TRB AHB25 (Formerly A3A18) Meeting

Novotel

North York (Toronto), Canada

 

Summer Meeting Minutes

http://signalsystems.tamu.edu

(ID=member; password=valid)

 

July 25, 2004

 

1.      Welcome and Call to Order

·         Tom Urbanik called the meeting to order at 1:15 pm

·         Recapped Past Meetings

o        98: Asilimar, CA:  Adaptive Signal control

o        99: Minneapolis, MN: Transit Priority

o        00: Seattle, WA:  Railroad Preemption

o        01: Newark, NJ:  Joint meeting with Freeway Operations Committee

o        02: Park City, UT:  Detection

o        03: Portland, OR: Best Practices

o        04: Toronto, Canada:  Coordinate Networks

·         Tom Urbanik indicated his term as Chairman would expire in January 06

·         Invited attendants to contact Richard Cunard to share comments regarding next chairman

·         Attendants introduced them selves (Attached)

·         Reminded participants that past meeting minutes and presentations are located at: http://signalsystems.tamu.edu/  (Only the minutes are password protected).

2.      Approval of the minutes

·         The minutes from January 2004 (Attached) were unanimously approved

3.      TRB Report

·         No representative was present.    

4.      Task Force and Sub Committee Report

·         Larry Head

o        Papers must be submitted to TRB web site by August 1, 2004

o        We will be allowed only two (2) sessions at the 2005 annual meeting

o        Asked for feedback on poster sessions

o        Bullock proposed scheduling AHB25 poster session concurrently with one or more related committees poster session (say Highway Capacity, Traffic Flow)

·         Given that one poster session is certain, Urbanik requested vote on what the second session would be.  Votes follows:

o        21: Traditional Paper Session

o        4:  2nd Poster Session

o        4:  Conference session on topic of interest.

·         Gary Duncan:  ATC Standards

o        Ed Seymour has been reappointed chair of Joint Committee on Standards

o        ATC Joint Committee last met in February 2004. 

o        Committee is currently evaluating two protests votes and NEMA no vote

o        NEMA is currently discussing if it will reconsider it’s no vote

o        Federal funding for standards will likely decline

o        Beijing will likely use NTCIP and ATC standards on a system for the Olympics

o        Automotive industry is looking at Vehicle to Roadside standards

o        NTCIP conformance working group is developing testing guidelines for the standards

·         Doug Gettman: Problem Statement on Long Term Performance Assessment of Signal System Parameters

o        Summarized draft problem statement (Attached).

o        Committee vote supported further refinement of this problem statement

o        Committee suggested problem statement be revised to show relationship to 3-79 project.  The following individuals will participate in drafting:

Ø       Doug Gettman

Ø       Byungkyu (Brian) Park

Ø       Steve Shelby

Ø       Rick Denney

Ø       Jim Williams

·         Darcy Bullock/Tom Urbanik will investigate states that would be interested in submitting problem statement 

5.      FHWA Reports

·         Pam Crenshaw

o        Reviewed efforts of National Dialogue on Transportation Operations (http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/nat_dialogue.htm )

o        Summarized Traffic Signal Timing Team initiative.

o        Summarized January 2004 peer review held after the January 2004 Annual Meeting in Washington, DC

o        Self assessment National Report Card (Traffic Operations [broader than signal timings])

Ø       600 agencies to be contacted via email

Ø       150 agencies to be contacted via mail

Ø       Discussed interview process to obtain data

Ø       Will be coordinated with a press release at the 2005 ITE Spring Conference in Las Vegas

6.      Peter Koonce Strategic Plan (Attached)

·         Triennial Strategic Plan – TRB Requirements

o        Health and Relevancy

o        Connections/Relationship to other Committees

o        Goals of Committee

Ø       Better Documentation of Best Practices

Ø       Research coordination with FHWA

Ø       Continued Research Problem Statement Development

o        Paul Olson recommend listing/linking to TRB Papers   

o        Tom Urbanik discussed proposing a synthesis of practice study

7.      Task Force “Scoping of Manual on Best Traffic Signal Timing Practices”

·         Draft TOC with some descriptive bullets

·         Goal to submit to Pam Crenshaw by October 1, 2004

·           Volunteers

o        Peter Koonce

o        Ahmed Aburahmah

o        Frank Dolan

o        Pam Crenshaw

o        Daniel Deneau

o        Pat Timbrook

8.      Peter Koonce: TRB Sunday Workshop for January 2005

·         Developing agenda on Best Traffic Signal Practices

·         Looking for people to present

o        Isolated Operations (Possible presenters: Kloos, Eyler, Sturdevant). 

