The 2012 National Traffic Signal Report Card is an effort to bring more attention to the importance of and investment in traffic signal management and operations. The first and second National Traffic Signal Report Cards were released in 2005 and 2007 and assigned national scores of D- and D, respectively. The 2012 National Traffic Signal Report Card score has improved slightly to an overall D+. The improvement in the national score may appear slight, but is meaningful in demonstrating progressive improvement to programs that support management and operations of traffic signals. The number of traffic signals managed by an agency affects the score. In State and metropolitan agencies managing more than 150 signals, the overall score was a C, higher than the national average of D+. In spite of challenging economic conditions this suggests for agencies of all sizes that strategic investments in traffic signal management and operations can make a difference. This report presents the results of the 2011 Traffic Signal Operations Self-Assessment and the findings from the consolidated responses of 241 agencies across the United States and Canada. These results and findings were used to determine the scores for the 2012 National Traffic Signal Report Card. The report discusses these findings in the context of the evolution of practices observed between the 2005, 2007, and 2011 self-assessments and a generalized traffic signal program management plan. In addition, this report discusses opportunities and resources available to agencies as well as the future direction of traffic signal systems management and operations. (Author/publisher)
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