Automated Traffic Signal Performance Measures (ATSPM) Maintenance Programs Cost An Estimated $0.23 Million to $11 Million Over 10 Years.

A Federal report evaluated Automated Traffic Signal Performance Measures (ATSPM) management and operations in several states.

Made Public Date
03/29/2021
Identifier
2021-SC00479
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Summary Information

This study introduced a flexible method to evaluate performance-based traffic signal operations and maintenance. The intent was to describe advantages and disadvantages of using a proactive, performance-based traffic signal monitoring process, executed through the Automated Traffic Signal Performance Measures (ATSPM) Program as compared to a traditional reactive approach for monitoring and retiming traffic signals. The following agencies that adopted and incorporated the ATSPM approach were interviewed and participated in the study.

  • Utah DOT (UDOT)
  • Georgia DOT (GDOT)
  • Pennsylvania DOT  (PennDOT) with personnel from Cranberry Township, PA
  • Lake County, Illinois DOT  (LCDOT)
  • Clark County, Washington
  • Maricopa County DOT (MCDOT).

Table 1: Operational Characteristics of the Agencies in the Six Case Studies

Agency

Number of Signals

Number of Signal Operations Staff

Use of ATSPM

GDOT

6804 signals.

70–80 full-time employees, including consultants.

Continuous.

UDOT

1,252 traffic signals and 19 High-Intensity Activated crossWalK beacon (HAWK) signals owned and operated by UDOT.

18 staff and 3 signal timing consultant firms.

Continuous.

Cranberry Township

49 signals.

Four engineers and one technician.

In early deployment.

MCDOT

170 (117 monitored with ATSPM) operated by MCDOT

2 full-time employees and 4 on-call consultants.

Automated alerts; as needed.

LCDOT

180 signals; 133 signals under ATSPM, the rest will be under ATSPM by the end of 2019.

1.5 full-time employees, excluding sporadic engagement consultants.

On a daily basis.

Clark County

98 traffic signals, 3 HAWK signal, and 24 signals for other agencies.

Nine staff and consultants.

As needed (now); continual (future).

 

Cost items were estimated using a formula with input data obtainable by analysts considering their current practices or by examining previous implementations. Some recurrent cost items, such as training costs, are estimated for the 10-year life cycle with a discount rate of 5 percent. The quantified costs of the six case studies using ATSPM are summarized in Tables 2 and 3.

 

Table 2: Deployment Cost

Deployment Cost

GDOT

UDOT

Cranberry Township

MCDOT

LCDOT

Clark County

Firmware upgrades

 

 

$35,000

 

$37,352

$166,563

Communication system development

 

 

 

 

$30,000

 

Detection system reconfiguration

$173,520

 

$13,000

$22,100

$20,633

$1,625

Detection system documentation

$144,600

 

 

 

 

$2,031

New server

 

 

$15,000

$1,000

$15,000

 

Server maintenance

 

 

$5,000

 

 

 

Software license cost

 

 

 

$2,800

 

$50,000

Installation cost.

$200,000

$1,008,000

$30,000

 

$64,744

 

Maintenance cost

 

$1,164,176

$25,000

 

$24,000

 

Integration/Training cost

$75,000

$127,473

$6,500

$50,000

$6,300

$150,000

Total

$593,120

$2,299,649

$129,500

$75,900

$198,029

$370,219

 

Table 3: Operation Cost

 

GDOT

UDOT

Cranberry Township

MCDOT

LCDOT

Clark County

Operation Cost

$285,640

$9,273,264

$260,936

$441,584

$101,163

$451,620

 

A Methodology and Case Study: Evaluating the Benefits and Costs of Implementing Automated Traffic Signal Performance

A Methodology and Case Study: Evaluating the Benefits and Costs of Implementing Automated Traffic Signal Performance
Source Publication Date
06/02/2020
Author
Day, C.; P. O’Brien; A. Stevanovic; D. Hale; and N. Matout
Publisher
Prepared by Leidos for the USDOT Federal Highway Administration, Report No. FHWA-HOP-20-003
System Cost

See Summary

System Cost Subsystem