TWO TRAFFIC-RESPONSIVE AREA TRAFFIC CONTROL METHODS: SCAT AND SCOOT

Area or urban traffic control systems can now be found in many cities. Traditionally, these systems employ the fixed-time control method by which signal timing plans are switched into operation by time-of-day. Recent research has led to the development of several traffic-responsive methods which allow the basic control elements - cycle time, phase splits and offset - to vary according to prevailing traffic conditions. This paper is concerned with the development and evaluation of this new generation of methodologies. Two such methods are reviewed and compared in this paper. They are the Sydney Co-ordinated Adaptive Traffic (SCAT) method developed in Australia and the Split, Cycle and Offset Optimisation Technique (SCOOT) developed in the UK. The field evaluations of scoot and scat show that both methods are capable of performing better than the simpler fixed-time control method in reducing journey time and stops. By comparing these two methods, future research needs are identified. These include introducing the concept of modelling in the scat offset algorithms and the modification of the scoot models to incorporate vehicle-actuated control tactics available from a microprocessor traffic controller. (Author/TRRL)

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00410683
• Corporate Authors:

  Printerhall Limited

  29 Newmart Street
  London W1P 3PE,   England 
• Authors:
  • Luk, JYK
• Publication Date: 1984-1

Media Info

• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 14
• Serial:
  • Traffic Engineering & Control
  • Volume: 25
  • Issue Number: 1
  • Publisher: Hemming Group, Limited
  • ISSN: 0041-0683
  • Serial URL: http://www.tecmagazine.com/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Actuated traffic signal controllers; Area traffic signal control; Automatic control; Automatic data collection systems; Automation; Computer online services; Computer programs; Data collection; Digital computers; Pretimed traffic signal controllers; Traffic actuated controllers; Traffic control; Traffic flow; Traffic signal control systems; Traffic signal timing; Traffic signals; Urban areas
• Geographic Terms: Australia; United Kingdom
• Old TRIS Terms: Fixed time controller
• ITRD Terms: 669: Area traffic control; 8006: Australia; 3882: Automatic; 8623: Data acquisition; 8673: Digital computer; 597: Linked signals; 8645: Software; 654: Traffic control; 671: Traffic flow; 565: Traffic signal; 8119: United Kingdom; 313: Urban area; 557: Vehicle actuated
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00385995
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD, TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Jul 30 1984 12:00AM