Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Traffic Signal Priority (TSP) Project

Transcription

1 Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Traffic Signal Priority (TSP) Project Allan Steele VP/CIO APTA TransITech February 2010

2 Content About DART The Challenge TSP Goals System Overview TSP Operation Current Status The Team

3 About DART 13 member cities in the Dallas area 650 buses running on 155 routes 125 paratransit vans 155 LRT cars on three lines 50 mile of rail in service with 40 stations 40 miles under construction with 26 additional stations 220,00 FR riders per day

4 DART LRT System 4

5 The Challenge Running light rail on city streets has the inherent conflict of rail vs vehicular traffic. With two lines (Red & Blue) normal traffic signal timing was sufficient to maintain headways 18 trains per hour Opening a third line (Green) increased throughput to a train every 2.5 mins at peak, or 24 trains per hour Standard signal timing was no longer adequate so a dynamic signaling system was needed

6 TSP Goals and Benefits Goals Headways of 2.5 minutes in each direction Non-stop station-to-station travel Minimize queuing of vehicular street traffic Adapt to fluctuations in train operation Benefits Reduce train stops between stations Reduce travel time through downtown More efficient train operations to maintain schedule

7 System Overview 1/2 The TSP system components are: Train detection system Phase I magnetometers and infrared detectors Phase II TWC at all stations, IR, Magnetometers Communications network: Between detectors, traffic signals and monitoring stations Wireless with double redundancy (fiber and twisted pair)

8 System Overview 2/2 The TSP system components are: TSP Traffic Signal Logic Station to station operation Holding of trains at midblock when needed Peer to peer messaging solution To send detection signals to downstream and upstream signal controllers Phase IIA will include a new traffic signal control system for CoD

9 TSP Communication Network

10 Internetworking Scheme 10

11 TSP Operation 1/3 At Stations 1/2: As a train enters the station, detector is activated and message is sent back to previous intersections indicating the station is occupied. Detector also calls transit phase (all green) at downstream intersections. Early green or green extension are given to the train if necessary. Countdown timer will alert the operator to get ready to depart.

12 TSP Operation 2/3 At Stations 2/2: As train departs, detector sends message back to previous intersection that station is about to clear. Go indications are provided for trains departing stations provided the next acceptable downstream stop is clear. Under normal conditions, train should travel non-stop from station to station Trains can leave a station to stop mid-block if a trailing train needs the station

13 TSP Operation 3/3 Train traveling between stations: Presence detectors send signal and extend transit phase at current intersection and downstream intersections Trains can be held at selected non-station blocks if necessary Station occupied Trailing train needs station

14 Train Storage Blocks 14

15 Current Status TSP is working as designed since the Green Line opening in September 2009 Fine tuning of logic is ongoing Phase II continues Adding TWC loops at all stations Extending detection signals to junctions at each end of the central business district Opening of the rest of the Green Line December 2010 changes berthing points and LRT consists

16 The Project Design criteria were established early adjusted as needed during development. Operating logic was tested extensively Lab simulation (at City of Dallas) Software simulation (from TTI) Uncontrolled events inserted e.g. delayed boarding, missed signals Extensive on-site unit testing was undertaken prove and tune detection equipment communications effectiveness and failover intersection logic and timing Extensive on-track system integration testing Out of service train at night in nonrevenue hours 16

17 The Team DART Abed Abukar (PM), Chris Patrick, Bobby Butler, Tom Serdar, Russell Stone, Minh Vo Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University Chris Poe, Roberto Macias City of Dallas Mark Titus, Curtis Jarecki Consultants and contractors Awarded Best ITS Project in Texas in 2009 by ITS Texas (Texas chapter of Intelligent Transportation Society of America)

18 END