View Important Policies and System Requirements for this course.

This webinar was co-sponsored by ASCE's Transportation & Development Institute (T&DI) and ASCE Continuing Education

Instructor:  Nazir Lalani, P.E., M.ASCE

Course Length: 1.5 Hours

Purpose and Background

This web seminar will focus on how traffic signals should be timed and operated to maximize safety for the road user. Topics such as signal phasing, timing and detection will be addressed. Various critical aspects of timing signalized intersections that address safety will be discussed. The discussion will focus on how signals should be timed for the major street phase as well as the minor street phases. Timing for pedestrian phases will be covered including the changes that were made in the 2009 MUTCD. Relevant sections of the new Traffic Signal Timing Manual published by Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) will be covered. Learn how those changes will impact coordinated signal systems. Timing signals for other road users such as bicyclists and emergency response vehicles will be analyzed. Crash reduction factors associated with various countermeasures will be discussed. A reference list of useful sources of information will be provided.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Recognize various aspects of signal phasing, how to time individual phases
• Identify the most important safety parameters signal timing
• Determine The importance of change and clearance intervals
• Examine how the proposed changes to the MUTCD will affect signal timing and operations

Webinar Benefits

• Improve your understanding of signal timing
• Familiarize with the signal timing information provided in the FHWA manual
• Gain a better understanding of how timing affects safety at signalized intersections
• Address the needs of all road users

Assessment of Learning Outcomes

Students' achievement of the learning outcomes will be assessed via a short post-assessment (true-false, multiple choice and fill in the blank questions).

Intended Audience

This webinar will benefit transportation professionals (engineers and planners) who work for consultants, cities, counties, and state agencies involved in reviewing development projects. This course is designed for individuals with some background or training in designing and operating signalized intersections with interest in improving the safety at such intersections.

Webinar Outline

• Change interval timing for vehicles
• Clearance timing for through and left-turn movements
• Techniques for minimizing the indecision zone
• Protected/permissive left-turn signals using flashing yellow and red arrows
• Phase and clearance timing for pedestrians based on latest MUTCD Guidance
• Scramble pedestrian phasing
• Minimum phase timing for bicyclists
• Operating traffic signals in flash mode
• Accessible pedestrian signals
• Railroad preemption timing
• Impacts of emergency response vehicle preemption on synchronized signal systems
• Startup of full color signal operations from dark or flashing mode
• Activating or modifying new traffic signals

How to Earn your CEUs/PDHs and Receive Your Certificate of Completion

To receive your certificate of completion, you will need to complete a short on-line post-test and receive a passing score of 70% or higher within 1 year of purchasing the course.

How do I convert CEUs to PDHs?

1.0 CEU = 10 PDHs [Example: 0.1 CEU = 1 PDH]