Cities worldwide are faced with the challenge of improving transit service in urban areas using lower cost means. Transit signal priority is considered to be one of the most effective ways to improve the service of transit vehicles. Transit signal priority has become a very popular topic in transportation in the past 20 to 30 years and it has been implemented in many places around the world. In this thesis, transit signal priority strategies are categorized and an extensive literature review on past research on transit signal priority is conducted. Then a case study on Columbia Pike in Arlington (including 21 signalized intersections) is conducted to assess the impacts of integrating transit signal priority and SCOOT adaptive signal control. At the end of this thesis, an isolated intersection is designed to analyze the sensitivity of major parameters on performance of the network and transit vehicles. The results of this study indicate that the prioritized vehicles usually benefit from any priority scheme considered. During the peak period, the simulations clearly indicate that these benefits are typically obtained at the expense of the general traffic. While buses experience reductions in delay, stops, fuel consumption, and emissions, the opposite typically occurs for the general traffic. Furthermore, since usually there are significantly more cars than buses, the negative impacts experienced by the general traffic during this period outweigh in most cases the benefits to the transit vehicles, thus yielding overall negative impacts for the various priority schemes considered. For the off-peak period, there are no apparent negative impacts, as there is more spare capacity to accommodate approaching transit vehicles at signalized intersections without significantly disrupting traffic operations. It is also shown in this study that it is generally difficult to improve the system-wide performance by using transit priority when the signal is already optimized according to generally accepted traffic flow criteria. In this study it is also observed that the system-wide performance decreases rapidly when transit dwell time gets longer. / Master of Science

In the past, the study of Emergency Vehicle (EV) signal preemption has been mostly done using field studies. None of the simulation models that are currently commercially available have the capability to model the presence of EVs and simulate the traffic dynamics of the vehicles surrounding them. This study presents a macroscopic traffic model for examining the effect of signal preemption for EVs on traffic control measures, roadway capacity, and delays incurred to the vehicles on the side streets. The model is based on the cell transmission model, which is consistent with the hydrodynamic theory of traffic flow. A special component, in the form of a moving bottleneck that handles the traffic dynamics associated with the presence of EVs, was developed in the model. Several test scenarios were constructed to demonstrate the capabilities of the model for studying the impact of signal preemption on an arterial with multiple intersections under various traffic demand levels and varying frequencies of the arrival of EVs. Performance measures, such as average vehicle delay, maximum delay, and standard deviation of delay to traffic on all approaches, were obtained. An additional advantage of the model, apart from the capability to model EVs, is that the state-space equations used in the model can be easily incorporated into a mathematical programming problem. By coupling with a desired objective function, the model can be solved analytically. Optimal solutions can be generated to obtain insights into the development of traffic control strategies in the presence of EVs. / Master of Science

Esta pesquisa traz à discussão a implantação de Sistemas Inteligentes de Transportes (ITS), em particular a funcionalidade Transit Signal Priority (TSP), ou Prioridade Semafórica, como uma solução a ser considerada para melhorar o desempenho de um corredor de ônibus. Os dados do Sistema Integrado de Monitoramento (SIM) foram empregados para identificar os locais com maior retardamento no Corredor Campo Limpo - Rebouças- Centro em São Paulo e, selecionado um trecho crítico, foi elaborada uma rede de microssimulação no software PTV - Vissim. A aplicação da prioridade semafórica foi feita através do VISVAP, controlador de lógica externo, no qual foram escritas as condicionantes de prioridade. O TSP foi simulado em quatro cenários distintos e, os resultados obtidos permitiram concluir que as expectativas verificadas no referencial teórico (por exemplo: aumento da velocidade média dos ônibus e automóveis), puderam ser comprovadas e, além disso, a prioridade semafórica condicional foi capaz de reduzir os retardos inclusive nas vias transversais não priorizadas. / This research brings to discussion the implementation of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), particularly the Transit Signal Priority (TSP) feature as a solution to be considered to improve the performance of a bus corridor. Data from a Monitoring Integrated System (Sistema Integrado de Monitoramento - SIM) were used to identify most significant delay points at Campo Limpo - Rebouças- Centro Corridor in São Paulo and, after selected a critical stretch, it was developed a microsimulation with PTV Vissim software. The transit signal priority was made by VISVAP, external logic controller, in which were described the priority conditions. TSP was simulated in four different scenarios and, the obtained results have concluded that expectations examined in academic referencial (for example: increase in the average speed of buses and cars), could be confirmed, and, in addition, the transit signal priority was able to decrease delays in cross ways too (not prioritized).

