Evaluation of Transit Signal Priority Strategies for 400 South Light Rail Line in Salt Lake County, UT, Part II

The goal of this study is to evaluate light rail priority strategies along the 400 S / 500 S corridor in Salt Lake County through analyzing benefits and impacts of the priority on transit and vehicular traffic through microsimulation. The field of study consists of a 2-mile corridor with 12 signalized intersections along 400 S / 500 S, where the university light rail line operates. The study uses VISSIM microsimulation models to estimate light rail operations, as well as impacts that light rail priority has on transit and general purpose traffic. The results show that the existing priority strategies have no impacts on vehicular traffic along the corridor, while at the same time help reduce train travel times 20% to 30%. Left turns along the main corridor are more affected by the priority than the through movements. Depending on the side street, the priority strategies can cause minor to major impacts on vehicular traffic through increased delays, while they help reduce train delays by 140%. Enabling priority at the 700 E intersection, where the priority is currently not active, would help reduce delays for trains an additional 10%, while increasing delays for vehicles approximately 7%. However, the coordinated north-south through movements would experience minimum impacts. Three recommendations have emerged from the study. The first is to enable priority at 700 E. This would help transit without major impacts on vehicular traffic. The second is to reset priority parameters at intersections adjacent to LRT stations so that the priority call encompasses station dwell times. The last recommendation is to consider removing the queue jump strategies to reduce delays for the corridor through movements and help preserve coordination patterns.

• Record URL:
  https://www.ugpti.org/resources/reports/details.php?id=680
• 
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers Program.
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Utah, Salt Lake City

  Salt Lake City, UT  United States 

  Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute

  North Dakota State University
  1320 Albrecht Boulevard
  Fargo, ND  United States  581052

  Mountain-Plains Consortium

  North Dakota State University
  Fargo, ND  United States  58108

  Research and Innovative Technology Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Martin, Peter T
  • Stevanovic, Aleksandar
  • Zlatkovic, Milan
• Publication Date: 2010-11

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 166p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Highway traffic; Light rail transit; Microsimulation; Signalized intersections; Traffic delays; Traffic signal control systems; Traffic signal preemption; Transit traffic; Travel time
• Geographic Terms: Salt Lake County (Utah)
• Subject Areas: Operations and Traffic Management; Public Transportation; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01448624
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: MPC09-231B
• Files: UTC, TRIS, ATRI, USDOT
• Created Date: Oct 5 2012 2:08PM