A queue detection and warning system utilizes existing and new Dynamic Message signs, covering 14 miles in Montgomery County, to post congestion and queue-related warnings to motorists, and operates in conjunction with VSL. The primary goal of queue detection/warning is to reduce the rate of rear-end crashes by alerting motorists that stopped vehicles are ahead, prompting drivers to slow down and be alert for traffic stoppages. Crash analysis along the I-76 corridor indicated that rear-end crashes, which were the majority of incident types reported, occurred at more than double the statewide average. This system utilizes vehicle detection technologies already deployed along I-76 to identify vehicle backups and automatically post messages to existing and new electronic message signs to alert motorists in real time.
