Empirical Analysis of Controller Event Data to Select Vehicle Detector Fault Triggers

The proper detection of both vehicles and pedestrians is critical for operations of signalized intersections, especially intersections with adaptive traffic signal control. Faulty detectors must be identified as quickly as possible so that they can be repaired and their erroneous output corrected (e.g., preventing an adaptive algorithm from continuing to allocate green time to a detector that is stuck on). This study establishes a procedure to determine static detector fault thresholds (e.g., maximum detector on time and maximum detector off time) that can be programmed into a traffic signal controller. This procedure analyzes detector on and off durations over multiple days to define distributions of those parameters. The study analyzes data for 154 detectors in Morgantown, West Virginia, to generate on and off distributions and calculate the resulting 90th, 95th, and 99th percentile values. The detectors are divided into three groups on the basis of their physical locations relative to the intersection (e.g., stop bar or advance) and the approach function (e.g., mainline or minor). Default thresholds for the three groups are recommended for the signal system through the application of a 95% confidence limit to the 99th percentile values and local knowledge of the system. The procedure defined here can be applied to other signal systems to determine these thresholds.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.3141/2438-02
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/172186.aspx
• Authors:
  • Audelo, Michael
  • Chou, Chih-Sheng
  • Chen, Tiantian
  • Nichols, Andrew P
• Publication Date: 2014

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; Maps; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 12–22
• Monograph Title: Traffic Signal Systems 2014, Volume 1
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board
  • Issue Number: 2438
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Adaptive control; Empirical methods; Fault monitoring; Signalized intersections; Traffic signal control systems; Vehicle detectors
• Geographic Terms: Morgantown (West Virginia)
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01515391
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 9780309295352
• Report/Paper Numbers: 14-5182
• Files: PRP, TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Feb 24 2014 8:42AM