REGIONAL COLLABORATION: A MODEL FOR SUCCESSFUL ITS IMPLEMENTATION IN PORTLAND, OREGON

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1 REGIONAL COLLABORATION: A MODEL FOR SUCCESSFUL ITS IMPLEMENTATION IN PORTLAND, OREGON Max Coffman Portland State University, P.O. Box 751, Portland, OR USA Phone: Fax: coffman@pdx.edu Jonathan Makler Metro, 600 NE Grand Ave., Portland, OR USA Phone: Fax: maklerj@metro.dst.or. Robert L. Bertini Portland State University, P.O. Box 751, Portland, OR USA Phone: , Fax bertini@pdx.edu ABSTRACT: Portland, Oregon is known for its innovative transportation and land use planning process and its multimodal transportation system. The implementation of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) has also followed a uniquely collaborative process, involving stakeholders from local, regional, state and national agencies, private consultants, and university researchers, in a multimodal, bi-state environment. Collaborations have included the creation of a region-wide fiber-optic cable network and traveler information distribution system. This paper describes the collaborative processes used for successful development of ITS programs, the measurement of their benefits, and makes recommendations that can be applied in other regions around the world. INTRODUCTION Portland, Oregon is well known for its innovative transportation and land use planning process and its unique elected regional government. Portland has had a history of regional cooperation beyond this unusual form of government. The ITS community has formed several bodies that have kept the region at the forefront of innovation. The TransPort Committee serves as the planning and coordinating subcommittee for ITS issues that concern the region. TransPort members include state, county and municipal transportation officials, private consultants and university researchers. The group has met monthly on a voluntary basis, with no dedicated staff, since 1994, to discuss the deployment and compatibility of ITS technologies and maintain the regional ITS Architecture. TransPort has recently installed an innovative shared telecommunications network. The Cooperative Telecommunications Infrastructure Committee (CTIC) was formed to promote the shared development and maintenance of a variety of electronic communications media, including the fiber-optic cable networks necessary to share the live ITS data coming from the region s vehicle detectors and closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras. The creation of this network has been hailed as an example of interagency collaborative best practice. (1) With the fiber-optic cable network in place, the TransPort Committee developed a system for distributing the ITS data that is collected in the region. The TransPort Advanced Traveler Information Implementation (TATII) program created a web-enabled one-stop shopping center for interested public and private data users. TATII publishes traffic data from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the City of Portland, and parking availability at Portland International Airport.(2) This data is now available to all commercial

2 305 Interstate 5 Northbound: Speed 90 Milepost :00 4:00 8:00 12:00 Time Figure 1. Portland Freeway Network and PSU ITS Laboratory 16:00 20:00 24:00 data providers and public agencies through the TripCheck Traveler Information Portal (TTIP) in Extensible Markup Language (XML) format. A major customer of this service is the Portland State University ITS Lab. The lab archives the region s freeway traffic data (see Figure 1) and provides a variety of traffic analyses via an online interface called the Portland Oregon Regional Transportation Archive Listing (PORTAL, see portal.its.pdx.edu). The outputs available to PORTAL users include graphical representations of travel time, variability, congestion frequency, and many other indicators. Many ITS programs, services and infrastructure, and have been developed in the Portland region. Some of the benefits of these developments are detailed below, beginning with mobility improvements. MOBILITY Mobility affects how quickly and easily people travel from home to work, shopping and recreation and how easily freight moves from dock to destination. The high cost of building new infrastructure makes it imperative to maximize the utility of existing systems. ITS tools help recapture capacity that has been lost to congestion. Agencies in the Portland region employ a variety of ITS applications that increase mobility. This section describes five key regional ITS programs that demonstrate their range of mobility benefits TRANSIT SIGNAL PRIORITY Encouraging travelers to use transit when possible is a major strategy for increasing mobility without expanding the road network. Portland s TriMet is able to increase ridership in part because its buses and rail operators adhere to their schedules. As the region grows and becomes more congested, TriMet is developing new techniques for improving reliability. The most reliable transit systems are those with dedicated right-of-way and those that do not have to wait for cross-traffic at intersections. Because TriMet s buses share the road with other vehicles, TriMet has taken steps to give them a degree of priority at traffic signals. Each TriMet bus is equipped with an Opticom transmitter that broadcasts a request for priority when behind schedule (see Figure 2). An on-board computer activates the transmitter if a bus falls more than 30 seconds behind schedule so that buses do not disrupt the coordinated signal timing systems used throughout the city. When possible, the local traffic signal responds to this request either by extending the green signal long enough for the bus to pass or by ending the red signal early. Avoiding a full red signal stop can allow the bus to make 2

