Thesis (M.A. in City and Regional Planning)--University of California, Berkeley, Fall 2005. / Title from PDF title page (viewed Dec. 13, 2007). "Fall 2005." Includes bibliographical references (p. 81-87).

Thesis (M. S.)--Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008. / Committee Member: Garrow, Laurie; Committee Member: Hunter, Michael; Committee Member: Meyer, Michael.

Exclusive bus lanes and the Transit Signal Priority are often not effective in saturated peak-traffic conditions. An alternative way of providing priority for transit can be queue jumpers, which allows buses to bypass and then cut out in front of waiting queue by getting an early green signal. Utah Transit authority deployed Bus Rapid Transit system at Salt Lake County, Utah along W 3500 S. This research evaluates the impacts of queue jumpers with TSP on Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and private vehicular traffic. Four VISSIM models were developed for analysis : Basic scenario, no TSP with queue jumpers, TSP with no queue jumbers, and TSP with queue jumpers. In TQ scenario travel time was reduced between 13.2-19.82% with respect to basic scenario. At the same time, travel time of private traffic increased very little 0.38-3.28%. Two TSP strategies : green extension and red truncation are implemented in this research work. / by R.M. Zahid Reza. / Thesis (M.S.C.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2012. / Includes bibliography. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / System requirements: Adobe Reader.

The purpose of this thesis was to perform microsimulation analyses on intersections near Highway-Railroad Grade Crossings (HRGCs) to determine if controlling mean train speed and train speed variability would improve safety and reduce delays. This research focused on three specific areas. First, average vehicle delay was examined, and this delay was compared for seven specific train speed distributions, including existing conditions. Furthermore, each distribution was associated with train detectors that were placed at the distance the fastest train could travel during the given warning time. Second, pedestrian cutoffs were investigated. These cutoffs represented an occasion when the pedestrian phases were truncated or shortened due to railroad signal preemption. Finally, vehicle emissions were analyzed using a modal emissions model. A microscopic simulation model of the Wellborn Corridor in College Station, Texas was created using VISSIM. The model was run twenty times in each train speed distribution for each of three train lengths. Average vehicle delay was collected for three intersections, and delays were compared using the Pooled t-test with a 95% confidence interval. Comparisons were made between the distributions, and generally, distributions with higher mean train speeds were associated with lower average delay, and train length was not a significant factor. Unfortunately, pedestrian cutoffs were not specifically controlled in this project; therefore, no statistical conclusions can be made with respect to the pedestrian cutoff problem. However, example cases were devised to demonstrate how these cutoffs could be avoided. In addition, vehicle emissions were examined using the vehicle data from VISSIM as inputs for CMEM (Comprehensive Modal Emissions Model). For individual vehicles, as power (defined as the product of velocity and acceleration) increased, emissions increased. When comparing emissions from different train speed distributions, few significant differences were found. However, a scenario with no train was tested, and it was shown to have significantly higher emissions than three of the distributions with trains. Ultimately, this thesis shows that average vehicle delay and vehicle emissions could be lowered by specific train speed distributions. Also, work could be done to investigate the pedestrian cutoff problem.

The purpose of this thesis was to perform microsimulation analyses on intersections near Highway-Railroad Grade Crossings (HRGCs) to determine if controlling mean train speed and train speed variability would improve safety and reduce delays. This research focused on three specific areas. First, average vehicle delay was examined, and this delay was compared for seven specific train speed distributions, including existing conditions. Furthermore, each distribution was associated with train detectors that were placed at the distance the fastest train could travel during the given warning time. Second, pedestrian cutoffs were investigated. These cutoffs represented an occasion when the pedestrian phases were truncated or shortened due to railroad signal preemption. Finally, vehicle emissions were analyzed using a modal emissions model. A microscopic simulation model of the Wellborn Corridor in College Station, Texas was created using VISSIM. The model was run twenty times in each train speed distribution for each of three train lengths. Average vehicle delay was collected for three intersections, and delays were compared using the Pooled t-test with a 95% confidence interval. Comparisons were made between the distributions, and generally, distributions with higher mean train speeds were associated with lower average delay, and train length was not a significant factor. Unfortunately, pedestrian cutoffs were not specifically controlled in this project; therefore, no statistical conclusions can be made with respect to the pedestrian cutoff problem. However, example cases were devised to demonstrate how these cutoffs could be avoided. In addition, vehicle emissions were examined using the vehicle data from VISSIM as inputs for CMEM (Comprehensive Modal Emissions Model). For individual vehicles, as power (defined as the product of velocity and acceleration) increased, emissions increased. When comparing emissions from different train speed distributions, few significant differences were found. However, a scenario with no train was tested, and it was shown to have significantly higher emissions than three of the distributions with trains. Ultimately, this thesis shows that average vehicle delay and vehicle emissions could be lowered by specific train speed distributions. Also, work could be done to investigate the pedestrian cutoff problem.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Michigan State University. Dept. of Civil Engineering, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on July 7, 2009) Includes bibliographical references (p. 196-201). Also issued in print.

Access to highways from a local firehouse is a major problem for emergency services. Motorists often do not see flashing lights or hear sirens from the approaching emergency vehicles (EV) until emergency vehicles reach the highway entrance, often too late to take appropriate action. Many locations have installed special signals called emergency traffic signal systems (ETSS) or used signal preemption to notify motorists and to stop traffic to allow the emergency vehicle to enter the highway safely. This thesis will examine the effectiveness of one such installation at the intersection along U.S.1 at Beedo Street and some of the impacts it has on highway traffic. The evaluation of the said installation is carried out in terms of delay to EV; conflict potential between EV and other vehicles and response of the motorists to the ETSS. This thesis also proposes two alternative designs of ETSS to improve the existing signal system. / Master of Science

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.

Transit travel time is affected by many factors including traffic signals and traffic condition. Transit agencies have implemented strategies such as transit signal priority (TSP) to reduce transit travel time and improve service reliability. However, due to the lack of empirical data, the joint impact of these factors and improvement strategies on bus travel time has not been studied at the stop-to-stop segment level. This study utilizes and integrates three databases available along an urban arterial corridor in Portland, Oregon. Data sources include stop-level bus automatic vehicle location (AVL) and automatic passenger count (APC) data provided by the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet), the Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System (SCATS) signal phase log data, and intersection vehicle count data provided by the City of Portland. Based on the unique collection and integration of these fine granularity empirical data, this research utilizes multiple linear regression models to understand and quantify the joint impact of intersection signal delay, traffic conditions and bus stop location on bus travel time and its variability at stop-to-stop segments. Results indicate that intersection signal delay is the key factor that affects bus travel time variability. The amount of signal delay is nearly linearly associated with intersection red phase duration. Results show that the effect of traffic conditions (volumes) on bus travel time varies significantly by intersection and time of day. This study also proposed new and useful performance measures for evaluating the effectiveness of TSP systems. Relationships between TSP requests (when buses are late) and TSP phases were studied by comparing TSP phase start and end times with bus arrival times at intersections. Results show that green extension phases were rarely used by buses that requested TSP and that most green extension phases were granted too late. Early green effectiveness (percent of effective early green phases) is much higher than green extension effectiveness. The estimated average bus and passenger time savings from an early green phase are also greater compared to the average time savings from a green extension phase. On average, the estimated delay for vehicles on the side street due to a TSP phase is less than the time saved for buses and automobiles on the major street. Results from this study can be used to inform cities and transit agencies on how to improve transit operations. Developing appropriate strategies, such as adjusting bus stop consolidation near intersections and optimizing bus operating schedules according to intersection signal timing characteristics, can further reduce bus travel time delay and improve TSP effectiveness.