Planning for Success: Applying Systems Engineering to ASCT Implementation

1. Planning for Success: Applying Systems Engineering to ASCT Implementation TRANSPO 2012 October 29, 2012 Eddie Curtis, PE FHWA Office of Operations / Resource Center

2. Trigger Event • 1 • Monitor Traffic Adaptive Signal Control Technology • Data Collection • Modeling / Optimization • 3 • Update Timing • 2 • EvaluatePerformance • Implement & Fine Tune • Reporting

3. US Implementation 1992-2009 Source: NCHRP 403 2010 & FHWA Arterial Management Program

4. ASCT Systems Deactivated 1992 - 2009

5. Knowledge gained from demonstrations • Substantial benefits over coordinated TOD operation • Travel time, Delay, Emissions, • Congestion, Safety • Most effective where demand conditions are Variable and unpredictable • Linear Arterials, limited success within tight grids • Under Saturated

6. What we know about Traffic Signal Management & Operations Practices 2005 2007 2012

7. Better, Faster, Smarter • Shortening Project Delivery • Planning & Environmental Linkages • Legal Sufficiency Enhancements • Expanding Use of Programmatic Agreements • Use of In–Lieu Fee and Mitigation Banking • Clarifying the Scope of Preliminary Design • Flexibilities in ROW • Flexibilities in Utility Accommodation and Relocation • Enhanced Technical Assistance on Ongoing EISs Technology Innovation • Warm Mix Asphalt • Precast Bridge Elements • Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil • Safety Edge • Adaptive Signal Control Technology

8. Benefits • Better • Benefits to Road Users & Agencies • Travel time reduction 13% - 50% • Fuel Consumption 8% - 38% • Ongoing performance measurement • Smarter • Solves problems that are difficult to address with time-of-day and traffic responsive • Saves cost of mundane data collection and retiming • Faster • Reduces retiming intervals from years to minutes

9. Barriers to Adoption • Complexity • Cost • Uncertainty about Benefits

10. Possible Approaches • Consumer Reports • Evaluate Available Technology • Consult with vendors / Distributors • Deploy small scale system (DEMONSTRATION) • Evaluate • Abandon or Expand • Systems Engineering • Objectives • Needs / Constraints • Requirements • Design • Implement • Verification • Validation • (Operate & Maintain) • Abandon or Expand

11. Successful Deployment • Goals well understood • Agency describes its needs • Positive response to requirements in RFP • Requirements are verified • Performance objectives are validated • System is effective over entire life cycle

12. What are the Risks - ASCT? • Problem could be solved with other strategies • Functional Objectives of the system do not align with agency objectives • Loss of other critical functions / features • Constraints not properly addressed • Cost • Maintenance

13. Other Risk Issues • Technology NEW to most • Technology still evolving • Most systems have very limited track record • Documented history of failed ASCT projects (40%+) • Significantly increased complexity • Extremely dependant upon infrastructure • Communications systems • Detection • Staff • Not “one size fits all” • Marketing often exceeds performance

14. The Role of Systems Engineering

15. Purpose of SE Model Documents • Evaluate need for Adaptive Control • Help agencies identify verifiable, needs-driven requirements for evaluating design and implementation choices • Model documents greatly reduce systems engineering effort by providing wording and documentation… • …but agencies still must identify their needs

16. Model Document Process

17. FHWA Every Day Counts Outreach/Support/Technical Assistance

18. US Implementation 2010 - 2012

19. FHWA EDC/ASCT Influence 2010-2012

20. Rate of Implementation

21. Application of Systems Engineering

22. Influencing Change “Innovation is not what the customers does it is what the customer adopts” ~ Jesse Glazer CAL-SOUTH Change Agent

23. Eddie Curtis, P.E. Traffic Management Specialist (404) 562-3920 eddie.curtis@dot.gov Questions? http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/everydaycounts