Cross-Jurisdictional Signal Coordination: Case Studies.

摘要

Numerous areas throughout the country are benefiting from traffic signal coordination within their own communities and increasingly across jurisdictional boundaries into neighboring communities. Experience shows that interconnecting traffic signals and optimizing the traffic signal timing can result in travel time reductions ranging from 8% to 25% along a corridor or arterial. There are a number of technical challenges to accomplishing traffic signal coordination which include (1) using wireline or wireless interconnection or highly accurate time-based coordinators to provide a common cycle length; (2) systematically optimizing the interval settings for actuated signals and optimizing the parameters of pre-timed signals; and (3) using a computer system or Advanced Transportation Controller to provide real-time traffic-responsive or traffic-adaptive traffic control. The technical challenges associated with coordinating traffic signals, however, become more problematic when working across operating jurisdictions. It is sometimes difficult to implement technical solutions when there are no operating agreements in place to direct coordination policies. In addition, jurisdictions may have incompatible hardware or traffic coordination policies. In addition, jurisdictions may have incompatible hardware or traffic signal control standards that inhibit the ability to implement cross-jurisdictional coordination. A number of agencies have developed innovative approaches to managing the institutional challenges associated with cross-jurisdictional traffic signal coordination. A cross section of lessons learned are shared in the five case studies presented in this report.