic events
• emergency management
• flood
• data integration