Mobility Efficiency: Improving Urban Mobility Using Traffic Signal Priority Systems
Traffic
Signal Priority (TSP) helps leverage a vehicle's current location and
wireless communications technology to extend the green light of a traffic
signal and allow a Pace or CTA bus to help reduce travel times and ensure
on-time arrival and proceeding at an intersection when a bus is severely behind
schedule.
When looking at traffic signal
priority, the basic reality is that using traffic signal priority and
preemption settings can change signal timing and give priority to certain types
of vehicles such as emergency vehicles, trucks, buses, or trains. This system
aims to speed up travel times, help improve safety, and provide a way for
priority vehicles to get to their next destination.
More than 50 percent of area
transit users can take advantage of faster, more reliable bus service. On buses
equipped with signal priority, passengers will see significantly fewer delays
at traffic signals, allowing them to reach their destinations on time, with
less disruption to the overall traffic flow. Traffic signal timing will be
significantly improved along these corridors as part of the Traffic Signal
Priority Program (TSP).
The main objectives of signal
priority are: -
• It
helps reduce the time to pass through the intersection area. In some urban
areas, buses and trams may pass through several signalized intersections.
Longer delays at all intersections can add several minutes to the total trip
time, resulting in increased resource needs and operating costs.
• It
also reduces the discrepancy in the time taken to pass through the intersection
area. The collective impact at all signalized intersections can last up to
several minutes ahead. The effect can be more extreme if signal cycle times are
lengthened. This variability can affect reliability and timing and can cause
congestion. Therefore, reducing variability is often the primary goal when
giving traffic signal priority to public transit vehicles.
• It
also helps buses and streetcars safely make movements not permitted to general
traffic. This is usually done in combination with other traffic management
attempts, such as entering bus lanes, bus-only streets, roundabout shortcuts,
or contraflow bus lanes.
To obtain the Transportation
Signal Priority Program (TSP), contact EMTRAC. For more visit https://www.emtracsystems.com.
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