MINI-COMPUTERS AND TRAFFIC CONTROL

THE FEASIBILITY OF THE APPLICATION OF COMPUTERS TO INDIVIDUAL TRAFFIC CONTROL WAS STUDIED. VARIOUS TRAFFIC CONTROLLER CONFIGURATIONS WERE SIMULATED BY COMPUTER PROGRAM WITH A SMALL MINI-COMPUTER. THE VERSATILITY OF THE VARIABLE LOGIC HARDWARE OF THE COMPUTER WAS DEMONSTRATED IN THE LABORATORY. A SUCCESSFUL FIELD INSTALLATION WAS MADE OF A MINI-COMPUTER TO REPLACE A STANDARD CONTROLLER CONFIGURATION. THE ADVANTAGES OF THE USE OF A VARIABLE LOGIC COMPUTER AS A TRAFFIC CONTROLLER INCLUDES THE EASE OF MODIFICATION OR TRAFFIC CONTROL LOGIC AND THE ELIMINATION OF FIXED HARDWARE LOGIC CONSTRAINTS IMPOSED BY CURRENTLY USED CONVENTIONAL CONTROLLERS. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT THE APPLICATION OF MINI-COMPUTERS TO TRAFFIC CONTROL IS FEASIBLE AND VERY DESIRABLE. COST ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT A COMPUTER CONTROLLER WOULD BE COMPARABLE IN COST TO THE CURRENT, MUCH LESS VERSITILE, FIXED LOGIC CONTROLLER SYSTEMS IN MANY INSTALLATIONS. /AUTHOR/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Rept No M & R 636393, 13 PP, 7 FIG, 1 APP
• Corporate Authors:

  California Division of Highways

  Bridge Department
  Sacramento, CA  United States  05914
• Publication Date: 1970-5

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Actuated traffic signal controllers; Computer programs; Costs; Simulation; Traffic actuated controllers; Traffic signal control systems
• Subject Areas: Finance; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00225850
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 10 1970 12:00AM