Sunday, May 29, 2011

Signal Timing Data Collection Enhancements

I found this post on the Miovision Street Sense Blog and thought it was a nice combination of different relevant elements about signal timing that seem to be lost on the engineers that I work with. There's very few engineers that complete signal timing and it would be good if there was a stronger link to the signal timing in the Highway Capacity Manual.

I have been criticizing the HCM at work to determine whether it is the right tool for us as an agency as we move forward. It seems like it is stuck in a suburban model of development and will not address the importance of congestion for meeting the needs of communities. As I mentioned in the post about the Vancouver BC visit, their policies offer clear direction with some interpretation. To improve the transportation system for the freight community, we need to carefully consider improvements like signal priority for our larger friends and provide good traveller information to encourage off-peak use. I also like the idea of making tolls (Columbia River Crossing) freight friendly, reducing the cost for goods movement in the off-peak.

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