Consolidation Commission - Transportation Sub-Committee

City of OrlandoSignalization Presentation

September 8, 2005

Traffic Signal Operation

• Signal Mounting System• Signal Heads• Detectors• Signal Controller• Interconnect Link to Other Signals• Communications/Control Link to Traffic

Management Center (TMC)• Traffic Management Center

Signals Overview

• FDOT – No operations– Provide funding for state road maintenance– Approve phasing and signal modifications– Timing set by local agency

• City – All City signals

• County– All County signals– Maintenance agreements with some small cities

• Private – Control Specialists– Ocoee, Winter Springs, Oakland, Winter Park,

Maitland

ORLANDO SIGNAL SYSTEM

• 470 Devices

• 416 Signals

• 14 Cameras

• Traffic Management Center (TMC)

Communication Interconnect

• 21 Miles of Fiber Optic Cable

• 50 Miles of Twisted Pair

• 16 Locations connected via Radio

GENERAL STRATEGIES

•

Improve reliability of loops

•

Real time dataAerial Detectors

PresenceSpeedsStationary & MovingLength of Queues

DOWNTOWN

ChallengesGrowthLack of DetectorsLymmoRailroad Tracks & Trains

DOWNTOWN SYSTEM100 Signals

• Interactive Grid

• Communications withTraffic Management Center (TMC)

• Programmed Timing Plans

Downtown Growth

• Employment – 56,000 to 75,000

• Residential Units – 3,000 to 7,000

Lack of Detectors

Timing plans by time of dayAM PeakMid-dayPM PeakEvening & Nights

• Shorter cycle lengths• More Green time on Main street• Flash selected locations

Lymmo

Preemption throws off timing

Railroad Tracks & Trains

Trains interrupt timing

DOWNTOWN SOLUTIONS

• Adaptive System• Manual Intervention from TMC• Special Event Management• Dynamic Signs• AM Radio Advisories• Cameras• Add Detection Loops and/or Video

Detection

MAJOR CORRIDORS(City – County – FDOT)

Major Corridor Total - 114 Signals

– Kirkman– JYP– Hiawassee Road– OBT– Orange – Magnolia– Mills

– Bumby– Maguire/Crystal Lake– Edgewater– Vineland– Conway– Semoran Boulevard– Narcoossee

North-South

MAJOR CORRIDORS (City – County – FDOT)

East-West– Princeton– Virginia/Corrine– Colonial– Robinson/Washington– Central Boulevard– South/Anderson/Lake Underhill– Gore– Kaley– Michigan– Lee Vista Boulevard– Curry Ford

MAJOR CORRIDORS APPROACHRoadway Hierarchy

• Primary roads– Determines master cycle length– Determine green time allocation– Primary road example is: SR 436 (Semoran Boulevard)

• Secondary Roads– Curry Ford

• Tertiary Roads– Conway

• Local Access Roads

MAJOR CORRIDOR STRATEGIES

• Connected to TMC

• Redundant communications

• All loop & video detectors in rush hour– Main street green gets majority of green

– Left turn minimum setting or skip if not present

– Override for left turn

– Side street queue override

• Some crossing streets problems – drag racing, speeding

MINOR SYSTEMS202 Signals

• Within Major Developments

• Short segments/Small clusters

• Individual Isolated Signals at Access Points

MINOR SYSTEMS STRATEGIES

• Protect main street green

• City/County approval of timing plans

• Retime on an “At least every 3 years cycle”

• Improve staff training

• Reduce reliance on consultant’s support for timing

• Reduce retiming cycle to annually

REALITIES OF SIGNAL SYSTEM OPERATION

Capacity• Near capacity – Variable performance• Exceed capacity – unpredictable performance

• Peak Capacity conditions• Overall Capacity Deficiencies

– Frequent failures to clear intersection– Frequent intersection blockage– Frequent pressing of red at both crossing movements

• SIGNAL COORDINATION IS LOST• Non-Signal Options are very expensive

Other Realities

• Pedestrian – push buttons at intersections• Schools

– Pedestrian crossings – students– Parent cars queue– School buses

• Fire Stations with Preemptive controls• Construction

– Cut loops & communications lines

Coordination Agreements

• Current agreement includes 12 intersections– 6 City of Orlando– 6 Orange County

• Coordination responsibility given to other agency

• Equipment Maintenance remains with original agency

City – County Coordination

• Official Committees– Central Florida ITS Consortium– Metroplan M & O Subcommittee– District 5 Maintaining Agencies Group

• Informal (Staff to Staff)– Transportation Manager to Manager– Senior Engineer to Signal Systems Engineer

Emerging Standards for Hardware

• National Transportation Communications for ITS Protocol (NTCIP)– Federally mandated– Not finalized

• Hardware is functionally compatible, but software is incompatible between City and County

• Staff is not trained to work on other systems

FUTURE ACTION

• Review Specific Locations

• Review Overall System

• Review Communication Links for Other Opportunities