Travel Time Displays At Freeway Entrance Approaches

Appendix B. Instructions for In-vehicle Device

This appendix provides a copy of the information packet given to the participants in the study conducted for this report.

Travel Time Study for VA Morning Commuters

Participant Information Packet

December 4, 2014

Sponsored by:

The US Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration

Packet Contents

• Welcome
• About the Study
• Package Materials
• Completing the Consent Form
• Equipment Setup Instructions
  • Step 1: Selecting a Mounting Location
  • Step 2: Placing the Mount
  • Step 3: Making Adjustments
  • Step 4: Placing the Device
  • Step 5: Checking Your Car’s Power Supply
  • Step 6: Setting up the Charger/Splitter
  • Step 7: Turning on the Device
• Your Role
• Study Calendar and Trip Log Schedule
• Mailing Back the Equipment
• Study Completion and Payment

Welcome

Welcome to the Travel Time Study for VA morning commuters!

This packet provides useful information about your participation in the study. Please keep this packet throughout the duration of the study and refer to it as necessary.

If you have any questions about the study, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Equipment Technical Support

(Includes evening and weekend support)

• By Phone: (240) 888-1954
• By Email: TravelTimeStudy@Westat.com

General Study Questions

• Diane Snow: (301) 738-8341
• Dan Kellman: (301) 610-4903
• Email: TravelTimeStudy@Westat.com
• Website: www.VAcommuters.org

About the Study

The purpose of this study is to learn how commuters make decisions about their trips and how they use traveler information. Your participation will help guide decisions about how traffic information should be conveyed to the public.

You are being provided with an electronic device which will connect to a power outlet in your car. The device will identify the route you take only during morning weekday commute hours. Data will not be stored that identify where your trip begins and ends, and the device will not collect information about any other trips you make throughout the day. The device will occasionally provide you with new technology displaying travel time information when you are traveling along Route 1 North. During the study, you will be asked to complete trip logs and questionnaires about your trips and your commuting habits.

The study will be conducted in two phases that last from December 8, 2014 through February 20, 2015.

• PHASE 1: Monday, December 8, 2014 – Friday, December 19, 2014 (2 weeks)
• BREAK: Saturday, December 20, 2014 – Sunday, January 4, 2015 (2 weeks)
• PHASE 2: Monday, January 5, 2015 – Friday, February 20, 2015 (7 weeks)

Although the device will be in your car through mid-February, this study will only require a total of about 3 hours of your active involvement. During the break, you will not be responsible for completing any trip logs. Also, during the break, please shut down and place your device in a safe location.

You will receive $200 for completing the full study.

This study is sponsored by the US Department of Transportation in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Transportation, and is being conducted by Westat, a research company located in Rockville, Maryland.

Package Materials

The following materials are included in this package. Please check your package to make sure all of the listed materials are included. If you did not receive any of these items, or if you think there might be a problem with any of the items you received, please contact Westat immediately.

Please keep all packaging, including bubble wrap and the FedEx box, so you can use it again to return the materials when the study ends.

1. Information Packet (this document)
2. Consent Forms – 2 copies
3. Business Reply Mail Envelope
4. Tape (optional for securing cords)
5. Goo Gone (optional for removing tape residue)
6. Pre-paid FedEx Packaging Sticker for returning the equipment at the end of the study

7. Nexus 5 Travel Time Device
(referred to as ‘the device’)

8. Windshield Mount

9. USB Charging Cable

10. Car Port Power Splitter

Completing the Consent Form

There are two copies of the consent form. Please review and sign one copy and return it to Westat as soon as possible. Do so by placing the signed consent form in the Business Reply Mail Envelope. You do not need to pay postage. The other copy of the consent form is yours to keep for your records.

Equipment Setup Instructions

Once you receive this package, it’s important to set up the device to ensure that you are comfortable with the device and that everything works properly. Please follow the instructions below as closely as possible and set up the device prior to the December 8^th start date. If you have any questions about the equipment during the duration of this study, please contact us at (240) 888-1954, or email TravelTimeStudy@Westat.com.

