Traffic congestion on signalized streets and arterial roads is the cause of numerous hours of delay on our transportation networks equating to millions of wasted dollars as well as untold stress on travelers. Included in the mix of vehicles delayed by congestion are emergency vehicles such as fire and emergency medical vehicles. Priority treatments at signalized intersections have been proposed and implemented as one means to alleviate the congestion and delay faced by some emergency vehicles using our signalized streets and roads. Priority treatments at signalized intersections have been in existence for a number of years and have a widespread deployment across the United States. Even so, there has been limited assessment of the costs and benefits of these types of systems. Now, with the current emphasis on deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), there has been a renewed interest in assessing the benefits associated with priority treatments at signalized intersections. The main purpose of this research is to develop an improved methodology for use in estimating the impacts of Emergency Vehicle Signal Priority systems within the ITS Deployment Analysis System (IDAS) model. The IDAS model is a tool used to assess the costs and benefits of ITS deployed on a regional transportation network.
Abstract