2007 National Traffic Signal Report Card

1. 2007 National Traffic Signal Report Card

2. The 2007 NationalTraffic Signal Report Card • Assess traffic signal operations across the country • Provide benchmarking tool for agencies • Publicize current state of systems • Promote benefits of good signal operation • Make case for additional resources • Present changes from the 2005 Report Card • Highlight success stories

3. What Is the Traffic SignalReport Card? • Management • Signal Operation at Individual Intersections • Signal Operation in Coordinated Systems • Signal Timing Practices • Traffic Monitoring and Data Collection • Maintenance An assessment of traffic signal operations in the following six areas:

4. How Was the Traffic Signal Report Card Developed? • Based upon responses to a self-assessment survey tool (50 questions) • Scoring system for each section and overall • Working group consisting of transportation professionals and NTOC members: • American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) • American Public Works Association (APWA) • Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) • Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) • International Municipal Signal Association (IMSA) • U.S. DOT - Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)

5. How Was the Self-Assessment Tool Distributed? • Significant advertising of the project through NTOC associations • Accessible to everyone via ITE’s Web site (still posted for anyone to use) • E-mailed to more than 500individuals

6. Who Actually Participated? • At least one agency response (state or local) in 47 states • 276 local jurisdictions • 67 counties • 28 Canadian agencies ……417 agencies participated in 2007…..up from 378 in 2005

7. Representing DifferentSize Signal Systems These agencies maintain about 45% of the nation’s 272,000 traffic signals

8. What Are the National Results?

12. Noteworthy Findings • Major improvement not realized on national basis…but only 2 years since last survey • Some agencies experienced significant improvement • Individual intersections section scored highest, except for systems with less than 50 signals • Maintenance section was second highest score – indicates a basic level of operation to ensure safety and protect the agency from liability

13. More Noteworthy Findings • Traffic monitoring and data collection section lowest score across all agency types and system size – indicates significant focus is needed • Very small systems (<50 signals) scored markedly lower in all categories • Overall, systems with 150-450 signals scored the highest – generally indicates balance of system size/complexity with resources

14. Section 1 – Management – D- Summary: • Overarching, documented philosophy for how agency operates and times signals • Overseeing traffic operations outside of normal working hours • Coordination and information sharing with the public, emergency service providers and event managers Findings: • The overall low score for this section is the most noteworthy finding • Only half the agencies reporting have resources monitoring/managing traffic on a regularly scheduled basis

17. Section 2 - Signal Operation at Individual Intersections - C Summary: • Regular review of signal timing • Review includes consideration of coordination, operations and safety • Develop and implement timing plans efficiently Findings: • Close to half of the agencies reported having little or no documented process that triggers a timing review • Once timing developed, installation and management of timing setting is good • Limited consideration and process to support other concurrent safety or operational changes

20. Section 3 - Signal Operation in Coordinated Systems - D Summary: • Regular review (3 years) of signal timing • Implementing updated timings quickly, once the need is established • Developing timings using a well-defined process • Including timing plans outside weekday peaks (off-peak, holidays, events and incidents) • Coordinating with adjacent jurisdictions Findings: • Only 2/3 of the reporting agencies are: • Conducting area-wide or corridor based signal timing review within 3 years • Have strong processes to develop signal timing • Coordinating across jurisdictional boundaries

23. Section 4 - Signal Timing Practices – C- Summary: • Applying time-space diagrams, timing parameters, queue discharge and turn bay capacity to signal systems • Field-reviewing timing plans • Adjusting timings for periods of light traffic (i.e. night-time) and special events Findings: • Nearly 60% of reporting agencies perform comparative analysis of cycle, offset, phase sequence, etc. • About 2/3 of the reporting agencies adjust timing for light traffic periods • About 2/3 of the reporting agencies have strong processes for timing actuated controllers

26. Section 5 – Traffic Monitoring and Data Collection - F Summary: • Regular process for gathering and analyzing traffic volume data • Quality assurance policies to review accuracy of surveillance data • Archiving and sharing data with other jurisdictions Findings: • Greatest potential for improvement • 43% reported little or no regular on-going program for collecting and analyzing traffic data for signal timing • Half reported that they do not assess data quality

29. Section 6 – Maintenance – C- Summary: • Adequate staffing and policies for signal technicians • Regular assessment of the condition of traffic control equipment • Asset management system to track maintenance, infrastructure and software Findings: • More than 2/3 of agencies have process in place to have a technician at an intersection within 1 hour (business hours) to 2 hours (non-business hours) • Almost 70% have regular preventive maintenance and operations review to assess condition of traffic control system

32. Where Do We Go From Here? Improving The Score GOAL: Performance excellence in traffic signal operation. • Proactive program management • Substantial traffic monitoring and data collection • Routine timing updates • Sound maintenance practices • Reasonably current traffic signal hardware * Benefits of investing in signal timing often outweigh costs by 40:1 or more!

