Travel Behavior

Transit Signal Priority Research Tools

Li, Yue
Koonce, Peter
Li, Meng
Zhou, Kun
Li, Yuwei
Beaird, Scott
Zhang, Wei-Bin
Hegen, Larry
Hu, Kang
Skabardonis, Alex
Sun, Z Sonja
California Department of Transportation
University of California, Berkeley
Kittelson and Associates, Incorporated
Department of Transportation
2008

This report presents the results of a research project that addresses Transit Signal Priority (TSP) deployment issues. The report reviews National Transportation Communications for ITS Protocol (NTCIP) 1211 Signal Control and Prioritization (SCP) standards, defines five SCP scenarios, and describes how the SCP scenarios can be applied differently based on TSP priority and operating policies. The report provides an overview of a number of TSP systems, including centralized TSP, two discrete TSP systems based on loop detection and Global Positioning System (GPS) technologies, and an Adaptive...

Traffic Signal Optimization with Application of Transit Signal Priority to an Isolated Intersection

Christofa, Eleni
Skabardonis, Alexander
2011

Transit signal priority (TSP) is a control strategy that has been used extensively to improve transit operations in urban networks. However, several issues related to TSP deployment—including the effect of TSP on auto traffic and the provision of priority to transit vehicles traveling in conflicting directions at traffic signals—have not yet been addressed satisfactorily by existing control systems. This paper presents a real-time, traffic-responsive signal control system for signal priority on conflicting transit routes that also minimizes the negative effects on auto traffic. The...

Traffic Analysis Toolbox Volume II: Decision Support Methodology for Selecting Traffic Analysis Tools

Jeannotte, Krista
Chandra, Andre
Alexiadis, Vassili
Skabardonis, Alexander
Cambridge Systematics Incorporated
Federal Highway Administration
2004

This report provides an overview of the role of traffic analysis tools in the transportation analysis process and provides a detailed decision support methodology for selecting the appropriate type of analysis tool for the job at hand. An introduction to the role of traffic analysis tools and tool categories is provided. A set of criteria for selecting the appropriate type of traffic analysis tool is described in detail and each tool category is scored as to its relevance to the criteria. The criteria include the analysis context, study area, facility type, travel mode, management strategy...

The Los Angeles Freeway Service Patrol (FSP) Evaluation: Study Methodology and Preliminary Findings

Petty, Karl
Bertini, Robert L
2025

This paper presents and discusses a methodology to evaluate the effectiveness, in terms of benefit-to-cost ratio, of the Freeway Service Patrol (FSP) in a Los Angeles freeway section. The methodology addresses the process of estimating incident delay using probe vehicles, and the lack of "before" field data. The difficulties that these problems present are discussed. Also, some preliminary findings are reported.

The I-880 field experiment : analysis of the incident data

Skabardonis, Alexander
University of California, Berkeley
1997

This paper reports on the I-880 field experiment in which field data on incidents were collected through observations of probe vehicle drivers before and after the implementation of freeway service patrols (FSP) over a freeway section. The paper describes the incident patterns and identifies the major factors affecting incident frequency and duration. FSP significantly reduced the response times but did not have a significant effect on the durations of all incidents.

The Fuel-Efficient Traffic Signal Management Program: Evaluation of the Fourth and Fifth Funding Cycles: Report to the California Department of Transportation

Skabardonis, A
Singh, R
Deakin, E A
University of California, Berkeley
California Department of Transportation
1998

The Fuel-Efficient Traffic Signal Management (FETSIM) Program was initiated in 1982 to help local agencies retime their traffic signals to reduce stops, delays, and fuel consumption. This report presents the results of the fourth and fifth grant cycles of the FETSIM Program. During the two grant cycles, local agency staff and their consultants were provided training, technical assistance and funding necessary to optimize the timing of their signal systems and to put the new timing plans into operation. In the 1986 grant cycle, thirty-one local agencies retimed 1169 signals at a total cost...

The Freeway Service Patrol Evaluation Project: Database Support Programs, and Accessibility

Petty, K F
Noeim, H
Sanwal, K
Rydzewski, D
Skabardonis, A
Varaiya, P
Al-Deek, H
Elsevier
1996

This paper discusses the Freeway Service Patrol (FSP) Evaluation Project conducted under the California PATH program. The goal of this project was to determine the cost effectiveness of the FSP program along a 10-mile "beat" on I-880, near Hayward, California. The FSP is a group of tow trucks that drive around a particular section of the freeway during peak periods and provide free assistance to motorists with breakdowns or accidents. In the study section, there were usually two tow trucks that continuously drove around a 10 to 12-mile section of freeway. The hypothesis is that, since...

The Berkeley Highway Laboratory-building on the I-880 field experiment

Coifman, B.
Lyddy, D.
Skabardonis, A.
2000

This paper presents the development of the Berkeley Highway Laboratory. The laboratory includes surveillance component, eight dual loop speed detector stations and 14 video cameras dedicated research, as well as an analytical component to advance traffic operations and traffic flow theory. The work builds on our experience with the I-880 field experiment and several other traffic studies. The lessons learned from the laboratory will be used to improve traffic surveillance and control, provide new traffic metrics, and enhance traffic models. This paper also presents correction factors that...

Statistical characteristics of transitional queue conditions in signalized arterials

Vlahogianni, Eleni I
Webber, Charles L
Geroliminis, Nikolas
Skabardonis, Alexander
2007

The performance of signalized arterials is related to queuing phenomena. The paper investigates the effect of transitional traffic flow conditions imposed by the formation and dissipation of queues. A cross-recurrence quantification analysis combined with Bayesian augmented networks are implemented to reveal the prevailing statistical characteristics of the short-term traffic flow patterns under the effect of transitional queue conditions. Results indicate that transitions between free-flow conditions, critical queue conditions that exceed the detector's length, as well as the occurrence...

Simple Procedure for Estimating Origin-Destination Matrices for Arterial Corridors

Gomes, Gabriel
Skabardonis, Alexander
Transportation Research Board
2008

This paper will present a four-step framework for computing static origin-destination matrices for linear arterials with intersections. The method allows the user to control the resulting dynamic behavior by adjusting several tunable parameters which relate directly to the turning flows. These parameters include intersection weighting coefficients, which dictate the likelihood that a vehicle traveling along the arterial will turn at each intersection. Six additional parameters are required for each four-branch intersection, giving a total of seven. Three-branch intersections are defined...