Innovation of the Month:
Automated
Traffic Signal
Performance Measures
Using automated traffic signal performance
measures (ATSPMs) to actively monitor
signalized intersections helps agencies address traffic problems before they
become customer complaints.
The Colorado Department of Transportation
(CDOT) implemented ATSPMs on about 50 traffic signals on six arterial corridors
in the Denver area. CDOT is updating infrastructure at 100 additional signal
locations to collect and analyze high-resolution data logs from signal
controllers and generate reports to evaluate the benefits. CDOT reports
improvement in response times and cost savings by proactively addressing signal
operation and maintenance issues. Complaints from the public on signals in optimized
corridors decreased by as much as 30 percent.
The Virginia Department of Transportation
(VDOT) is demonstrating ATSPMs at about 25 intersections in the agency’s
Northwest Region. VDOT is tracking performance metrics at the intersections
such as traffic volume counts and platoon progression, in which a platoon of
vehicles leaving one intersection arrives at the next while the traffic light
is green. VDOT set up the performance metrics using free ATSPM software developed by the Utah Department of Transportation.
Download ATSPM software
at the Federal Highway Administration’s Open
Source Application Development portal.
See presentations from a Purdue University workshop for background and
technical information on ATSPMs.
Hands-On Training Centers
Dedicated to Highway First Responders
Partnering with the State Patrol, the Colorado
and Pennsylvania Departments of Transportation recently launched realistic and
full-scale training centers for first responders. Replicating a concrete
interstate and other highway segments, the centers enable first responders to
practice tactics and strategies that improve safety and minimize their exposure
to traffic hazards when responding to traffic incidents. The National Traffic Incident Management
(TIM) Responder Training Program trains
police, fire, emergency medical service, towing, and transportation personnel
how to work together, operate safely, and quickly clear the roadway. Building a
specialized facility that enables practical TIM training extends the classroom
product and further advances the state of the practice through real-life
exercises and enhanced collaboration. For more information, contact Paul
Jodoin of FHWA.
Ohio Evaluates Project Inspection Tool
The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT)
used State Transportation Innovation Council
Incentive funds to evaluate the use of
portable devices and a software tool to conduct erosion and sediment control
inspections. ODOT used an off-the-shelf software tool on five pilot projects
during the 2016 and 2017 construction seasons that enabled inspectors to record
findings and automatically generate a comprehensive inspection report. ODOT
reports that the pilot project results showed improvement in the quality of
erosion and sediment control implementation and increased efficiency in data
collection for environmental permit compliance. For example, the software
required regular photo documentation at project sites, which allowed ODOT to
check inspectors’ performance and notify contractors early if an installation
did not meet ODOT standards. For information, contact Andy
Thompson of the FHWA Ohio Division.
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