3 up for time lost due to heavy congestion or slow boardings. The City of Portland and TriMet have worked together to implement this system at 275 intersections throughout the city. After Before Figure 2. Bus Run Time Distribution Before and After Signal Priority This flexibility gives operators a better chance of reaching each stop as scheduled, building confidence in the service and increasing rider satisfaction. Improved reliability promotes greater transit ridership and more efficient use of the transportation network, expanding the capacity and increasing mobility for all users. Implementation of transit priority has saved 2-3 minutes per route during peak periods and has reduced variability in travel time by 17%. This accomplishment has also allowed TriMet to meet its service goals without having to add buses, representing a savings of $120,000 per route over the next 5-10 years (4). REAL-TIME TRAVELER INFORMATION In Portland, real-time traveler information comes from ODOT and TriMet. The ODOT TripCheck service includes a phone line (511) and a webpage ( see usage statistics in Figure 3). The webpage allows users to view live traffic cameras, check weather and use the speed map to identify congested highways. The phone line provides similar information via voice. For transit users, TriMet s Transit Tracker system provides data from GPS devices in each transit vehicle. Users can obtain location-specific updates about when the next bus or light rail train will arrive. The information is available online ( or by phone ( RIDE) so that a transit rider can avoid getting to a bus stop to early or too late. With these tools, Portland travelers can identify incidents and congested conditions before departing and select alternate routes. This enablea these informed travelers to make use of uncongested roadways and prevents them from Figure 3. Tripcheck.com Monthly Website Visits and Transit Tracker Sign 3

4 exacerbating existing congestion, allowing it to clear more quickly. Confidence in transit arrival times inspires greater transit ridership, particularly when travelers also know that the freeways are congested. Increasing travelers understanding of system conditions helps to expand its effective capacity both by decreasing the impact of traffic conditions on drivers and by making transit more appealing. Traveler information services such as TripCheck and Transit Tracker can help individuals find an optimal trip type to avoid congestion and other problems. For a business, this can mean the difference between delivering a product on time and missing a critical deadline. With over a million average monthly visits to the TripCheck website (see Figure 3), it is apparent that residents of the region have discovered the value of these services (5). RAMP METERING As limited-access facilities, freeways provide continuous mobility to users once they enter the system. However, when the demand for these facilities is high, freeway on-ramps can create bottlenecks. ODOT has installed ramp meters at 118 locations, covering almost all of the Portland area s freeway entrances (6). The signals operate on a very short cycle, allowing just a few vehicles to enter the freeway at a time. By moderating access to the freeway, ramp meters can allow it to keep flowing steadily, increasing the overall vehicle throughput. While freeway users do not always instantly welcome ramp metering, its benefits are wellestablished and public understanding and support of the program is growing. In response to public opposition to their ramp metering system, Minnesota DOT turned off their ramp meters for one week as an experiment. As shown in Figure 4, during that week there was 14% average decline in freeway throughput (7). ODOT reports that ramp metering reduces a trip from Hillsboro to downtown Portland from an average of 45 minutes to an average of 33 minutes (6). INCIDENT RESPONSE Figure 4. Benefits of Ramp Metering Incidents (crashes, breakdowns or other random events) reduce mobility by blocking travel lanes and by causing distracted driving, rubbernecking and secondary crashes. Incidents account for roughly one quarter of all freeway congestion. Incident Figure 5. Incident Response 4

