Characterizing Emergency Vehicle Preemption Operation with High-Resolution Traffic Signal Event Data

This paper proposes the use of a signal phase spectrum plot to analyze high-resolution traffic signal event data. Specifically, the controller performance related to emergency vehicle preemption operation is characterized in an effort to identify performance measures that will allow a traffic engineer to understand better the impact that various configurations have on intersection operations. Performance measures for individual intersections in coordinated systems include preemption duration, transition duration, and total interruption time. Performance measures for networks are based on an emergency vehicle reidentification process for deriving an emergency vehicle’s trajectory through a network, and the results can further be used to estimate travel time, travel speed, and origin–destination. These performance measures are illustrated by simulated signal system in Morgantown, West Virginia. Transition modes are varied in the simulation network to determine the relative performance measures. Case studies are presented for using high-resolution data to troubleshoot field preemption operation using signal systems in Morgantown and Huntington, West Virginia.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.3141/2557-11
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/9780309369909
• Authors:
  • Chou, Chih-Sheng
  • Nichols, Andrew P
• Publication Date: 2016

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 108–121
• Monograph Title: Traffic Signal Systems, Volume 1
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board
  • Issue Number: 2557
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Case studies; Emergency vehicles; Performance measurement; Signalized intersections; Simulation; Traffic signal control systems; Traffic signal preemption
• Uncontrolled Terms: High resolution data
• Geographic Terms: Huntington (West Virginia); Morgantown (West Virginia)
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01595650
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 9780309369909
• Report/Paper Numbers: 16-2316
• Files: PRP, TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Apr 2 2016 4:01PM