Bus Signal Priority Based on GPS and Wireless Communications
Principal Investigator:
Gary Davis, Professor, Civil Engineering
Co-Investigator:
- Chen-Fu Liao, Senior Systems Engineer, Civil Engineering
Project Summary:
The Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan transit agency has installed Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment in transit vehicles for the purpose of monitoring vehicle locations and schedules in order to provide more reliable transit services. This research project evaluates the potential use of vehicle-mounted GPS to develop a Transit Signal Priority system that improves the efficiency of transit. Bus signal priority has been implemented in several US cities to provide more reliable travel and improve customer ride quality. Current signal priority strategies implemented in various US cities have mostly utilized sensors to detect buses at a fixed or at a preset distance away from the intersection. Signal priority is usually granted after a preprogrammed time offset after detection. The strategy developed in this research will consider the bus's timeliness with respect to its schedule, location and speed.
Sponsors:
- ITS Institute (RITA)
Project Details:
- Start date: 09/2004
- Project Status: Completed
- Research Area: Transportation Safety and Traffic Flow