Texas Transportation Researcher, Volume 37, Number 2, 2001 Page: 4
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Innovative use of ITS technology reduces
pavement damage and improves safetyA big rig driving at full speed down a
rural highway approaches a traffic signal
at an isolated intersection. The light turns
yellow and the truck driver applies the
brakes. Can the driver stop the truck in
time? Will the truck jackknife or roll
through the intersection instead of stop-
ping safely? How much damage will the
truck do to the highway pavement during
the stop? A Texas Transportation Institute
(TTI) project has provided a way to reduce
problems associated with signalized inter-
sections having high truck traffic.
"Pharr, Texas, District Engineer
Amadeo Saenz was looking for ways to
improve truck operations along the Texas-
Mexico border," says Tom Urbanik, TTI
associate director. "We proposed the truck
priority concept as a means to address sev-
eral concerns of Mr. Saenz."
In many cases, intelligent transporta-
tion systems (ITS) are providing just such
a means of applying innovative solutions
to chronic problems that have been dif-
ficult to solve with traditional methodol-
ogy. The "simple solution" in this project
was a way to reduce the number of stops
trucks made at a rural traffic signal.
Minimizing the number of truck stops
reduces pavement damage, lowers traffic
delay for all vehicles and improves safety.
Using a vehicle classifier connected toa personal computer, researchers devel-
oped a system that detects when a truck
approaches an intersection and relays that
detection to the computer. The computer
sends a message to the signal controller
to take appropriate action, such as delay-
ing a light change from green to red to
give the truck time to clear the intersec-
tion safely.
TTI Assistant Research Engineer Srini-
vasa Sunkari and Hassan Charara, associ-
ate research scientist, headed up a project
team that modified traditional classifier
operation and installed a test unit at Sulli-
van City, Texas, near the state's border with
Mexico. The project has been selected for
presentation at the annual meeting of the
Institute of Transportation Engineers in
Chicago this summer.
"A classifier traditionally stores infor-
mation about vehicle classification for later
download," explains Sunkari. "What we
did here was to get the classifier to report
vehicle classifications immediately to a
computer, which monitors and changes
the signal operation where appropriate."
The project found inductive loops con-
nected to a classifier very accurate in
detecting and classifying trucks and mea-
suring their speeds. The resulting system
cut the number of truck stops by at least
four percent, resulting in reduced fuel con-sumption and pavement wear and tear.
Since implementation of the North
American Free Trade Agreement, some
highways in Texas, particularly in border
areas, have seen an increase in truck traf-
fic. The concept developed and tested in
this project provides a way to moderate
some of the problems associated with this
increase.
"This project broke ground because it
was the first effort to look specifically at
truck traffic in regard to this problem,"
notes Sunkari. "A subsequent project now
underway is looking at signal operations
at isolated signalized intersections from
an overall perspective, which will give us
comprehensive data for continuing devel-
opment and implementation."V1
For more information, contact
Srinivasa Sunkari at (979)
845-7472 or s-sunkari@tamu.eduHassan Charara at (979)
845-1908 or
h-charara@tamu.edu
4
Related publication: Report 1439-8, Reducing
Truck Stops at High-Speed Isolated Traffic SignalsReduced truck delay at
isolated intersections
Computer triggers o
phase hold
Vehicle classifier recogni
truck and alerts computez
Truck approaches traffic signal
Signal controller
places hold on
green light
es
(rr r
--
Loop detector
detects vehicleUsing a vehicle classifier connected to a personal computer, researchers developed a system that detects when a truck approaches an intersection and
relays that detection to the computer. The computer sends a message to the signal controller to take appropriate action, such as delaying a light change
from green to red to give the truck time to clear the intersection safely.
4 Texas Transportation ResearcherI
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Texas Transportation Institute. Texas Transportation Researcher, Volume 37, Number 2, 2001, periodical, 2001; College Station, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth576275/m1/4/: accessed May 11, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.