Event Description/Abstract

Detector occupancy is commonly used to measure traffic signal performance. Despite improvements in controller computational power, there have been relatively few innovations in occupancy-based performance measures or integration with other data. This paper introduces and demonstrates the use of graphical performance measures based on detector occupancy ratios to verify potential split failures and other signal timing shortcomings reported to practitioners by the public. The proposed performance measures combine detector occupancy during the green phase, detector occupancy during the first five seconds of the red phase, and phase termination cause (gap out or force off). These are summarized by time of day to indicate whether the phase is undersaturated, nearly saturated, or oversaturated. These graphical performance measures and related quantitative summaries provide a first-level screening and triaging tool for practitioners to assess user concerns regarding whether sufficient green times are being provided to avoid split failures. They can also provide outcome-based feedback to staff after making split adjustments to determine whether operation improved or worsened. The paper concludes by demonstrating how the information was used to make an operational decision to re-allocate green time that reduced the number of oversaturated cycles on minor movements from 304 to 222 during a Thursday 0900-1500 timing plan and from 240 to 180 during a Friday 0900-1500 timing plan.

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Graphical Performance Measures for Practitioners to Triage Split Failure Trouble Calls

Detector occupancy is commonly used to measure traffic signal performance. Despite improvements in controller computational power, there have been relatively few innovations in occupancy-based performance measures or integration with other data. This paper introduces and demonstrates the use of graphical performance measures based on detector occupancy ratios to verify potential split failures and other signal timing shortcomings reported to practitioners by the public. The proposed performance measures combine detector occupancy during the green phase, detector occupancy during the first five seconds of the red phase, and phase termination cause (gap out or force off). These are summarized by time of day to indicate whether the phase is undersaturated, nearly saturated, or oversaturated. These graphical performance measures and related quantitative summaries provide a first-level screening and triaging tool for practitioners to assess user concerns regarding whether sufficient green times are being provided to avoid split failures. They can also provide outcome-based feedback to staff after making split adjustments to determine whether operation improved or worsened. The paper concludes by demonstrating how the information was used to make an operational decision to re-allocate green time that reduced the number of oversaturated cycles on minor movements from 304 to 222 during a Thursday 0900-1500 timing plan and from 240 to 180 during a Friday 0900-1500 timing plan.