This webinar is co-sponsored by ASCE's Transportation and Development Institute and ASCE Continuing Education 

Purpose and Background

The Federal Highway Administration estimates that 75% of the nation’s 260,000 traffic signal could be improved by updating signal equipment or signal timing plans. It also estimates that poor traffic signal timing accounts for 5 to 10% of all traffic delay in the United States. As a result, the National Transportation Operations Coalition gave the nation’s municipalities a score of 69 (D+) for the management and operation of traffic signals in 2012, an improvement from a score of 65 (D) in 2007 and 62 (D-) in 2005.

Traffic signal coordination helps reduce average vehicle delay and improve the public’s perception of traffic signal timing and operation. Developing and implementing a comprehensive traffic coordination program or strategy results in a number of benefits to a community, including improved mobility and reduced travel times throughout the jurisdiction, reduction in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and fuel consumption, reduction in collisions, and reduction in stops.

Many jurisdictions regularly receive comments and complaints from their elected officials and residents on the need for system wide traffic signal timing and operation improvements. Many jurisdictions – in particular small and medium sized jurisdictions - may not have the expertise or familiarity to develop and implement these improvements. This presentation will focus on the steps necessary to develop, implement and manage a traffic coordination program or strategy in a given jurisdiction.

Primary Discussion Topics

• The necessary steps to implement and manage a comprehensive traffic signal coordination program
• Developing a consensus with elected officials, key decision makers, and the public
• Developing realistic expectations on system performance improvements
• Knowing how to work to develop plans along multijurisdictional corridors
• Assessing your traffic signal infrastructure capabilities and limitations

Learning Outcomes and Webinar Benefits

• Know the critical beginning steps to develop consensus prior to developing a signal coordination program and strategy
• Learn the role of ITS in a successful coordination program
• Understand critical elements to consider when developing signal coordination strategies
• Learn how to gather critical data before and after coordination implementation
• Learn how to respond to public requests before and after program implementation

Intended Audience

• Public and private engineers, planners, technicians and administrators involved in traffic signal timing and operations
• Policy and decision makers who may have an interest in a comprehensive citywide traffic signal timing and coordination program

Webinar Outline

This webinar focuses on key milestones to consider, including:

• Available grant funding or other funding opportunities
• Role of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) infrastructure in signal coordination
• Knowing whether Traffic Responsive or Traffic Adaptive Control a good fit for your jurisdiction
• Collect data before and after studies
• How to use the data in a successful program
• What the critical timing parameters are when developing a coordination strategy
• Testing and implementing coordination
• How to develop regular system performance checks and measures
• Public outreach
• Customer service maintaining post project