5 response programs shorten the time it takes to detect, verify and respond to an incident. In the Portland Metro area, nearly 500 freeway sensors can detect changes in traffic patterns. For example, if the middle lane of I-5 comes to a stop while the lanes on either side slow, an operator at ODOT s Transportation Management and Operations Center is alerted by the central computer system. The operator then manipulates closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras to inspect the scene and dispatches the appropriate resources, police, fire or ambulance. ODOT s special fleet, known as the COrridor ManagemEnt Team (COMET), includes eleven vehicles, four of which are general active during a regular shift (see Figure 5). Each vehicle is equipped with a variable message sign, basic traffic control equipment, automotive repair tools and a communications system. For breakdowns, which account for approximately 50% of freeway incidents in the region, the COMET truck alone is able to get the motorist moving again quickly so that traffic returns to normal (8). SAFETY Safety must be incorporated into transportation system management and operations. Approaches to safety can reduce the number of dangerous roadway situations and mitigate situations when they do occur. ITS can offer effective tools in both of these categories. The following sections provide examples of how technology can improve transportation safety. TRUCK SIGNAL EXTENSION When a traffic signal turns yellow, a driver must decide whether to press on through the intersection or to attempt to stop in time. For any given speed there is a physical space where this decision is uncertain, known as the dilemma zone. For a tractor-trailer, with greater braking distance, the size of the dilemma zone is a safety concern. Because a truck s dilemma zone is longer, it may be unable to stop before the cross traffic is given a green signal, with disastrous results. If a traffic signal can detect a truck in the dilemma zone when the light turns yellow, it can extend the yellow, by a second or two, allowing that truck to pass through the intersection before the light turns red. For the cross-traffic that enters the intersection when the light turns green, this could be the difference between life and death. The City of Portland has implemented this system at two intersections on Columbia Boulevard: Martin Luther King Junior Blvd. and Macrum Ave. Sensors have been installed in the dilemma zones, in advance of traditional detector positions. The sensors measure vehicle length to classify it as a truck, determine its speed and, at the critical moment, trigger the traffic signal controller to Violations :00 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 Time of Day Figure 6. Truck Red Light Running Before and After Implementation of Signal Extension Before After1 After2 5

6 extend the yellow signal. This arrangement is pictured in Figure 6. The system (10,000 for the two intersections) has had an immediate impact. As the graph below illustrates, the number of trucks running the red light at Columbia and Macrum decreased immediately after the system was activated. For example, between 4:00 and 5:00 PM 18 trucks ran a red light the day before the system was activated and only 1 did so the day after. Comparing the entire day before and the entire day after, there was a 68% decrease in trucks running red lights after the new technology was implemented (9). Bill Kloos, manager of the Signals and Street Lighting Division of PDOT, had this to say about the system: This is a heavily-traveled freight corridor where we can do something extremely cost-effective to improve safety. These two intersections have given us an opportunity to demonstrate how this technology works before considering a broader deployment. REMOTE WEATHER DETECTION ODOT has installed devices throughout the highway network that comprise the Road Weather Information System (RWIS). The system continually monitors temperature, moisture and wind. With communication infrastructure that allows ODOT to collect, analyze and disseminate this information, these devices provide a real-time road weather report via roadside message signs, the Internet and through the media. For example, Tripcheck.com allows users to view the RWIS data as well as traffic cameras for many locations throughout the state. Figure 7 shows an example of what a user can find on TripCheck. Reducing the crash rate is a major goal for operating agencies like ODOT and PDOT. By helping motorists avoid dangerous situations, the RWIS increases the safety of the transportation system. Bruce Leonard, Director of Safety for Portland-based Market Transport, put it this way: [TripCheck] allows our company to access highway conditions and reroute our trucks during periods of inclement weather. This has allowed us to avoid hazardous driving conditions, improving safety on the highways for the public and our fleet. COST-EFFECTIVE TRANSPORTATION SOLUTIONS This section highlights a few of the Portland ITS projects notable for their cost-effectiveness. PRIVATE MEDIA BROADCASTING TRAVELER INFORMATION Data sharing is a theme in the Portland region. Transportation agencies are now able to collect real-time information about transportation system conditions. Ramp meters, for example, produce data about highway traffic volumes and speeds. Cameras that are used to monitor roadways for accidents can also be used to observe traffic jams. Though ODOT and TriMet provide their own traveler information services, it is difficult for them to reach a mainstream audience. An innovative partnership between the public and private sectors helps these agencies distribute real time traveler information to a larger market segment at no additional public expense. ODOT compiles various freeway speed, incident, construction and weather data and makes them available to the news media and other outlets. The Portland Speed Map, provided by ODOT (see Figure 1), has become a fixture of the television morning news. Furthermore, one channel broadcasts traffic reports live from ODOT s operations center and several websites are using the free, real-time data to provide subscription-based personalized traffic reports. TriMet is taking a similar approach to distributing real-time data for its bus and MAX light rail networks. Because each transit vehicle is equipped with a GPS device, TriMet has a real-time data flow that it uses to monitor whether service is running on schedule. In addition to making this data available through its website and hotline, TriMet allows other parties to use this data in other creative 6

