A Methodology and Case Study: Evaluating the Benefits and Costs of Implementing Automated Traffic Signal Performance

Printable version [PDF 4.6 MB]
You may need the Adobe® Reader® to view the PDFs on this page.

U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
Office of Operations
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
ops.fhwa.dot.gov

April 2020
FHWA-HOP-20-003

---

Table of Contents

[ Notice and Quality Assurance Statement ] [ Technical Report Documentation Page ] [ SI Modern Metric Conversion Factors ] [ List of Acronyms ]

Executive Summary
	Cost-benefit Estimation Methodology
	Lessons Learned from Case Studies
		Support of Leadership Yields Successful Implementations
		Considerations for Implementation and Integration
		Estimating Benefits and Costs
Chapter 1. Introduction and Concepts
	Background
	Motivation for Automated Traffic Signal Performance Measures
	Integration into Business Practices
	Assessing Benefits and Costs of Performance-based Management
	Approach to Benefit-cost Estimation Methodology
Chapter 2. Relevant Prior Work
	Event Data Concept
	Performance Measures and Use Cases
	Implementation
Chapter 3. Benefit-cost Methodology
	Documenting Benefits
	Eenefits of Benefit-cost Analysis
		Potential Costs of Automated Traffic Signal Performance Measures
		Potential Benefits of Automated Traffic Signal Performance Measures
		Assessing Benefits and Costs of Infrastructure Investments beyond Automated Traffic Signal Performance Measures
	Methodology
		Cost Items
		Benefit Items
		Example Application
	Conclusions and Future Work
Chapter 4. Conclusions and Recommendations
	Planning for the System
	Procuring for Deploying the System
	Operating the System
Appendix A. Case Studies
	Georgia Department of Transportation
		Business Processes and Signal Systems Benchmarking
		Approach to Implementation
		Automated Traffic Signal Performance Measures Use
		Benefits and Costs
		Lessons Learned
		Benefit-cost Methodology Application Tables
	Utah Deparment of Transportation
		Approach to Implementation
		Bringing the System Together
		Integration of Automated Traffic Signal Performance Measures into Agency Practices
		Institutionalization through Usage
		New Methods of Managing Signal Timing
		Improved Response to Public Calls
		Automated Detector Anomaly Detection
		Benefits and Costs
		Lessons Learned
		Benefit-cost Methodology Application Tables
	Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
		Approach to Implementation (Pennsylvania Department of Transportation)
		Approach to Implementation (Cranberry Township)
		Business Processes and Signal Systems Benchmarking (Pennsylvania Department of Transportation)
		Business Processes and Signal Systems Benchmarking (Cranberry Township)
		Benefits and Costs
		Lessons Learned
		Benefit-cost Methodology Application Tables
	Maricopa County Department of Transportation
		Approach to Implementation
		Business Processes and Signal Systems Benchmarking
		Benefits and Costs
		Lessons Learned
		Benefit-cost Methodology Application Tables
	Lake County Department of Transportation
		Approach to Implementation
		Business Processes and Signal Systems Benchmarking
		Benefits and Costs
		Lessons Learned
		Benefit-cost Methodology Application Tables
	Clark County, Washington
		Approach to Implementation
		Business Processes and Signal Systems Benchmarking
		Issues
		Benefits and Costs
		Lessons Learned
		Benefit-cost Methodology Application Tables
Appendix B. Additional Resources
References

List of Figures

Figure 1. Illustration. Primary items in the benefit-cost methodology.

Figure 2. Illustration. Overview of case study benefits and costs.

Figure 3. Graph. Diffusion of innovations according to Rogers.

Figure 4. Bar Chart. Select agency adoption of high-resolution controllers as of 2019.

Figure 5. Flowchart. Connections between context, objective, strategy, tactics, and performance measures.

Figure 6. Illustration. Example of states and event data.

Figure 7. Illustration. A hierarchical view of signal system functionalities and areas for performance measurement.

Figure 8. Map. Status of automated traffic signal performance measures implementation in January 2017.

Figure 9. Map. Status of automated traffic signal performance measures implementation adoption in December 2018.

Figure 10. Graph. Comparison of proactive and reactive management.

Figure 11. Map. Traffic signal quantities and locations in Georgia.

Figure 12. Bar Chart. Performance measure availability (based on analysis of intersections with metrics available on the Utah Department of Transportation website on May 31, 2019).

Figure 13. Flowchart. Transformation from traditional signal timing to a new process enabled by automated traffic signal performance measures.

Figure 14. Bar Chart. Automated traffic signal performance measures use cases in Utah over a 10-month period from August, 2013, to May, 2014.

Figure 15. Map. Location of Cranberry Township.

Figure 16. Map. Roadways maintained by Maricopa County Department of Transportation.

Figure 17. Map. Location of Lake County, Illinois.

List of Tables

Table 1. Quantified benefits of performance-based management in previous studies

Table 2. Costs and benefits for performance-based management

Table 3. Mapping of objectives to performance measures

Table 4. Studies presenting documentation of user benefit from active management of traffic signal systems

Table 5. List of cost items

Table 6. List of benefit items

Table 7. Effect of interest rates

Table 8. Major agencies’ characteristics

Table 9. Georgia Department Transportation agency characteristics

Table 10. Georgia Department of Transportation implementation and life cycle costs

Table 11. Georgia Department of Transportation post-implementation and life cycle agency benefits

Table 12. Georgia Department of Transportation post-implementation and life cycle public benefits

Table 13. Estimated cost of implementation according to Utah Department of Transportation

Table 14. Utah Department of Transportation implementation and life cycle costs

Table 15. Utah Department of Transportation post-implementation and life cycle benefits

Table 16. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation characteristics

Table 17. Cranberry Township implementation and life cycle costs

Table 18. Cranberry Township post-implementation and life cycle benefits

Table 19. Maricopa County Department of Transportation agency characteristics

Table 20. Advantages of automated traffic signal performance measures, as stated by Maricopa County Department of Transportation

Table 21. Maricopa County Department of Transportation implementation and life cycle costs

Table 22. Maricopa County Department of Transportation post-implementation and life cycle benefits

Table 23. Lake County Department of Transportation agency characteristics

Table 24. Lake County Department of Transportation implementation and life cycle costs

Table 25. Lake County Department of Transportation post-implementation and life cycle agency benefits

Table 26. Clark County agency characteristics

Table 27. Clark County implementation and life cycle costs

Table 28. Clark County post-implementation and life cycle benefits