Evaluation of Adaptive Signal Control Technology - Systems Engineering (SE) Document and ASCT-Selection Method

Adaptive signal control technology (ASCT) systems are to respond (adapt) to real‐time traffic demand and patterns to provide more efficient and safer operation at signalized intersections. The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) wanted to conduct a field evaluation of an ASCT system by deploying one on a corridor and assessing its performance. One of the tasks of this study was to use the procedure suggested by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to develop a systems engineering (SE) document for purchasing an adaptive system. This report presents the process of preparing the SE document, developing selection criteria, and preparing a bid document for procurement of the system that was deployed on the Neil Street corridor in Champaign, Illinois. The procurement of the ASCT system was a learning experience. Preparing the SE document takes time and has to be done carefully to get the right system with appropriate features. The approval process took 14 months instead of the 3 months that was allocated to it. An objective process for evaluation and ranking of the competing proposals should be used. This study developed such a procedure and utilized it in the vendor selection for this study. It is important to have people with a traffic‐engineering background involved in preparing the SE document so the system’s features and functionalities are appropriately specified. The system features as advertised by vendors may not function very well in every real‐world traffic condition. The expected performance from an ASCT system should be constrained to those that can be achieved in a given condition.IDOT-R27-127Ope