Case Study: Caltrans improves HOV/HOT lane compliance and traffic flow with Conduent Vehicle Passenger Detection System

Conduent® Vehicle Passenger Detection System

Caltrans, the state agency managing California's highway system, faced a challenge in its HOV/HOT lanes where it was difficult to determine if traffic slowdowns were caused by high volume or a significant number of drivers violating occupancy rules. Their existing method of using human observers was inaccurate due to the high volume of vehicles, making it impossible to gather the necessary data. They partnered with vendor Conduent to pilot the Conduent Vehicle Passenger Detection System (VPDS) as a potential solution.

Conduent implemented a pilot of its VPDS, which used cameras and video analytics to count vehicle occupants automatically. The system was trained using computer machine visualization and deployed on a busy stretch of highway. The results showed the Conduent system achieved a 95.94% accuracy rate, far exceeding the human observers' accuracy of approximately 35%. This provided Caltrans with valuable data, revealing a 14.75% violation rate significant enough to impact traffic flow, and demonstrated VPDS as an effective tool for data collection and deterring violators.

Caltrans

Joe Rouse

Managed Lane Director