AUTOMATIC TRAFFIC OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE IN THE PORT OF NEW YORK AUTHORITY

THE PORT OF NEW YORK AUTHORITY (PONY) OPERATES 23 TERMINAL AND TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES THAT INCLUDE AIRPORTS; HELIPORTS; BRIDGES; TUNNELS; BUS, TRUCK, AND FREIGHT TERMINALS; MARINE SEAPORTS; A RAILROAD; AND THE WORLD TRADE CENTER. THE COMPLEX ROAD AND HIGHWAY SYSTEMS WITHIN OR CONTIGUOUS TO THESE FACILITIES, BECAUSE OF THEIR UNUSUALLY HEAVY TRAFFIC DEMANDS AND HIGH CONSTRUCTION COSTS, ARE PRIME CANDIDATES FOR AUTOMATIC TRAFFIC OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE. THE TUNNEL TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM (TTCS) HAS IMPROVED PEAK-HOUR TRAFFIC FLOW BY ABOUT 10%. APPLIED TO PONY'S FIVE TWO-LANE TUBES, THIS IS EQUIVALENT TO CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW TUNNEL LANE AT A COST OF ABOUT $90 MILLION; TTCS HAS BEEN INSTALLED IN FOUR TUBES AT A COST OF $3.4 MILLION. THE AUTHORITY'S TRAFFIC MEASUREMENT SYSTEM COMPUTES VEHICLE LENGTH TO WITHIN AN INCH AND CLASSIFIES THE VEHICLE BY A LOOK-UP TABLE. THE SYSTEM OUTPUT INCLUDES ANNUAL, MONTHLY, WEEKLY, WEEKDAY, WEEKEND, PEAK-PERIOD, AND HOURLY REPORTS. AT KENNEDY AIRPORT, BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN FOUND THAT PEDESTRIANS REFUSE TO USE GRADE-SEPARATED FACILI- TIES, A TRAFFIC-RESPONSIVE SIGNALIZED CROSSWALK SYSTEM HAS BEEN INSTALLED. SINCE BECOMING OPERATIONAL IN SEPTEMBER 1967 THE SYSTEM HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH A 22% REDUCTION IN CROSSWALK ACCIDENTS (55% DURING PEAK HOURS) IN SPITE OF A 50% INCREASE IN BOTH PEDESTRIAN AND VEHICULAR TRAFFIC. AUTO- MATION HAS ALSO BEEN SUCCESSFULLY APPLIED TO CONTRACT MAIN- TENANCE, CENTRAL MAINTENANCE SERVICES, AND FACILITY MAIN- TENANCE.

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    Highway Research Board

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  • Authors:
    • Gonseth, Alan T
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  • Publication Date: 1972

Media Info

  • Media Type: Digital/other
  • Pagination: p. 93-95
  • Monograph Title: AUTOMATION SYSTEMS FOR HIGHWAY ORGANIZATIONS
  • Serial:

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Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00226372
  • Record Type: Publication
  • ISBN: 0309019974
  • Files: TRIS, TRB
  • Created Date: Oct 9 1972 12:00AM