Deploying Weather Responsive Traffic Signal Operations in Utah
Proactive management of traffic signal operations during weather events remains a priority with the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT). With the assistance of the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Road Weather Management Program (RWMP), UDOT recently deployed an advanced concept of traffic signal operations during weather events (WX-SIG). The concept relies upon systems, tools, and technologies to measure and forecast roadway weather conditions and traffic signal performance during inclement weather to fine-tune traffic signal timing responses throughout the duration of the event. UDOT meteorologists and traffic signal operators use these systems to assess current traffic conditions and determine when and how to deploy special weather responsive traffic signal timing plans. UDOT traffic signal operators use system performance monitoring tools, such as Purdue Coordination Diagrams and real-time corridor speed measures, to assess the effectiveness of special weather responsive signal timing plans and to make fine-tuning adjustments in signal timing strategies. This paper provides a description of the tools and technologies developed and deployed by UDOT to assist in developing proactive traffic signal timing responses to weather events, the standard operating procedures used by UDOT operators to decide when, where, why, and how to implement weather traffic signal timing responses. This paper also provides some results of an assessment of the effectiveness of these initial responses during the winter of 2013. The paper also contains lessons learned from this initial deployment related to the deployment corridor itself as well as weather responsive traffic signal operations in general.
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Supplemental Notes:
- This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AHB25 Traffic Signal Systems.
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Corporate Authors:
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC United States 20001 -
Authors:
- Balke, Kevin N
- Taylor, Mark
- Gopalakrishna, Deepak
- Alfelor, Roemer
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Conference:
- Transportation Research Board 93rd Annual Meeting
- Location: Washington DC
- Date: 2014-1-12 to 2014-1-16
- Date: 2014
Language
- English
Media Info
- Media Type: Digital/other
- Features: Figures; References; Tables;
- Pagination: 17p
- Monograph Title: TRB 93rd Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Performance measurement; Real time information; Traffic signal timing; Weather conditions; Weather forecasting
- Geographic Terms: Ogden (Utah)
- Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning; I73: Traffic Control;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01517580
- Record Type: Publication
- Report/Paper Numbers: 14-2835
- Files: PRP, TRIS, TRB, ATRI
- Created Date: Mar 10 2014 9:24AM