Traffic Operations and Management

This report investigates impacts to local traffic operations at intersections adjacent to signal preemption by SPRINTER commuter trains and countermeasures that would minimize these impacts. Optimization models have been developed to estimate the waiting queue at the end of the preemption operation and to quickly clear the queue while minimizing overall traffic delay. Based on the optimization models, optimized signal timing plans for a total of 10 intersections were proposed, which are designed to facilitate the clearance of the queue accumulated during the preemption, as well as to...

This report presents the results of Phase I of a multi-year research effort on "Field Investigation of Advanced Vehicle Reidentification Techniques and Detector Technologies," and extends previous PATH research by the authors on MOU 336 "Section-Related Measures of Traffic System Performance: Prototype Field Implementation." The focus of this research included the following: significant expansion and enhancement of the ILD-based vehicle reidentification system at a major signalized intersection in Irvine, California to address reidentification of turning vehicles in addition to through...

This working paper has been prepared as part of research to develop a combined quantitative and qualitative approach to planning for improved intermodal connectivity at California airports. The quantitative approach involves the development of an Intermodal Airport Ground Access Planning Tool that combines an air passenger model choice model, a model of transportation provider behavior and a traffic network analysis model. The qualitative approach will be used to enhance the quantitative analysis to account for those factors which are difficult to quantify and to provide recommended policy...

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) has the potential to improve mass transit service and contribute to reduced traffic congestion in urban areas. To achieve this improvement in service BRT will require the use of dedicated bus lanes together with lane assist and precision docking (LA/PD) to accelerate the passenger boarding process. Using this approach, BRT lanes can be reduced somewhat in width. However, such a reduction will result in increased channelization of traffic which in turn can lead to a more rapid development of pavement distress. With today’s improved pavement engineering technology, it...