Optimizing RWIS Locations with Wasserstein Distance and Geostatistics: A Case Study in South Korea

Road Weather Information Systems (RWISs) are essential components of modern Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITSs) deployed in cold regions to gather real-time data on winter weather and road surface conditions. Despite their benefits, the high cost associated with RWIS installations demands opti...

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Main Authors: Nancy Huynh, Jinhwan Jang, Tae J. Kwon
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-03-01
Series:Future Transportation
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7590/5/1/23
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author Nancy Huynh
Jinhwan Jang
Tae J. Kwon
author_facet Nancy Huynh
Jinhwan Jang
Tae J. Kwon
author_sort Nancy Huynh
collection DOAJ
description Road Weather Information Systems (RWISs) are essential components of modern Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITSs) deployed in cold regions to gather real-time data on winter weather and road surface conditions. Despite their benefits, the high cost associated with RWIS installations demands optimized placement strategies to maximize their utility and cost-effectiveness. Geostatistics-based RWIS location-allocation methods, particularly those involving semivariogram modeling to quantify underlying spatial characteristics, have gained international recognition. However, new locations require unique semivariogram models, a process that is time-consuming and constrained by the availability of comprehensive datasets, often rendering location analysis challenging or infeasible. Addressing these limitations, this study introduces an innovative approach using Wasserstein Distance (WD) to link semivariograms across different datasets. This method streamlines optimization by eliminating the need for repetitive semivariogram modeling in new study areas. Our findings demonstrate that WD-matched models replicate the location choices of original models with a high degree of similarity while ensuring that clean-slate locations remain proximate to those of original models, enhancing geographic equity in RWIS deployment. This validates the practicality of reusing developed semivariogram parameters for WD-matched highways, significantly reducing the need for new geostatistical analyses and enhancing the framework’s applicability and accessibility for RWIS deployment across diverse geographic regions.
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spelling doaj-art-7d04a2f2684f4486a4802da68e5170972025-08-20T02:11:26ZengMDPI AGFuture Transportation2673-75902025-03-01512310.3390/futuretransp5010023Optimizing RWIS Locations with Wasserstein Distance and Geostatistics: A Case Study in South KoreaNancy Huynh0Jinhwan Jang1Tae J. Kwon2Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, CanadaKorea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, Goyang-si 10223, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, CanadaRoad Weather Information Systems (RWISs) are essential components of modern Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITSs) deployed in cold regions to gather real-time data on winter weather and road surface conditions. Despite their benefits, the high cost associated with RWIS installations demands optimized placement strategies to maximize their utility and cost-effectiveness. Geostatistics-based RWIS location-allocation methods, particularly those involving semivariogram modeling to quantify underlying spatial characteristics, have gained international recognition. However, new locations require unique semivariogram models, a process that is time-consuming and constrained by the availability of comprehensive datasets, often rendering location analysis challenging or infeasible. Addressing these limitations, this study introduces an innovative approach using Wasserstein Distance (WD) to link semivariograms across different datasets. This method streamlines optimization by eliminating the need for repetitive semivariogram modeling in new study areas. Our findings demonstrate that WD-matched models replicate the location choices of original models with a high degree of similarity while ensuring that clean-slate locations remain proximate to those of original models, enhancing geographic equity in RWIS deployment. This validates the practicality of reusing developed semivariogram parameters for WD-matched highways, significantly reducing the need for new geostatistical analyses and enhancing the framework’s applicability and accessibility for RWIS deployment across diverse geographic regions.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7590/5/1/23intelligent transportation systemsgeostatisticsroad weather information systemslocation optimizationspatial equityWasserstein distance
spellingShingle Nancy Huynh
Jinhwan Jang
Tae J. Kwon
Optimizing RWIS Locations with Wasserstein Distance and Geostatistics: A Case Study in South Korea
Future Transportation
intelligent transportation systems
geostatistics
road weather information systems
location optimization
spatial equity
Wasserstein distance
title Optimizing RWIS Locations with Wasserstein Distance and Geostatistics: A Case Study in South Korea
title_full Optimizing RWIS Locations with Wasserstein Distance and Geostatistics: A Case Study in South Korea
title_fullStr Optimizing RWIS Locations with Wasserstein Distance and Geostatistics: A Case Study in South Korea
title_full_unstemmed Optimizing RWIS Locations with Wasserstein Distance and Geostatistics: A Case Study in South Korea
title_short Optimizing RWIS Locations with Wasserstein Distance and Geostatistics: A Case Study in South Korea
title_sort optimizing rwis locations with wasserstein distance and geostatistics a case study in south korea
topic intelligent transportation systems
geostatistics
road weather information systems
location optimization
spatial equity
Wasserstein distance
url https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7590/5/1/23
work_keys_str_mv AT nancyhuynh optimizingrwislocationswithwassersteindistanceandgeostatisticsacasestudyinsouthkorea
AT jinhwanjang optimizingrwislocationswithwassersteindistanceandgeostatisticsacasestudyinsouthkorea
AT taejkwon optimizingrwislocationswithwassersteindistanceandgeostatisticsacasestudyinsouthkorea