Transit Signal Priority (TSP) is an operational strategy that can speed the movement of in-service transit vehicles (typically bus, light rail, or streetcar) through traffic signals. By reducing control delay at signalized intersections, TSP can improve schedule adherence and travel time efficiency while minimizing impacts to normal traffic operations. These benefits improve the quality of service thereby making it more attractive to choice riders. A TSP system can also allow for fewer buses on the same due to travel time reductions and increased reliability, thus reducing transit operating costs. Much of the previous research on TSP has focused on signal control strategies and bus stop placement with little of it analyzing the effectiveness of the system using actual data. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the system using a bus route corridor in Portland, Oregon through real-time Automatic Vehicle Locator data. Key measures that TSP is promoted to improve are evaluated, including travel time, schedule adherence and variability. The TSP system on data was collected for two weeks and is compared to an adjacent two weeks of bus data with the TSP system turned off such that there is no skewing of data due to changes in traffic volumes or transit ridership. This research has shown, that on certain corridors there may be little to no benefit towards TSP implementation and may possibly provide some disbenefit. The direct comparison for TSP on and off scenarios completed for this research yielded no significant differences in reduction in travel time or schedule adherence performance. An additional interesting result was that the standard deviation of the results did not have any specific tendencies with the TSP on or off. Based on these findings, recommendations are made to increase the effectiveness of the system.

Esta pesquisa traz à discussão a implantação de Sistemas Inteligentes de Transportes (ITS), em particular a funcionalidade Transit Signal Priority (TSP), ou Prioridade Semafórica, como uma solução a ser considerada para melhorar o desempenho de um corredor de ônibus. Os dados do Sistema Integrado de Monitoramento (SIM) foram empregados para identificar os locais com maior retardamento no Corredor Campo Limpo - Rebouças- Centro em São Paulo e, selecionado um trecho crítico, foi elaborada uma rede de microssimulação no software PTV - Vissim. A aplicação da prioridade semafórica foi feita através do VISVAP, controlador de lógica externo, no qual foram escritas as condicionantes de prioridade. O TSP foi simulado em quatro cenários distintos e, os resultados obtidos permitiram concluir que as expectativas verificadas no referencial teórico (por exemplo: aumento da velocidade média dos ônibus e automóveis), puderam ser comprovadas e, além disso, a prioridade semafórica condicional foi capaz de reduzir os retardos inclusive nas vias transversais não priorizadas. / This research brings to discussion the implementation of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), particularly the Transit Signal Priority (TSP) feature as a solution to be considered to improve the performance of a bus corridor. Data from a Monitoring Integrated System (Sistema Integrado de Monitoramento - SIM) were used to identify most significant delay points at Campo Limpo - Rebouças- Centro Corridor in São Paulo and, after selected a critical stretch, it was developed a microsimulation with PTV Vissim software. The transit signal priority was made by VISVAP, external logic controller, in which were described the priority conditions. TSP was simulated in four different scenarios and, the obtained results have concluded that expectations examined in academic referencial (for example: increase in the average speed of buses and cars), could be confirmed, and, in addition, the transit signal priority was able to decrease delays in cross ways too (not prioritized).

