Criteria Ranking & Weighting for Traffic Websites

Scoring and weights

Criteria are yes/no questions or groupings of these questions. For each yes rating, the site will receive a certain number of points, dependent on the importance of the criteria rated:

Critical = 4

High = 3

Medium = 2

Low = 1

The total number of points received will determine the ranking of the site. The higher the score, the better the site. The criteria for traffic sites are sorted below by their relative importance. The question number is included in parentheses. Within each tier, the criteria are grouped by whether they are a measure of content or presentation.

It is assumed that the user's task is to determine the best time, route and mode of travel for a particular trip.

Traffic

Critical-can't do the task without it

Content

• A time stamp for current state information (3)
• Speeds or travel times on a map (4a)
• Weather/roadway conditions on a map (4e)
• Speeds or travel times in a table or text synopsis (9a)
• Weather/roadway conditions in a table or text synopsis (9e)
• Speeds or travel times elsewhere on the site (12a)
• Weather/roadway conditions elsewhere on the site (12e)
• Comprehensive toll information (21)
• Static information on HOV lanes (26)
• Current state information on HOV lanes (27)
• Links to information on transit (29)

Presentation (necessary for Section 508 compliance)

• Current state information includes two synopses of routes (both map and table) (2)
• A legend for any current state map with coding visible to the color blind (6)
• < ALT > tags on graphic elements (accessibility for blind) (34)

High-impacts primary task

Content

• Congestion levels but no specific speeds on a map (4a)
• Incident information on a map (4b)
• Construction information on a map (4c)
• Special events on a map (4f)
• Congestion levels but no specific speeds in a table or text synopsis (9a)
• Incident information in a table or text synopsis (9b)
• Construction information in a table or text synopsis (9c)
• Special events in a table or text synopsis (9f)
• Congestion levels but no specific speeds elsewhere on the site (12a)
• Incident information elsewhere on the site (12b)
• Construction information elsewhere on the site (12c)
• Special events elsewhere on the site (12f)
• Personalized traffic alerts (15)
• Predicted traffic conditions (17)
• Suggested alternate routes (19)
• A telephone number for contacts (32)
• E-mail address for contacts (32)

Presentation

• Good information grouping (current state, trip planner, car pooling) (1)
• Current state information includes a synopsis of routes (either map or table) (2)
• A legend for any current state map (6)
• Lower level roads included for reference on the map (5)
• Lower level roads included on the map with current state information (5)
• Lower level roads included for reference in a table or text synopsis (10)
• Lower level roads included in a table or text synopsis with current state information (10)
• Each page has a menu to major pages (37)
• Each page has a link to the root page (41)

Medium-impact secondary tasks/consistency issues

Content

• Real-time camera locations on a map (4d)
• Other current condition information on a map (4g)
• Ability to click on map to receive detail on current conditions such as speed, incidents, weather-related road conditions, etc. (7)
• Real-time camera views in a table or text synopsis (9d)
• Other current condition information in a table or text synopsis (9g)
• Ability to click on a link from a specific entry in a table or text synopsis to receive detail on current conditions such as speed, incidents, weather-related road conditions, etc. (11)
• Real-time camera views elsewhere on the site (12d)
• Other current condition information elsewhere on the site (12g)
• Information on 511 (16)
• A trip planner (20)
• List of locations for purchase of toll media (23)
• Real-time information on parking availability (24)
• Information on carpooling/vanpooling (28)
• Links to other traffic information sites in the metro area (30)
• Links to public intercity transportation facilities and providers (31)

Presentation

• Map includes landmarks (8)
• Graphic or written views indicate orientation of any camera views (13)
• Each page has a unique URL (enables bookmarking specific pages) (33)
• Text links are discriminated from ordinary text (35)
• Lists of routes or places are in alphabetic order or grouped by geographic region (36)
• Privacy policy information if the site captures information on a user (38)
• Root page loads without errors, requests for plug-ins or requests to download controls (40)
• Language choice (39)

Low-"It would be nice."

Content

• Messages currently displayed on dynamic message signs (14)
• Download information to a PDA or cell phone (18)
• Online purchase of toll media or link to a site that provides that service (22)
• Information of particular interest to tourists (25)