Measurement of Inter- and Intra-city Connectivity Using Vehicle Probe Data

This chapter analyzes intra- and inter-city connectivity using the vehicle probe data for selected 48-hour slots in March and September in 2017 and 2018. I demonstrate the potential analyses by aggregating the probe data of commercial vehicles with overlay to geographical extents of the majo r cit ies ident ified by night-time light satellite image data.The cit ies could be classified into more vehicles in the daytime or night time, which were likely associated with drivers’ preference on traffic conditions by the time. Some cities indicated notable changes of driving speeds by the time, possibly owing to traffic condition with people’s commuting as well as transport infrastructure, such as highways. More than half of the vehicles were traveling only two cities within the 48-hour periods, which were possibly shuttle trips between two cities. Some cities in the large industrial areas and inland cities indicated high proportion of vehicles were travelling more than two cities, indicating contribution to connectivity among the city.