Development and Evaluation of Light Rail Transit Signal Priority Strategies
Beth Taylor and Randy B. Machemehl, University of Texas at Austin, August 1998, 162 pp. (472840-00072-1)
Light rail transit (LRT) signal priority strategies are often considered LRT vehicle delay reduction tools. The purpose of this research is to develop and evaluate LRT signal priority strategies to determine which strategies are most likely to produce significant delay reductions. A simulated median running LRT route in Austin, Texas is used for this case study.
Both active and passive priority strategies are simulated using CORSIM with a Run-Time Extension (RTE). The RTE is used to provide the active priority signal timing changes associated with a green signal extension for the LRT phase. The results indicate that passive priority strategies are more effective in reducing delay. Among the passive methods, prohibition of left turns across the LRT tracks and one-way progression segmented to account for stops at LRT stations yield the best results.
Keywords: Light Rail Transit (LRT), Signal Priority, Active and Passive Priority Strategies, Analysis of Variance, Delay Reduction
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