Scalable Dashboard for Identifying Split Failures and Heuristic for Reallocating Split Times. Issue 1 (2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Li, Howell; Richardson, Lucy M.; Day, Christopher M.; Howard, James; Bullock, Darcy M.
• Is Part Of: Transportation research record. Volume 2620:Issue 1(2017)
• Page Start: 83
• Page End: 95
• Publication Date: 2017
• Subjects: Transportation -- Periodicals; Roads; Transport -- Périodiques; Routes -- Périodiques; Routes -- Conception et construction -- Périodiques; Roads; Transportation; 388.05
• DOI: 10.3141/2620-08
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0361-1981

Abstract

The three fundamental parameters of a traffic signal system are split, cycle, and offset. This paper describes the use of high-resolution data ( a ) to identify time periods during which split parameters may be insufficient and ( b ) to help practitioners identify opportunities for reallocating split time. A case study of seven corridors with 47 intersections is presented. A drill-down approach was developed to identify movements that could be improved by a reallocation of split times. A heuristic that can reallocate up to 5 seconds of underutilized green time on a competing phase was applied to those corridors. For the selected phase identified in this study, the adjustment reduced split failures by an average of 40% while also decreasing yellow occupancy an average of 40% and red light violations an average of 66%. The paper concludes by recommending that central systems implement drill-down dashboards. Such tools would enable easy identification and systemwide monitoring of split failures and would provide opportunities to reallocate slack time.