33. Traffic Signal Program Management Essential Components: • Leadership focus • Strategic planning • Customer and market focus • Measurement, analysis and knowledge management • Workforce development and training • Process management • Focus on outcomes

34. The Benefits of Improvement— We Would See: • Reduction in traffic delay up to 40% and reductions in travel time up to 25% • Reduction in fuel consumption of up to 10% • Reduction in harmful emissions (carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds) up to 22%

35. What Can Agencies Do to Make the Case for More Resources? • Complete the traffic signal self assessment • Review their score • Perform traffic signal system audit • Pursue additional funding – local, MPO, state, federal • Talk with their agency’s leadership and public information officer • Publicize the efforts they are making to improve traffic signal management and operations

36. Success Stories Results for several agencies showed significant improvement. Characteristics of these programs include: • Used 2005 self assessment to evaluate programs and focus on critical areas • Made targeted life-cycle capital investments to reduce maintenance costs • Placed emphasis on a program of regular timing updates and arterial coordination • Sought independent peer review • Facilitated regional coordination

37. City of Austin, TXScore Improvement: C to A Specific Actions: • Utilized 2005 self assessment tool as a benchmark to identify deficiencies • Proactive management vs. reactive fixes - Scheduled the retiming of signals to every 3 years - Staff assigned to zones, creating sense of ownership Results: • Reduced maintenance calls from 5,000 to 2,500 in one year • 10% overall reduction in travel time for all arterials • 28% reduction in number of stops • 3.5% reduction in gallons of fuel

38. City of Alpharetta, GA Score Improvement: F to C Specific Actions: • Regular timing maintenance program • New technology • Ethernet communications • Internet-based application software Results: • 23% reduction in stops • 8% reduction in fuel consumption • 17% reduction in trip times • 31% reduction in delays • Significant reductions in HC, NOx and CO emissions

39. What if My Agency Did Not Participate in the Self Assessment? • Complete the self assessment now http://www.ite.org/selfassessment/ • Review the 2007 National Traffic Signal Report Card Technical Report http://www.ite.org/reportcard • Baseline your agency against the national scores • Perform a traffic signal system audit, (see Traffic Signal Audit Guide)http://www.ite.org/reportcard/traffic_audit_FINAL.pdf

40. Questions? • For additional information contact: Lisa Fontana TierneyTraffic Engineering Senior DirectorInstitute of Transportation Engineers1099 14th Street, NWSuite 300 WestWashington, DC 20005 Phone: (202) 289-0222Fax: (202) 289-7722 ltierney@ite.org

41. Traffic Signal Tools • 2007 Traffic Signal Operations Self Assessment. Washington DC: NTOC, 2006 (http://www.ite.org/selfassessment/) • Traffic Signal Audit Guide (http://www.ite.org/reportcard/) • And more…..

42. Traffic Signal Resources (ITE) • Philip J. Tarnoff and Javier Ordonez. Signal Timing Practices and Procedures: State of the Practice. Washington, DC: Institute of Transportation Engineers, 2004. • Traffic Signal Timing: Moving State-of-the-Practice Closer to State of the Art. Intelligent Transportation Systems for Traffic Control, pg.1. USDOT ITS Joint Program Office. January 2007. • Benefits of Retiming Traffic Signals. Washington, DC: ITE, 2005.2007. • Assessment of Puget Sound Regional Traffic Signal Operations Program (www.ite.org) • Mid-America Regional Council Transportation Department’s “Operation Green Light” (www.ite.org) • Overview of the 2007 National Traffic Signal Report Card PowerPoint (www.ite.org) • Reno, Nevada’s Traffic Signal Retiming Project (www.ite.org)

43. Organizations/Training • American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials • (www.transportation.org) • American Public Works Association (www.apwa.net) • Consortium for ITS Training and Education (www.citeconsortium.org) • Federal Highway Administration Resource Center, Peer-to-Peer Program (www.fhwa.dot.gov) • Arterial Management Program (http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/arterial_mgmt/index.htm) • University Transportation Centers/Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) Centers • Institute of Transportation Engineers (www.ite.org) – Technical Councils • Intelligent Transportation Society of America (www.itsa.org) • International Municipal Signal Association (www.imsasafety.org) • Transportation Research Board (www.trb.org) • National Cooperative Highway Research Program (www.trb.org/crp/about/divd.asp)

44. TRAFFIC SIGNAL OPERATIONS SPECIALIST™ (TSOS) • The Traffic Signal Operations Specialist™ (TSOS) certification program is intended for candidates without licensure who have a wide range of education and experience with traffic signals, such as engineers and technicians/technologists. This certification compliments the Professional Traffic Operations Engineer™ (PTOE) certification and will not substitute for appropriate professional licenses when they are required for specific responsibilities or jurisdictions. • http://www.tpcb.org/tsos/

45. Arterial Management – Traffic Signal FHWA Web Site http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/arterial_mgmt/traffic_sig.htm • Traffic Signal Management • Traffic Signal Operations & Maintenance • Traffic Signal Timing • Awareness & Outreach, Publications, Training, Research

46. 2007 National Traffic Signal Report Card