The Traffic Engineering Section of the Ministry of Transportation and Highways is responsible for the policy, procedures and quality assurance of traffic control throughout the province. This mandate also includes the design, review and approval of various traffic engineering projects and programs. Traffic Engineering has seen the public's demand for services greatly increase during this time of fiscal restraint. There has been a concerted effort to provide more with existing resources. In other words, the work must be done more efficiently. In reviewing its operations, Traffic Engineering identified where improvements in efficiency could be made in various design processes, notably in the areas of signal timing in the areas of signal timing and signing. It was also evident that the necessary traffic engineering knowledge resided in a select group of human experts and that a shortage of staff resources precluded training additional personnel. To address these issues it was decided to develop expert systems in the areas of signal timing for isolated intersections and progressed systems, traffic pattern identification, sign design and speed zoning. This paper will provide summaries of the various expert systems developed by Traffic Engineering. (A)
Abstract