Transit Signal Priority (TSP): A Planning and Implementation Handbook May 2005 4 Funded by the United States Department of Transportation Prepared by: Harriet R. Smith Brendon Hemily, PhD TransitMiomir Ivanovic, Gannett Fleming, Inc. Signal Priority Transit Signal Priority (TSP): A Planning and Implementation Handbook May 2005 Funded by the United States Department of Transportation Prepared by: Harriet R. Smith Brendon Hemily, PhD Miomir Ivanovic, Gannett Fleming, Inc. AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements The authors would like to thank a long list of Doug Maas, County of Sacramento, California professionals who have made this document Kathy Meyerkord, Civiltech possible. Volunteers from the transportation industry (both traffic and transit) have: Taqhi Mohammed, PACE, Chicago area, Illinois Richard J. Montanez, City of Philadelphia, 4 Made presentations and worked with partici- Pennsylvania pants in hands-on workshops that brought out Kornel Mucsi, City of Ottawa valuable information Paul Powell, 3M Traffic Safety Systems Division 4 Provided detailed information in writing and Eric Phillips, Pierce Transit, Tacoma, Washington through interviews to help create the case Cesar Pujol, AC Transit, Oakland, California studies 4 Reviewed the document several times and pro- Willie Rotich, City of Portland, Oregon vided detailed comments and/or Bob Sheehan, Virginia Department of Transportation 4 Actively participated in long conference calls Jim Sinikas, Toronto Transit Commission with the authors and other professionals debat- Sean Skehan, Los Angeles Department of ing issues and revisions to the document Transportation, California Gloria Stoppenhagen, PBS&J Sonja Sun, California Department of Transportation Industry Volunteers John Toone, King County (Seattle) Department of Ronald Atherley, King County (Seattle) Department Transportation, Washington of Transportation, Washington Jon Twichell, AC Transit, Oakland, California Michael Baltes, Mitretek Systems formerly Center Hansel Wang, TransLink, Vancouver, British for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) Columbia Thomas Bauer, PTV America, Inc. Joe Weesner, H.W. Lochner, Inc. James A. Bunch, Mitretek Systems Wei-Bin Zhang, California PATH John Collura, UMass/Amherst formerly VaTech James Dale, PTV America, Inc. William B. Finger, Charlotte Department of We thank Steve Kuciemba (ITS America) for his Transportation, North Carolina patient and positive support and accommodating Rex Gephart, Los Angeles County Metropolitan management of the project from start to finish. Transportation Authority Doug Hansen, Fairfax County, Virginia The U.S. Department of Transportation financed the Dennis Hinebaugh, Center for Urban Transportation entire TSP project including workshops, case stud- Research (CUTR) ies, and all document development. The authors Bob Huffman, PACE, Chicago area, Illinois would like to thank Sean Ricketson (Federal Transit James T. Jarzab, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Administration) for his support and presentations; Authority, California Yehuda Gross (Joint Program Office) for providing Peter Koonce, Kittelson & Associates, Inc. invaluable oversight and making the project possible Chris Larson, City of Tacoma (Washington) Public through financing; and Brian Cronin (Federal Transit Works Administration) for his unsurpassed professional Duana Love, Regional Transportation Authority, guidance and leadership, and unfailing ability to Chicago, Illinois understand the transportation industry’s needs and Jamie Lu, 3M Traffic Safety Systems Division to advocate for improvements. Jon Lutterman, TriMet, Portland, Oregon ii 4 Transit Signal Priority Handbook TableTable of ofContents Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY vii PART I: TSP PLANNING & IMPLEMENTATION 1 INTRODUCTION 3 1.1 Objectives 3 1.2 Audience 4 2 BACKGROUND ON TRANSIT SIGNAL PRIORITY (TSP) 4 2.1 What is TSP and What are its Objectives? 4 2.2 TSP Benefits and Costs 5 2.3 Key Components of TSP System 6 2.4 Potential TSP Control Strategies 7 2.4.1 Passive Priority 7 2.4.2 Active Priority 7 2.4.3 TSP Operating in Real-Time 8 2.4.3.1 TSP with Adaptive Signal Control Systems 8 2.4.3.2 Adaptive Signal Priority 9 3 A SYSTEMS ENGINEERING APPROACH TO TSP 9 3.1 Systems Engineering Approach 9 3.2 Simplified Process for TSP at Isolated Intersections 9 4 TSP PROJECT PLANNING 10 4.1 Introduction to TSP Project Planning 10 4.1.1 Regional and Corporate Goals 11 4.1.2 TSP as it Relates to the Regional ITS Architecture and Other Transit ITS Projects 13 4.1.3 Regional and National ITS Architecture Conformity 13 4.1.4 Standards (NTCIP and TCIP) 13 4.1.5 Relations between Transit and Traffic Staff 15 4.1.6 Traffic Engineering Support 15 4.2 TSP Project Planning 16 4.2.1 Needs Assessment [Why TSP?] 16 4.2.1.1 Potential Benefits: Traffic Signal Delay and its Impact on Transit Travel Times and Reliability 16 4.2.1.2 Transit and Traffic Data Collection 17 4.2.1.3 TSP Project/Program Costs - Preliminary Assessment 17 4.2.1.4 TSP Project/Program – Needs Assessment and Business Case 18 4.2.2 Stakeholders: Roles and Responsibilities [Who is to be involved?] 