CommuterLink: Improving Efficiency and Safety in Transportation Management

2. Definition - CommuterLink CommuterLink is an interagency transportation management system. What does that mean? Put another way, it is the use of computer and communication technologies to: • Monitor the transportation system • Manage the transportation system • Provide information to the traveler

3. Mission CommuterLink has two primary missions or purposes:

4. Mission CommuterLink has two primary missions or purposes: • Efficiency- By improving the efficiency of the transportation system, it saves time, saves money, reduces air pollution, and reduces fuel consumption. It aligns with the UDOT Strategic Goal to “Make the System Work Better”

5. Mission CommuterLink has two primary missions or purposes: • Efficiency- By improving the efficiency of the transportation system, it saves time, saves money, reduces air pollution, and reduces fuel consumption. It aligns with the UDOT Strategic Goal to “Make the System Work Better” • Safety- CommuterLink improves safety by helping to respond to and clear traffic incidents faster. It aligns with UDOT’s Strategic Goal to “Improve Safety”.

6. The Problem Traffic congestion is growing faster than our ability to add increased capacity to our highway system.

7. Growth in Travel and US Economy Vehicle-Miles GDP Population Lane-Miles

8. Growth In Transportation 1980-2000

9. Traffic Congestion Across the US

10. Costs of Traffic Congestion • 75 Largest Urban Areas in US • 3.6 Billion Hours of Delay • 5.7 Billion Extra Gallons of Fuel • $ 67 Billion Economic Cost

11. Causes of Traffic Congestion

12. Causes of Traffic Congestion • CommuterLink is able to improve on the 60% • Incidents • Weather • Work Zone • Special Events • Poor Traffic Signal Timing

13. Services CommuterLink fulfills its mission by providing the following services: • Traffic Signal Management • Freeway Incident Management • Freeway Traffic Management • Traveler Information • Interagency Real-Time Transportation Information Exchange • Transit

14. Services • Traffic Signal Management • Traffic signal coordination • Traffic signal real-time optimization • Traffic signal maintenance management

15. Traffic Signal Control

16. Why Manage Traffic Signals? • Traffic signals determine the capacity of major streets • Stops and delays at signals reduce average speeds by 25 % to 50 % • 25 % of all accidents are at intersections

17. Those Darn Red Lights ! • Cause 2 Billion stops • Cause 20 Million hours of Delay • But remember - Your red light is someone else’s green light!

18. Traffic Signal Computer Control 1338 Traffic Signals

19. Services • Freeway Incident Management • Incident Management Teams • Traffic warning and diversion using VMS and HAR

20. Traffic Incident Management

22. Incident Management Operations

23. Services • Freeway Traffic Management • Ramp metering • Travel time and alternate route messages using VMS and HAR • Management of off-ramp traffic signals • Electronic tolling (planned)

24. Why Manage Freeway Traffic ? • 50 % of freeway congestion due to incidents • 20 % of all accidents are the result of a previous accident

26. Why Manage Freeway Traffic ? • 50 % of freeway congestion due to incidents • 20 % of all accidents are the result of a previous accident • “Productivity” of freeway decreases during congestion

27. Ramp Meters 28 Ramp Meters

28. Variable Message Signs 107 Freeway Signs

31. Services Traveler Information • CommuterLink web site • 511 • Text pages • Highway advisory radio (HAR) • Real-time traffic data to private sector information providers • Live video to TV stations • Live radio traffic reports

32. Traveler Information Radio Television

33. Traveler Information

34. CommuterLink Web Site

36. Variable Message Signs (VMS)Controlled at TOC

39. Traveler Information

40. Traveler Information

41. Services • Interagency Real-Time Transportation Information Exchange • Interagency traffic information distribution • Video distribution to law enforcement dispatch centers • Computer-aided dispatch data to transportation agencies • Road-Weather information

42. Services • Transit • Light rail train traffic signal priority system • Bus rapid transit traffic signal priority system • Connection protection

43. Technology CommuterLink provides these services using the following technology • Communications • Computer systems and software • Field Devices

44. Technology • Communications • Fiber-optic communication system • Leased communication services, such as DSL • Wireless network communications

45. Technology • Computer systems and software • Computer-controlled traffic signal and ramp meter systems • Freeway VMS and camera control software • Traffic monitoring systems • Web site

46. Utah Department of TransportationTraffic Operations Center

48. Technology • Field Devices • 535 Closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV) • 107 Variable message signs (VMS) • 53 Road-weather information systems (RWIS) • 260 Traffic monitoring stations (TMS) • 19 Highway advisory radio (HAR) • 28 Ramp Meters • 1338 Traffic signals interconnected • Traffic signal video detection • 750 miles of Fiber Optic cable

49. Original Goals • Reduce freeway delays by 30% • Reduce traffic signal stops by 20% • Reduce intersection delays by 20% • Increase peak-hour freeway speed by 15% • Reduce freeway accidents by 20%

50. Actual Performance • Reduce freeway delays by 30% • Actual: Freeway delays reduced 36% • Reduce traffic signal stops by 20% • Actual: Reduced 15.2% • Reduce intersection delays by 20% • Actual: Reduced 26.9% • Increase peak-hour freeway speed by 15% • Actual: Increased 19.5% • Reduce freeway accidents by 20% • Actual: Still being studied More than $100 million in annual user-cost savings