This two-day course will focus on topics related to coordinating/synchronizing traffic signals along the corridors.

This course will enable you to develop and evaluate the performance of two types of traffic signal coordination: time of day and traffic responsive systems.

For time of day and traffic responsive coordinated systems, attendees will learn how to determine good timing and coordinated solutions with innovative approaches for managing vehicle queues, progressing turns, and addressing potential gridlock situations, how to find optimal timing solutions, and how to safely accommodate non-motorists.

Students will work on signal timing plans for several signals along arterials including freeway interchange signals; assess whether more complex timing solutions offer operational improvements; solve specialized problems such as offset intersections and diamond interchanges; and learn to perform analysis and evaluation of traffic volumes and field checks.

The operational concept for traffic adaptive systems will be introduced; a basic knowledge of Synchro is helpful.

Additional course detail is provided in the sections below.

• Course Topics
  • Principles of traffic signal coordination
  • Analysis of volume and system characteristics
  • Software & hardware requirements for signal coordination
    • Time of day, traffic responsive, & traffic adaptive systems
  • Use of SYNCHRO to develop time of day & traffic responsive timing plans
  • Find optimal timing solutions
  • Hands-on entering & understanding coordinated signal timing sheets
  • Performance comparison of the three timing strategies
  • Overall evaluation of maintenance of optimized signal timing & operations
  • Integration of arterial systems with freeway ramp metering & control systems.
• Course Outline
  SESSION 1: Introduction to Traffic Signal Operations: Coordination for Corridors

  • Principles of traffic signal coordination
    • Objectives of coordination
    • Types of coordination
    • When to coordinate, when not to
  • What to expect in improved system performance; limits on what you can do
  • Types of systems to achieve your coordination requirements
    • Generalized cost of system types—when are the additional costs for advanced systems justified?
    • What you need to know before deciding how to coordinate

  SESSION 2: Analysis of System & Volume Characteristics

  • Field Observations Lecture
  • System Layout & Type
  • Analysis of Volumes for use in Coordination Planning
  • Time-Space Diagrams
  • Measures of Effectiveness

  SESSION 3: Time of Day/Time-Based Coordination

  • Description of teaching methods of course
  • Developing Coordination Plans: Class Problem
    • Suburban Arterial at Freeway Interchange (Davis Street in San Leandro)
    • Orientation to Synchro network
    • Brief review of field notes/Synchro input (from Session 2)
    • Optimization strategy (Synchro, then manipulation of software for improved timing plans)
    • Can you improve on instructor’s results?
    • Signal timing sheets overview and timing parameter input into signal timing sheets

  SESSION 4: Traffic Responsive Coordination

  • How to determine need for response coordination
  • Volume patterns Critical intersections
  • Find system detectors (map of Davis Street)
  • Statistical validity/Thresholds for plan changes
  • Use Average (100%) and 140% volumes as example
  • Specific system loop ranges
  • Damping
  • Input patterns into timing sheets for field master

  SESSION 5: How to Solve Difficult Operations Problems

  • General approach—look for the weak links
  • Diamond interchanges
  • Closely-spaced intersections
  • Special phase sequences
  • Use of advanced signal controllers (more than 8 phases)
  • Queue detection for protected-permissive left turn phasing
  • Transit Signal Priority
  • Signal Preemption 

  SESSION 6: Automated Traffic Signal Performance Measures (ATSPM)

  • Background Information
  • Why the Need for ATSPM?
  • System Requirements for ATSPM Deployments
  • Case Study
  • How to Effectively Use ATSPM
• What you will learn

  Students learn to plan major signal coordination projects, when to use the different types of timing strategy (time of day, traffic responsive, traffic adaptive), how to proceed from data collection to satisfactory system operation and fine-tuning, and how to update signal coordination plans as traffic conditions change over time.

  Traffic adaptive software, a key to many "intelligent" traffic management systems, will be introduced.

• Who should attend

  This course is designed for traffic engineers from public agencies and consulting firms who already have some experience in signal coordination work, or who have completed prerequisite courses equivalent to Traffic Signal Operations: Isolated Intersections (TE-04) and Synchro and SimTraffic (TE-13).

• Course Prerequisites

  A basic knowledge of Synchro is helpful.

• Course Instructors

  Joy Bhattacharya, PE, PTOE, Vice President, Advanced Mobility Group

  Mr. Bhattacharya serves as the Director of Innovative Transportation Solutions at Advanced Mobility Group's (AMG). He provides innovative Traffic Engineering, Transportation Planning, and ITS solutions for the Global Market. He has expertise in traffic engineering, traffic simulation, traffic signal systems with traffic simulation, traffic signal timing, traffic operations, ITS, Connected and Autonomous Vehicles, and Smart Cities. He is an ITE fellow and has approximately 25 years of transportation engineering experience.

  David Mahama, PE, Senior Associate, DKS Associates

  Mr. Mahama is the Design/Traffic Group Leader at DKS Associates. He is one of three Project Managers selected by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) to retime approximately 550 Traffic Signal annually throughout the Bay Area. His professional experience includes traffic operations, signal design, traffic signing and striping design, intelligent transportation systems design (ITS), and transportation studies.

• Registration Information

  Registration for this course occurs at the TechTransfer training host site. Use the button to the right to directly access the course page and registration portal. You will be asked to create a user account as part of the registration process.

  A confirmation email will be sent to you within two business days of TechTransfer receiving your paid registration.

  If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact the TechTransfer Registrar at (510) 643-4393 or registrar@techtransfer.berkeley.edu.

• For more information

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  To learn more about TechTransfer's cancellation, refund, and substitution policies, see How to Enroll (https://www.techtransfer.berkeley.edu/enrollment/how-enroll).

  Cancellation Policy:

  The cancellation fee for this course is $75. At TechTransfer, there are no refunds for classes with registration fees of $75 or less. For all other classes, you may cancel your enrollment and receive a refund of your registration fee less $75, provided they receive your written request to cancel at least 5 full working days before the class is scheduled to begin. In lieu of canceling your registration, you may (1) transfer your registration to another TechTransfer class, (2) receive a tuition credit for the full amount, useable toward a future class, or (3) send a substitute in your place.

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