18 4.2.2.1 Identifying Stakeholders 18 4.2.2.2 Managing Stakeholders 19 4.2.2.3 Project Management 20 4.2.3 Concept of Operations (ConOps) and Requirements Document [What will TSP do?] 20 4.2.3.1 TSP Project Goals, Objectives, and Vision 20 4.2.3.2 Measures of Effectiveness (MOE) Resulting from Objectives 21 Transit Signal Priority Handbook 4 iii 4.2.3.3 TSP Concept of Operations (ConOps) 22 4.2.3.4 Requirements Document 25 4.2.4 Corridors and Intersections [Where will TSP be implemented?] 26 4.2.5 Technology Alternatives Analysis and System Architecture [How will TSP work?] 27 4.2.5.1 Definition of TSP System Architecture 27 4.2.5.2 TSP Technology Alternatives Analysis 27 5 TSP PROJECT DESIGN 28 5.1 Detailed Data Collection and Inventory of Traffic Control System 28 5.2 Detailed Design and Engineering for Central Control and Communications Systems Components 29 5.3 Detailed Design and Engineering by Intersection 29 5.4 Detailed Design and Engineering of On-Board Equipment 29 5.5 Optimization and Preparation of Timing Plans 30 5.6 Use of Micro-Simulation Model to Design TSP Control Strategy in Special Cases 30 5.7 Special Considerations 30 5.7.1 Developing and Deploying New or Enhanced TSP Technologies 30 5.7.2 Integration with Planned Transit ITS Project 30 5.7.3 Integration with EMS Pre-emption 31 6 TSP PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION 31 6.1 Procurement 31 6.1.1 Project Management – Procurement and Deployment 31 6.1.2 Procurement Strategy 31 6.1.3 Preparation of RFP’s and/or Bids (procurement documents) 32 6.1.4 Vendor Selection Process 33 6.2 Installation 34 6.2.1 Equipment Installation 34 6.2.1.1 Installation of Bus Equipment 34 6.2.1.2 Installation of Field Equipment 34 6.2.2 Training 35 6.2.3 Internal Communications 35 6.2.4 Publicity 36 6.3 Verification and Validation 36 6.3.1 Testing of Equipment 36 6.3.2 Testing of System 36 6.3.3 Validation of Detection Distances and Accuracy 36 7 OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE 36 7.1 Ongoing Performance Monitoring and Management 36 7.2 Procedures to Ensure System is Operating 37 7.3 Maintenance 38 8 EVALUATION,VERIFICATION,VALIDATION AND BUILDING ON TSP 38 8.1 Evaluation Study 38 8.2 Ongoing Data Collection 39 8.3 Building on TSP Benefits through Transit Scheduling 40 8.4 Fine-Tuning TSP Design 40 iv 4 Transit Signal Priority Handbook 9 KEYS TO SUCCESS 41 PART II – STATE OF THE PRACTICE 45 10 SURVEY ON TSP STATE OF THE PRACTICE 45 10.1 Introduction 45 10.1.1 Identification of Agencies/Cities with TSP and Emergency Vehicle Pre-emption 45 10.1.2 Inventory and Classification of TSP Systems 45 10.2 Summary of Findings on State of the Practice 48 10.2.1 General Findings 48 10.2.1.1 Type of Transit Application 48 10.2.1.2 Year of Deployment 48 10.2.2 Route Characteristics of TSP Applications 49 10.2.2.1 Route Type 49 10.2.2.2 Number of Routes 49 10.2.2.3 Number of Signalized Intersections 50 10.2.2.4 Location of Bus Stops 50 10.2.2.5 Peak Hour Headways 50 10.2.3 Hardware for TSP Deployments 50 10.2.3.1 Traffic Signal Controllers 50 10.2.3.2 Vehicle Detection Systems 50 10.2.4 Software for TSP Deployments 50 10.2.5 TSP Strategies 53 10.2.6 Challenges and Lessons Learned 54 10.2.6.1 Use of Existing Signal Controller Systems 54 10.2.6.2 Coordination with Traffic Engineers 54 10.2.6.3 Measures of Success 54 10.2.6.4 Traffic Signal Warrants for Busways 54 11 CASE STUDIES SUMMARY54 12 FUTURE DIRECTIONS 55 PART III – TECHNICAL SUPPORT 59 13 TSP SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE, EQUIPMENT, SOFTWARE, AND COMMUNICATIONS 59 13.1 TSP System Architecture 60 13.1.1 Priority Request Generator 61 13.1.2 Communications System 61 13.1.3 Traffic Signal Control System 61 13.2 Traffic Control System Components and TSP 62 13.2.1 Traffic Signal Controller Hardware 62 13.2.1.1 Electromechanical Controllers 63 13.2.1.2 NEMA Controllers 63 13.2.1.3 Type 170 Controllers 63 13.2.1.4 Advanced Transportation Controllers 63 13.2.2 Traffic Signal Controller Software (with TSP functionality) 64 13.2.2.1 Software for NEMA Controllers 64 13.2.2.2 Software for Type 170 and 2070 Controllers 64 13.2.3 Transit Vehicle Detection Systems 66 Transit Signal Priority Handbook 4 v 13.2.3.1 Hard-wired loop Detection 67 13.2.3.2 Light-based (infrared) Detection 67 13.2.3.3 Sound-based Detection 68 13.2.3.4 Radio-based Detection 68 13.2.3.5 Satellite (GPS)-based Detection 68 13.2.4 Communications Systems 69 14 TRAFFIC ENGINEERING TERMINOLOGY 70 14.1 Key Traffic Engineering and TSP-Related Concepts 70 14.1.1 General Traffic Engineering Terminology 70 14.1.2 Traffic Signal Timing Terminology 72 14.1.3 Signal Coordination Terminology 73 14.2 Basic TSP Terminology 74 14.3 Key Traffic Engineering and TSP Concepts 75 14.3.1 Coordinated vs.