For the first few steps, you’ll need the following items:

1. Windshield Mount
2. Travel Time Device
3. USB Charging Cable
4. Car Port Splitter
5. Damp paper towel or cloth

Step 1: Selecting a Mounting Location

Before setting up the mount, please consider the following recommendations about where to place the mount:

• Do not place the mount in a location that blocks your vision or obstructs your view of the road.
• Place the mount in a spot that will enable you to glance quickly at the device, while keeping your eyes on the road as much as possible.
• Please note that a cord will be attached to the device in the mount. As you decide where to place the mount, keep in mind how the cord may hang from the device.

Step 2: Placing the Mount

Once you have decided where to place the mount, follow these instructions to secure the mount to your windshield.

1. Clean mount area. Use a damp paper towel or cloth to clean the area that you intend to place the mount. Wait for the area to dry.
2. Secure suction cup. To place the mount, hold the mount by its base, with the suction facing up. Press the suction cup against the windshield using two hands.
3. Rotate wheel clockwise. While applying pressure, twist the wheel clockwise until the mount feels secure and you feel resistance.
4. Check for secure hold. Once attached, gently tug on the mount to make sure it is sturdy.

Step 3. Twist the wheel clockwise to tighten the mount.

Step 3: Making Adjustments

Adjust the hinges on the mount so that the face of the mount is facing towards the driver’s seat. Press the round buttons that say “press” to adjust the hinges. Then, rotate the face of the mount so it sits horizontally in a position that is comfortable for you. You can always make adjustments to the mount position later if you decide you need to.

Mount adjustment buttons

Step 4: Placing the Device

Once the mount is adjusted and secured, you are ready to place the device into the mount.

1. Lift up the small plastic hinges on the front of the mount. These pieces will secure the device in place.
   
2. Press the small black button on the back of the mount face. This should open up the prongs on the top and bottom of the face of the mount.
   
3. Once opened, place the device inside the prongs and close the prongs tightly around the device. When you close the prongs, they may hold down the volume buttons on the bottom of the device. This may cause settings to change on your phone. If necessary, reposition the device so that the buttons are not being held down.
   
   

Step 5: Checking Your Car’s Power Supply

For the next step, you’ll need the splitter that fits into the car port/cigarette lighter.

RESULT 1: The red light indicator on the splitter DOES NOT turn on.

Splitter with light turned off

This means that your car does not provide power through the charging port unless the car is turned on. If the red light indicator does NOT turn on when you plug in the splitter, you will always be able to leave your device plugged in.

OR

RESULT 2: The red light indicator on the splitter DOES turn on.

Splitter with light turned on

This means that your car provides power through the charging port, even when the car is turned off. If the red light indicator DOES turn on when you plug in the splitter, you should NOT leave the device plugged in except during the morning commute. Instead, throughout the study, you should:

1. PLUG THE DEVICE IN every morning when you enter the car, AND
2. UNPLUG the device every morning when you have arrived at your destination and are turning off your car.

The device requires very little power, so if you do happen to leave it plugged in it is very unlikely that your car’s battery will die. But, to be extra cautious, we recommend unplugging the device (or simply unplugging the splitter) every time the car is turned off.

If you have any questions about whether your device can stay plugged in or not, please feel free to contact us at (240) 888-1954, or email TravelTimeStudy@Westat.com.

Step 6: Setting up the Charger/Splitter

1. If not already plugged in, plug the splitter into the car port/cigarette lighter on your car. Then, plug the device charging cable into one of the USB slots on the splitter.
   
   Splitter with USB charger plugged in
   
   
2. Next, plug the other end of the device charging cable into the Travel Time device. If you’d like, use the tape provided to secure the cord and keep it in a stable position while you drive. Place the splitter in a location where it will stay out of your way for the duration of the study. The other car port/cigarette lighter is available for your personal use.
   
   Mounted device with cable plugged in

Step 7: Turning on the Device

Once you’ve set up the mount, inserted the device, and plugged everything in:

1. Turn on the ignition to your car.
2. Locate the power button on the side of the device.
3. To turn on the device, press and hold down the power button located on the side of the device until you see the screen light up.

Travel Time Application (ATT VMS) screen

The device should briefly show the main home screen before automatically opening up the ATT VMS Travel Time application (app screen shown to the left).