7 Figure 7. Tripcheck Automated Road and Weather Station Output ways. Google has partnered with TriMet and used its data to develop a prototype for its new Google Transit service, available at (see Figure 8), which provides directions between two points by car and by transit and includes an elementary cost comparison for both options, helping users to make more informed mode choices. ADAPTIVE SIGNAL CONTROL Refining signal timing plans and linking several signals together are both very cost-effective ways to make the system perform better. In-pavement sensors take signal timing one step further by making timing plans responsive to actual traffic conditions. Signal systems have historically been designed to switch between peak and off-peak schemes for rush hour. But adaptive signal control allows signal timing to respond to elevated traffic volumes, no matter what time of day they occur. In the City of Gresham, an adaptive signal control system of this kind was implemented in Gresham reports that the benefit-cost ratio has been 30 to 1, mainly in the form of reduced delay for the traveling public. Signal timing investments in the City of Portland have already proven to save significant amounts of time, money and carbon emissions. In 2005 the Climate Trust, a non-profit organization dedicated to climate stabilization, partnered with City of Portland to fund the retiming of over 150 intersections, reducing idling and acceleration time and saving an expected $3 million of gas per year. Climate Trust provided $533,000 for this project in return for the 151,000 tons of carbon dioxide offset by the reduced gas usage (10). This partnership not only provides improved efficiencies to the driving public, but also does so at no extra cost to the City s budget. Figure 8. Google Transit CONCLUSIONS Though many ITS projects are locationspecific, regional coordination can still be beneficial to their development. Cities and counties may be unable to sponsor the research and development for a new program on their own. A coordinated effort among many organizations can enable them to accomplish more together 7

8 than they could separately. For example, Clackamas County has proposed an informationsharing system for at-grade rail crossings that could enable improved traveler information, enhanced signal timing for pre-clearance of hazardous intersections and strategic deployment of emergency responders when a train blocks major routes. This program could be implemented on an as-needed basis by the different agencies in the region once the general system design is complete. This project has not developed beyond the initial proposal stages because systemic inertia is holding it back. Other projects fundamentally require a regional perspective and coordination among agencies from start to finish. The City of Portland and ODOT have partnered to create a corridor management plan dynamically managing Interstate 5 and SW Barbur Boulevard where they run parallel south of downtown Portland. When an incident occurs on I-5 or congestion is particularly severe, variable message signs direct drivers to Barbur Blvd and signal systems adapt to accommodate the overflow. These corridor management systems could be applied all over the region, but would require the coordination of many jurisdictions and agencies. The paper will conclude with a summary of the unique achievements in the Portland region and some recommendations that can be applied in other cities. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors acknowledge the many individuals and agencies who make the Portland region s ITS programs successful and sustainable. Special thanks to Bill Kloos of the City of Portland. REFERENCES 1. Large City Technical Exchange and Assistance Program, Final Report. New York University, Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, November 2000, pp TransPort Advanced Traveler Information Implementation (TATII), Concept of Operations, Oregon Department of Transportation, Portland Oregon Regional Transportation Archive Listing. Intelligent Transportation Systems Lab, Portland State University, Portland Koonce, P., B. Kloos, and S. Callas. Bus Priority at traffic signals in Portland Version 2.0: The streamline project. In Compendium of Papers from the 72nd Annual Conference of the Institute of Transportation Engineers, Philadelphia, TripCheck Current Visits. Oregon Department of Transportation, Salem Bertini, R.L., Rose, M., El-Geneidy, A., Eder, A., Leal, M., Malik, S., Tantiyanugulchai, S. and Yin, T. Using Archived Data to Measure Operational Benefits of ITS Investments: Ramp Meters. Portland State University, Center for Transportation Studies, Research Report, June 2004, p Cambridge Systematics. Twin Cities Ramp Meter Evaluation. Minnesota Department of Transportation, February Bertini, R.L., Rose, M. and El-Geneidy, A. Using Archived ITS Data Sources to Measure the Effectiveness of a Freeway Incident Response Program. Proceedings of the 84th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C., Kloos, B. Providing Priority for Trucks at Signalized Urban Intersections. Presented at Annual Meeting of Institute of Transportation Engineers, Honolulu, Hawaii, Reducing CO2 emissions with Traffic Signal Optimization. The Climate Trust. Accessed July 16,