o        Coordinated Operations (Possible presenters: Denny, Kelman, Urbanik)

9.      Tom Urbanik 3-66 Update (Attached)

·         Detector Functions

·         Scheduling Algorithm/Controller Model

·         Rail/Highway Preemption Issues

10. Tom Urbanik 2005 Mid Year Meeting

·         Tues Afternoon/Wed a.m. Joint workshop with Highway Capacity

·         Las Vegas, middle two weeks in July

·         TRB will handle scheduling logistics

·         Organizers

o        Peter Koonce and   Mark V (Kittlelson) (Chairs)

o        Mike Kyte

o        Rick Dowling

o        Darcy Bullock

o        Les Kelman

·         Tentative Schedule

o        Sunday afternoon meeting

o        Monday: Signal Workshop: Possible Topics

Ø       Performance assessments (Head)

Ø       Objective function possibilities (Denney)

*         (Delay/Stops/Fuel/Emissions/Citizen complaint)

o        Tuesday a.m.: Tour of Las VegasFAST Center

o        Committee unanimously approved Las Vegas.

11. Tom Urbanik:  Tom Deen Distinguished Lecture

·         Phil Tarnoff’s name was submitted.

12. Adjourned

·         The meeting was adjourned at 5:45pm

 


Sunday

July 25, 2004

 

13. Les Kelman, “A History of Traffic Control in Toronto

 

Monday

July 26, 2004

 

 

14. Workshop 1a: (Monday Morning Session)

R. Denney, “We Build Them to Stop Cars

J. LeSarge, “Traffic Signal Coordination Specific Issue Resolve

L. Simas and P. Ham, “Young Street Corridor Review

P. Craig, “Multi-Criteria Traffic Control” (Awaiting File)

R. Bissessar, “Signal Coordination in Toronto

 

15. Workshop 1b: (Monday Afternoon Session)

D. Eyler, “Responsive Arterial Systems

S. Shelby, “Resonant Cycle Lengths

J. Sinikas, “Transit Priority in Toronto

 

16. Workshop 1c: Summary and Identifications of Research Needs (Monday Afternoon Wrap Up)

·         Objectives (When/ Priority)

o        Coordination

o        Transit

o        Pedestrians

·         Communication with Public

·         Developing Support

·         Need Tools for Some Objective

·         Need benchmarks

·         Need Operational Guidelines

·         Cycle Lengths Guidelines

·         Has Webster’s study been reevaluated recently (Denney)

o        Street width

·         Are Time Space Diagrams still relevant (Kelman)?

·         There is a lack of peer reviewed FACTS/Science to backup good design practice (Urbanik)

·         Need for fundamental research on “MultiModal Control” (Head)

o        Peds

o        Bikes

o        Busses

o        Vehicles

o        Emergency Vehicles

o        Movable bridges

·         Let’s not let the human factor problem statement on phase sequence die (prepared several years ago )….(Head)

·         What are the objectives of the transit agency with preemption (Urbanik)


Tuesday

July 27, 2004

 

17. Workshop 2a: (Tuesday Morning Session)

·         M. Pinet, “Impact of RWIS on Signal Systems and Timings

·         S. Stewart, “Impact of Traveler Information Systems on Signal Systems and Timings

·         J. Lam, “Signal Systems – Current Issues and Evolving Trends”

·         S. Stewart and J. Lam, “Moderated Discussion on Urban ITS Systems”

 

18. Workshop 2b: (Tuesday Morning Wrap Up)

·         Operating Resource Requirements for operating traffic signal systems

·         Skill set requirements for operating traffic signal systems

·         Viability of outsourcing operation as a  professional service

o        Perhaps the process of clearly defining requirements for an RFP would be a healthy process to go through

·         Smaller agencies banding together to develop a larger, more efficient group to manage a region of signal systems. (Paul Olson gave several examples)

·         How do we train and retain quality human capital for managing and operating our systems.

·         We do not know what good/best practice is because we are not measuring our performance (Denney/Urbanik)

o        Develop best practices for operating a transportation control systems (signal)

·         What tools do we have/need so we can provide reliable arterial travel time

 

19. Afternoon System Presentations and Tour

·         City of Brampton

·         York Region

·         City of Toronto