IF YOU DO NOT SEE THE ATT VMS APPLICATION SCREEN (pictured above), open the application manually by clicking on the ATT VMS icon from the home screen of the device. The ATT VMS app icon has a small picture of the Android logo (pictured to the right).

IF YOU THINK THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE DEVICE, call the technical assistance number right away at (240) 888-1954, or email TravelTimeStudy@Westat.com.

Once you have confirmed the device is on and see the ATT VMS home screen, you can turn off the ignition to the car and remove and unplug the device until the morning of December 8^th. DO NOT TURN OFF THE DEVICE. The device will go into a power saving mode. The next time the device is plugged in and the car ignition is turned on, the ATT VMS application will start up automatically.

Your Role

BEGINNING DECEMBER 8, 2014, every weekday morning, when you get into the car:

• Place the device into the mount.
• Plug the USB charging cable into the device.
• Check to make sure the other end of the USB charging cable is plugged in to the splitter and that the splitter is plugged in to the car port.
• Turn on the car.
• The device should be turned on. If it is not, hold down the power button to turn on the device.
• Make sure the ATT VMS application is running. If the application is not running, manually launch the application by clicking on the ATT VMS icon.

Every weekday morning, when you arrive at your destination and turn off the car:

• The device screen will go dim, and the device will go into a power saving mode. During the study period, do not turn the device completely off. It is designed to run constantly with minimal drain on the battery.
• When you turn off the car, the device will display a message reminding you to fill out your trip log. Although you will see this reminder every day, you will only need to fill out your trip log if it is a Tuesday or a Wednesday (see calendar on page 11). If it is a Tuesday or a Wednesday, please complete your trip log for that day, whether or not you drove to work.
• Then, for security, we recommend that you remove the device from the mount and place it in a secure location within the car, such as a glove compartment, console, or under the seat.

DO NOT TURN OFF THE DEVICE. You may leave the device stored until the next morning, when you should re-mount the device (and if necessary, re-plug in the device).

For the first two weeks of the study, you will not receive any information from the device. However, starting on January 5^th, 2014, you will receive information about travel time for a segment of your commute along Route 1 North. If you notice that you are not receiving any travel time information on or after January 5^th, please contact us.

Study Calendar and Trip Log Schedule

As part of your participation in the study, you will complete brief trip logs about some of your morning commutes. Beginning on Tuesday, December 9^th, you will be complete a trip log for every Tuesday and Wednesday morning trip. The trip logs will be emailed to you daily with a unique link to complete the log. Always try to fill out your trip log as soon as possible after your trip is completed. Even if you don’t travel that day, or if you don’t commute to work, you still need to complete the log.

Reminder: In order to receive the full $200, completing all trip logs in a timely fashion is required.

During the break, please power down the device and place it in a safe location.

Mailing Back the Equipment

Your participation in the study will be completed after February 20, 2015. As soon as possible after the study is over, please pack the equipment back into the box you received the materials in. Once the box is packed, you can use the provided pre-paid FedEx packaging slip to mail the package to Westat.

• Step 1: Wrap the Nexus 5 Travel Time device and windshield mount in the bubble wrap.
• Step 2: Place the following items into the box and seal the box with packing tape (if you do not have tape to seal the box, please contact us).
  • Nexus 5 Travel Time device
  • Device USB charger
  • Device windshield mount
  • Car port power splitter
• Step 3: Write the current date on the pre-paid FedEx sticker, and place the sticker on the box. Keep the “Sender’s Copy” top page for your records.
• Step 4: Use one of the following return options to mail back the FedEx package:
  • Option 1: Take the package to a FedEx Drop Box or to FedEx Office Location.
    • To find the nearest location, visit www.fedex.com, or call 1-800-GO-FEDEX (1-800-463-3339).
  • Option 2: Schedule a FedEx pickup at your home or office.
    • To schedule a pickup, visit https://www.fedex.com/en-us/shipping/schedule-manage-pickups.html, or call 1-800-GO-FEDEX (1-800-463-3339). Tell the FedEx representative you have a pre-paid return package.

Study Completion and Payment

Once the package has been returned to Westat, we will mail you a check for $200 to thank you for your participation in the study.

If you have any questions about the study or receiving your payment, please contact us. Thank you for your participation and for helping to improve traffic information for VA commuters!