Recommended Citation
Day, C. M., T. M. Brennan, H. Premachandra, A. M. Hainen, S. M. Remias, J. R. Sturdevant, G. Richards, J. S. Wasson, and D. M. Bullock. Quantifying Benefits of Traffic Signal Retiming. Publication FHWA/IN/JTRP-2010/22. Joint Transportation Research Program, Indiana Department of Transportation and Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, 2010. https://doi.org/10.5703/1288284314250DOI
10.5703/1288284314250
Abstract
Improvements in the quality of service on a signalized intersection or arterial can be interpreted as a reduction in the user cost of service, which is expected to induce demand based on economic theory. This report presents a methodology for measuring and interpreting changes to user costs, and determining whether demand was induced. High-resolution signal event data and Bluetooth device MAC address matching are demonstrated in three case studies with the purpose of quantifying the impacts of changes in signal timing plans. In the first case study, 21 months of vehicle volume data are used to test whether demand was induced by optimizing offsets on a Saturday plan. In the second case study, the increase in demand for pedestrian service is quantified with respect to the implementation of an exclusive pedestrian phase using an econometric model taking the effects of season, weather, and special events into account. Finally, the third case study demonstrates the use of vehicle travel time data in quantifying changes in user costs and environmental impact (tons of carbon). A method of describing changes in travel time reliability is also presented.
Report Number
FHWA/IN/JTRP-2010/22
Keywords
demand, traffic signal timing, pedestrians, latent demand, economics, econometric modeling, travel time, travel time reliability, SPR-3208
SPR Number
3208
Project Number
C-36-661
File Number
8-7-10
Performing Organization
Joint Transportation Research Program
Publisher Place
West Lafayette, Indiana
Date of this Version
10-2010