Use of Big Data to Evaluate and Improve Performance of Traffic Signal Systems in Resource-Constrained Countries: Evidence from Cebu City, Philippines

Deployment of an adaptive area traffic control system is expensive; physical sensors require installation, calibration, and regular maintenance. Because of the high level of technical and financial resources required, area traffic control systems found in developing countries often are minimally functioning. In Cebu City, Philippines, for example, the Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System was installed before 2000, and fewer than 35% of detectors were still functioning as of January 2015. To address this challenge, a study was designed to determine whether taxi company GPS data are sufficient to evaluate and improve traffic signal timing plans in resource-constrained environments. If this work is successful, the number of physical sensors required to support those systems may be reduced and thereby substantially lower the costs of installation and maintenance. Taxi GPS data provided by a regional taxi-hailing app were used to design and implement methodologies for evaluating the performance of traffic signal timing plans and for deriving updated fixed-dynamic plans, which are fixed plans (with periods based on observable congestion patterns rather than only time of day) iterated regularly until optimization is reached. To date, three rounds of iterations have been conducted to ensure the stability of the proposed signal timings. Results of exploratory analysis indicate that the algorithm is capable of generating reasonable green time splits, but cycle length adjustment must be considered in the future.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.3141/2620-03
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/9780309441759
• Authors:
  • Lu, Yang Carl
  • Krambeck, Holly
  • Tang, Liang
• Publication Date: 2017

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; Maps; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 20–30
• Monograph Title: Traffic Signal Systems, Volume 2
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board
  • Issue Number: 2620
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Adaptive control; Algorithms; Data mining; Developing countries; Global Positioning System; Mobile applications; Performance measurement; Taxi services; Traffic signal control systems; Vehicle detectors
• Uncontrolled Terms: Big data
• Geographic Terms: Cebu City (Philippines)
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01626024
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 9780309441759
• Report/Paper Numbers: 17-05085
• Files: PRP, TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Feb 15 2017 5:03PM