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Initiative 28: Traffic Control

Traffic Control
Description: Strategies to monitor and control traffic with signs, equipment and devices. Among the approaches used to assist truck drivers are signs that provide information about speed limit, access restrictions, loading zones and other regulations. Another type of initiative focuses on the coordination of traffic signals.
Targeted mode: All traffic Geographic scope: Corridor
Type of initiative: Traffic management: traffic control Primary objective: Reduce congestion
Expected costs and level of effort to implement: Traffic control strategies should consider road users, network characteristics, and traffic patterns. The planning should involve stakeholder engagement to assess the impacts to all relevant economic agents. This initiative requires investments in variable message signs (VMS), and the collection, analysis, and dissemination of real-life traffic information.
Advantages:

  • Decrease congestion
  • Enhance safety
  • Increase efficiency
  • Coordination of traffic signals
    • Improve system performance
    • Reduce number of stops
    • Environmental sustainability
    • Reduce travel times
 Disadvantages:

  • Traffic signal coordination is often calibrated for passenger vehicles, not truck traffic
  • May produce adverse effects on other modes
Examples:

  • Variable Message Signs (VMS) are used in Barcelona, Spain to inform about access regulations (City Ports 2005, 23)
  • VMS are used in Oregon, USA for truck advisory (Oregon Department of Transportation 2013)

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Source: Oregon Department of Transportation 2013
Related alternatives: 1. Restricted Multi-Use Lanes; 2. Exclusive Truck Lanes (Dedicated Truck Lanes); 3. Dynamic Routing
References: Ogden 1992; BESTUFS 2007; SUGAR 2011

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