Motivated by recent advances in vehicle positioning and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication, traffic signal controllers are able to make smarter decisions. Most of the current state-of-the-practice signal priority control systems aim to provide priority for only one mode or based on first-come-first-served logic. Consideration of priority control in a more general framework allows for several different modes of travelers to request priority at any time from any approach and for other traffic control operating principles, such as coordination, to be considered within an integrated signal timing framework. This leads to provision of priority to connected priority eligible vehicles with minimum negative impact on regular vehicles. This dissertation focuses on providing a real-time decision making framework for multi modal traffic signal control that considers several transportation modes in a unified framework using Connected Vehicle (CV) technologies. The unified framework is based on a systems architecture for CVs that is applicable in both simulated and real world (field) testing conditions. The system architecture is used to design both hardware-in-the-loop and software-in-the-loop CV simulation environment. A real-time priority control optimization model and an implementation algorithm are developed using priority eligible vehicles data. The optimization model is extended to include signal coordination concepts. As the penetration rate of the CVs increases, the ability to predict the queue more accurately increases. It is shown that accurate queue prediction improves the performance of the optimization model in reducing priority eligible vehicles delay. The model is generalized to consider regular CVs as well as priority vehicles and coordination priority requests in a unified mathematical model. It is shown than the model can react properly to the decision makers' modal preferences.

Advances in microprocessor and communications technologies are making it possible to deploy advanced traffic signal controllers capable of integrating emergency vehicle preemption and transit priority operations. However, investment planning for such an integrated system is not a trivial task. Investment planning for such a system requires a holistic approach that considers institutional, technical and financial issues from a systems perspective. Two distinct service providers, fire and rescue providers and transit operators, with separate operational functions, objectives, resources and constituents are involved. Performance parameters for the integrated system are not well defined and performance data are often imprecise in nature. Transportation planners and managers interested in deploying integrated emergency vehicle preemption and traffic priority systems do not have an evaluation approach or a common set of performance metrics to make an informed decision. There is a need for a simple structured analytical approach and tools to assess the impacts of an integrated emergency vehicle preemption and transit priority system as part of investment decision making processes. This need could be met with the assistance of a decision support system (DSS) developed to provide planners and managers a simple and intuitive analytical approach to assist in making investment decisions regarding emergency vehicle preemption and transit signal priority. This dissertation has two research goals: (1) to develop a decision support system framework to assess the impacts of advanced traffic signal control systems capable of integrating emergency vehicle preemption and transit signal priority operations for investment planning purposes; and (2) to develop selected analytical tools for incorporation into the decision support system framework. These analytical tools will employ fuzzy sets theory concepts, as well as cost and accident reduction factors. As part of this research, analytical tools to assess impacts on operating cost for transit and fire and rescue providers have been developed. In addition, an analytical tool was developed and employs fuzzy multi-attribute decision making methods to rank alternative transit priority strategies. These analytical tools are proposed for incorporation into the design of a decision support system in the future. / Ph. D.

Ring Barrier signal controller in VISSIM traffic simulation software provides different options for configuring Transit Signal Priority. This controller emulator allows for considering arterial progression by Priority Progression parameter; preferring specific transit signal priority calls to other calls by Priority Level feature; providing more green split to the signal priority phase by Green Extension attribute. This study aims to evaluate the impact of these three parameters on the performance of transit signal priority. The study area is based on three signalized intersections of Prices Fork Road in Blacksburg, Virginia. A total of five transit lines are assumed to request signal priority. Green Extension and Priority Level were found to have significant influence on bus delays, whereas bus frequency is not a significant variable to affect TSP effectiveness (for reducing the transit delays). This study also aims to identify the traffic conditions in which the adaptive feature of VISSIM Ring Barrier Controller can be most useful. Detector Slack, Detector Adjust Threshold, and Adjust Step are the parameters that should be hardcoded in the controller for activating the adaptiveness feature. The study area (Prices Fork Road in town of Blacksburg, VA) incorporates five bus lines are assumed eligible to request priority. This study revealed that transit service overlap can enhance or exacerbate each bus performance when transit signal priority is implemented, depending on the scheduled headways and the frequency of signal priority requests in each intersection. / Master of Science / Ring Barrier signal controller in VISSIM traffic simulation software provides different options for configuring Transit Signal Priority. This controller emulator allows for considering arterial progression by Priority Progression parameter; preferring specific transit signal priority calls to other calls by Priority Level feature; providing more green split to the signal priority phase by Green Extension attribute. This study aims to evaluate the impact of these three parameters on the performance of transit signal priority. The study area is based on three signalized intersections of Prices Fork Road in Blacksburg, Virginia. A total of five transit lines are assumed to request signal priority. Green Extension and Priority Level were found to have significant influence on bus delays, whereas bus frequency is not a significant variable to affect TSP effectiveness (for reducing the transit delays). This study also aims to identify the traffic conditions in which the adaptive feature of VISSIM Ring Barrier Controller can be most useful. Detector Slack, Detector Adjust Threshold, and Adjust Step are the parameters that should be hardcoded in the controller for activating the adaptiveness. The study area (Prices Fork Road in town of Blacksburg, VA) incorporates five bus lines are assumed eligible to request priority. This study revealed that transit service overlap can enhance or exacerbate each bus performance when transit signal priority is implemented, depending on the scheduled headways and the frequency of signal priority requests in each intersection.

