Mission Street Project Update Voyage 2070 Advance Operation Systems Using ASTRO Proactive Plan Selection Average and Split Variant operations Prepared By: Roger W. Boettcher ODOT Traffic Signal Control Specialist February 7, 2013

Project Credits The Mission Street project was originally conceived as a proof of product test facility for NWS Voyage Advanced Features firmware and as a 2070 controller training grounds. Beginning in January of ODOT installed 7 new 2070 controllers on Mission Street.

Project Credits Thanks to the efforts and technical support of, Northwest Signal. The cooperation from the City of Salem Region 2 engineering and electrical crews Traffic Signal Services Unit (TSSU) With the efforts of these people and organizations this project became a reality and has been operational for the past 24 months.

Project History Mission street is a major arterial corridor that was re-timed 10 years prior to our project. Our improvements and test facilities are located at 7 intersections along this corridor from I-5 Northbound off-ramp west to 17 th street. Project goals were to improve existing failed timing operations and resolve traffic flow issues at 3 major intersections.

Mission Street Layout Project History Inbound AM Outbound PM Problem intersec tion Problem Intersections

Travel Time Results Project History Prior to improvements Mission street travel times were found to be 8 to 11 minutes each direction during peak periods. After installation of Voyage 2070 controllers travel times reduced to 4 to 4.5 minutes. A reduction between 50-60%.

Terms and Definitions Advanced Features – All traffic adaptive operations within Voyage. –Dynamic Phase Length (DPL) –Dynamic Phase Reversal (DPR) –Auto Max –Repeat Phase Service (RPS) –Late Left Turn (LLT)

Terms and Definitions Advanced Features – All traffic adaptive operations within Voyage. (cont.) ‘ASTRO’ –Platoon Progression –Proactive Plan Selection (PPS) –Proactive Average Operation (PPA) –Split Variant Operation (SVO)

Terms and Definitions Split Variant In-bound (SVI) Split Variant Out-bound (SVO) Host or Base plans (5, 8, 12, and 15) Guest plans (4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, and 16) Border Plans (3 and 10) Proactive Average Plans (0, 1 and 2) Ped. Override Mode (POM)

Terms and Definitions The base plans or ‘Host’ plans serve as just that, hosts to their respective clones or ‘Guest’ plans. Host plan 8 serves the morning heavy plan ‘Triad’ and has two ‘Guest’ plans. Plans 7 and 9 which are associated copies of the Host plan.

Terms and Definitions SVO uses the same cycle length and off-set for the guest plans as that of the hosts. This means no transitions between plans and a smooth re-allocation of cycle time to serve higher demand phases!

Terms and Definitions Master System Detectors. Require free flow for operations. Are Part of local system detection at intersections. Determine control thresholds for PPA, SVO, and SVI operations.

Terms and Definitions Locations of Master System Detection is one of the primary steps to operations of Voyage Proactive Plan Selection and Split Variant Operations. This step is critical in the development and will require some sound judgment and observations for accurate results.

Terms and Definitions Reference Proactive Average Plans 0, 1 and 2. Plan 0 = Free. Border Crossing Plans 3 and 10. V+Ko {volume + [K * % occupancy]} = {v+[40 * % occ]} = control threshold. V+Ko in-bound or out-bound.

Terms and Definitions Plans Library Guest Plans are located above and below Host plans as shown with 4,6,7,9,11, 13,14, and 16 Host Plans are 5,8,12, and 15 Plans are grouped in Triads

Project Outline Reference The project was designed to proceed in logical steps. Step 1 replace 170 controllers and revise existing timing for 2070 operations. Step 2 revise coordination off-set reference to start of main street green.

Project Outline Reference Step 3 revise Pedestrian and Red, Yellow clearance times to current standards. Step 4 gather background volume, occupancy and MOE data for analysis. Step 5 generate basic ‘Host’ timing plans optimized using Synchro.

Project Outline Reference Step 6 observe operations of host timing plans using standard TOD operations. Step 7 continue to collect background volume, occupancy and MOE data for analysis. Step 8 develop additional ‘Guest’ plans for SVO operations.

Project Outline Reference Step 9 install and activate Guest plans. (SVO and SVI) Step 10 adjust activation thresholds for optimal operations. Step 11 activate PPA operations for shoulder times of day.

Project Outline Reference Step 12 from observations, volumes, occupancy data and MOE’s adjust guest plan splits for optimal performance. Step 13 add additional feature overlays to system operations. Step 14 evaluate performance of all features (ongoing through all steps)

Project Outline Reference Step 15 repeat all performance and installation evaluations using TransSuite Central Control Traffic Responsive Operations. (As a product comparison with NWS Central Voyage Advance Features Operations).

Mission Street Discoveries Step We found that step 1-3 installations yielded nearly 20% improvements. Through put volumes were increased and the travel time delays, for the entire system, were reduced.

Mission Street Discoveries Step These reductions are believed to be due to the inclusion of POM and the use of “Fast-way mode” for transition recovery. 2070’s get into step from transitions quicker than the 170’s and do not have to go into dwell.

