Transit Signal Priority: A Look at the Impacts on High-Volume Coordinated Cross-Streets

摘要

In February 2008, the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Agency (HART) completed a study which identified multiple transit emphasis corridors in the Tampa Bay area including a major North-South Corridor. This emphasis corridor has evolved into a BRT system operating in mixed traffic on county and state highways and using transit signal priority among other enhanced transit features. A detailed traffic and TSP study has been completed to evaluate the impacts of transit signal priority implementation for the BRT route that includes the Fletcher Avenue and Nebraska Avenue corridors. This route is approximately 17.5 miles long and connects downtown Tampa to the University of South Florida area. There are 37 signalized intersections along the corridor. At several intersections along the Nebraska Avenue segment of the corridor, there are major arterial cross streets, and therefore, Nebraska Avenue is often not the major street or the coordinated phase. Being the minor roadway became a challenge in developing the TSP strategies to move the BRT efficiently through the corridor while limiting the impact on the major cross-streets. This paper will outline the TSP strategies employed to balance the impact on general traffic while still providing a benefit for the BRT. A summary of the impacts to the delay on the cross-streets will be provided as well as a look at how TSP calls impacted cross-street signal coordination. In addition, a major component of this study was to work with the local agencies to define the allowable transit signal priority parameters that balance the interests of City, DOT, and County traffic engineers with the transit agency needs.