A sensitivity analysis was performed on the transit signal priority (TSP) requesting threshold to evaluate its impact on bus performance and general traffic. Two distinct bus routes were evaluated to determine the optimal requesting threshold that would balance the positive impacts on bus performance with the negative impacts on general traffic. Route 217, a conventional bus route, and the Utah Valley Express (UVX), a bus rapid transit line, utilize a dedicated short-range communication (DSRC)-based TSP system as part of their normal, day-to-day operations. Using field-generated data exclusively, bus performance and general traffic were evaluated over a 7-month period from February through August 2019. Bus performance was evaluated through on-time performance (OTP), schedule deviation, travel time, and dwell time, while the traffic analysis was performed by evaluating split failure, change in green time, and the frequency at which TSP was served. The requesting thresholds evaluated for Route 217 were 5-, 3-, 2-, and 0-minutes, which stipulate how far behind schedule the bus must be in order to request TSP. For UVX, 5-minutes and 2-minutes, as well as ON and OFF scenarios were evaluated; ON meant the buses were always requesting regardless of how late they were, while OFF meant that no requests were made and operations would be as if there were no TSP at all. A combination of observational and statistical analyses concluded with convincing evidence that OTP, schedule deviation, and travel time improve as the requesting threshold approaches zero with negligible impacts to general traffic. For Route 217, as the requesting threshold changed from 3, to 2, to 0 minutes, OTP increased 2.0 and 2.5 percent, respectively, mean schedule deviation improved 15.9 and 20.9 seconds, respectively, and travel time decreased at 72 percent of timepoints. Meanwhile, negative impacts to traffic occurred if an increase in split failure was measured after TSP was served, a phenomenon observed a maximum of once every 43 minutes. For UVX, as the requesting threshold changed from 5, to 2 minutes, to ON, OTP increased 7.6 and 4.7 percent, respectively, mean schedule deviation improved 24.3 and 15.0 seconds, respectively, and travel time decreased between 72 percent of timepoints. Thus, it is concluded that under the TSP system as implemented, bus performance improves as the requesting threshold approaches zero with inconsequential impacts to general traffic.

In traffic networks, appropriately determining the traffic signal plan of each intersection is a ünecessary condition for a reasonable level of service. This paper presents the development of a new system for automatically designing optimal actuated traffic signal plans with transit signal priority. It uses an optimization algorithm combined with a mesoscopic traffic simulation model to design and evaluate optimal traffic signal plans for each intersection in the traffic network, therefore reducing the need for human intervention in the design process. The proposed method can simultaneously determine the optimal logical structure, priority strategies, timing parameters, phase composition and sequence, and detector placements. The integrated system was tested by a real-world isolated intersection in Haifa city. The results demonstrated that this approach has the potential to efficiently design signal plans without human intervention, which can minimize time, cost, and design effort. It can also help uncover problems in the design that may otherwise not be detected.