Mission Street Discoveries Master System Detectors Step 4 Master System Detectors were determined for optimal flows. This process was not as easy as it sounds. Due to the existing queues on Mission Free Flowing Volumes were not possible. Three alternative configurations were assessed before finding the best fit.

Mission Street Discoveries Master System Detectors Step 4 Two inbound master system detectors Three outbound master system detectors Outbound flow   Inbound flow Best Fit Layout

Mission Street Discoveries Step The plans library was populated with host and guest plans, designed to cover the various traffic conditions. This allowed us to collect appropriate v+ko data from the background without activating the advanced features on the street. These values intern lead to an appropriate TOD operations Table.

Mission Street Discoveries Synchro Models Step 5 Synchro Optimizations determined cycle lengths off-sets and v/c ratios. High, med. and low operation limits from models. Data was compiled from several time periods for the year. A growth factor was applied to inflate or deflate these values for the models as they stand today.

Mission Street Discoveries Synchro Models Step 5 Plan names reflect their V+ko values and cycle lengths Plan groups are cloned from Host plans

Mission Street Discoveries Synchro Models Step 5

Shoulder time ST

Voyage Plans Library Data Entry Table Step 6

Voyage Plans Library Data Entry Table (cont.) Steps 7 & 8

Voyage PPA/SVO Operations Data Entry Table Step 9

Mission Street Discoveries V+Ko Logs Step 10

We can capture fluctuations that occur in the morning rush and can make appropriate adjustments to the normal operational splits that the host plan or medium plan is using. As you will see in the following slide at 7:45 there is a significant rise in the v+ko values. The system responds nearly as quickly as the rise in the values and selects an appropriate plan. Once the event passes the system makes a quick adjustment to the lower host plan and then to the low volume guest plan.

Mission Street Discoveries Step 10 AM event captured and plan selection made by SVO operations AM 07:55

Mission Street Discoveries V+Ko Logs Steps 11 The previous and following slides show the relationship between plans, their start and stop times, and the threshold v+ko values that drive selections. I’m currently working on an Excel tool that will allow us to use the raw data from the controller with plan overlays, optimized target volumes, and start / stop times of each operation. The tool should allow us to graphically select v+ko threshold values appropriate to the operations. Even without the this tool we can see the relationship of these thresholds.

Mission Street Discoveries V+Ko Logs Steps 11 SVI on/ TOD Host P8 TOD Host P5 SVI off/ SVO on Host P12 TOD Host P15 SVO off/ PPA on TOD Free P9 P8 P7 P6 P4 P5 P13 P11 P12 P16 P14 P15 P2 Free P1 P8 P7 Inbound Heavy Triad Plans 7, 8 and 9 Outbound Heavy Triad Plans 14, 15 and 16

Mission Street Discoveries Hysteresis control table Steps 11 PPS not currently active PPA 2 entries required SVO 16 entries required Master System Detectors 16 entries req’d.

Mission Street Discoveries V+Ko Logs Steps 11 In this slide you can see that the v+ko values for the morning operations have levels that will keep the system operational in host plan 8 until such time as the v+ko values drop or rise above the operational parameters of this host plan.

Mission Street Discoveries V+Ko Logs Steps 11 In the case of the time after 9:30 we see that we can shift some of the split time from a major phase and use that time in the minor phases by calling SVI Plan 4. Additionally we can rob time from minor phases to extend Main line with SVI Plan 6.

Mission Street Discoveries V+Ko Logs Steps 11 PPA allows extension of Plan coordination beyond TOD events and is operational on the shoulder times in the evenings and early morning after mid-night. 19:00 call to Free operations Free operations start here +/-

Mission Street Discoveries Step 12 We are currently fully activated using Proactive Average, and Split Variant operations. In the next slide we see typical v+ko and plan selection data as provided by the master logs within Voyage.

Mission Street Discoveries Step 12 With the data provide by Voyage MOE logs we can track the areas of concern. Use these measures to determine the extent of improvement gained by the adjustments we make along the way. Each intersection has a story to tell and areas that will either identify problems and/or optimal use of the green times for the intersection at a glance. The following slides illustrate this concept and show the relative improvements gained with the activation of the advanced feature operations.

Mission Street Discoveries MOE Graph (Before) Here we have a typical Monday on Mainline Mission Phase 2 has no periods that could leave the phase early

Mission Street Discoveries MOE Graph (After) After PPA and SVO is operational we see a better use of the split times and a reduction in Mainline Max-out

Mission Street Discoveries MOE Graph (After) After additional minor adjustments we see even better results

Mission Street Discoveries MOE Graph (Before)

Mission Street Discoveries MOE Graph (After)

Mission Street Discoveries MOE Graph (Before) The consequence of better service at a critical intersection may be seen in this example

Mission Street Discoveries MOE Graph (After) We may see a bit of an increase in the delay at a less critical intersection that can absorb the additional queuing

Traffic Responsive TransSuite Equivalent to PPA Operations Data Step 14

Conclusions Given the relative ease of this process. Very good results with any or all of these features. Proactive Average is probably the most useful out of the box feature. Split Variant Operations can gain estimated 5 to 10 percent improvement for short term conditions through the day. Other features can be added to these features as overlays. Are there any questions?