1 Managing Travel For Planned Special Events: The VA Department of Transportation’s Traffic Signal System Approach National Transportation Operations Coalition (NTOC) Webcast on Planned Special Events Ling Li, P.E. Katherine D. Jefferson January 27, 2005

2 Presentation Outline Introduction Program Planning Event Operations Planning Implementation Activities Day-of-Event Activities Post-Event Activities Conclusion

3

4

5

6

7 Program Planning Byproduct of traffic signal optimization. Initiated by VDOT staff and in response to external requests for assistance. Evaluation of existing signal timings. Stakeholder meetings.

8 Event Operations Planning Four Activities: –Data Collection –Data Analysis –Timing Plan Development –Simulation and Fine-tuning

9 Data Collection Of the three types of data collected – traffic counts, existing timing plans, roadway conditions/geometric data – only traffic counts are collected for special events.

10 Data Analysis Tabulating traffic counts and summarizing in spreadsheets. Comparing traffic count data with central system traffic volumes at adjacent intersections (balancing). Creating an area map. Using flow diagrams from the central system to determine the number of plans to be developed.

11 Timing Plan Development/Optimization Level of Service (LOS) and delay calculated for each affected intersection. Coordination maintained. Synchro used for optimization. Adjustments made using Time-Space Diagrams (iterative process).

12 Simulation and Fine-tuning/Validation SimTraffic used for simulation. Simulations used to compare optimized timing plans (from Synchro) with observed traffic conditions and known motorist tendencies.

13 Day-of-Event Activities On-site and control room monitoring. Timing plan adjustments in accordance with real-time traffic conditions. Internal (facility) traffic control challenges.

14

15 Post-Event Activities Debriefing Sessions –Evaluate timing plan effectiveness. –Identify intersection modifications, transportation and operational improvements. –Create feedback loop for timing plan development for future events.

16

17

18

19 Conclusion Inter-jurisdictional Coordination (IJC): –Has become routine and extends beyond planned special events to emergency response plan development and continual data sharing. Staff participation on MWCOG ITS Task Force Signal Committee. Regular bi-monthly meetings of signal system managers and engineers.

20 Conclusion (cont.) Challenges: –Institutional impediments, –Manpower constraints/staffing loss, –Technological difficulties, –Continual growth of regional economy.

21 Conclusion (cont.) Role of ITS technologies: –Enables continual signal timing plan development. –Enables development of recommendations for additions and/or improvements to other traffic control devices. –Enables provision of traveler information to influence route choice.