Evaluation of Manual Traffic Control in Directing Traffic Operations for Major Special Events: Clemson University Football Game Day Experience

Gowtham Cherukumalli; Wayne Sarasua; Stephen Fry; William Davis

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ajtte.20200502.11

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Evaluation of Manual Traffic Control in Directing Traffic Operations for Major Special Events: Clemson University Football Game Day Experience

Gowtham Cherukumalli, Wayne Sarasua, Stephen Fry, William Davis

Published in American Journal of Traffic and Transportation Engineering (Volume 5, Issue 2)

Received: 21 September 2018 Accepted: 31 May 2019 Published: 19 May 2020

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Abstract

Crowd ingress and egress occurring before and after large special events results in oversaturation of the traffic network and is a crucial issue event planners and transportation officials must address. Because intersections constitute the greatest restraint in network traffic flows, efficient operation during special event peak flows is crucial. This research focuses on evaluating how well traffic control officers optimize intersection operations during heavily oversaturated conditions associated with large-scale special events. Network traffic data, including volumes, queues, and traffic officer signal/right-of-way phase times, were collected before and after four Clemson University home football games during the 2014 and 2015 season. Actual traffic count volumes were adjusted to account for vehicle queues and used to develop optimal signal timings using Synchro. These results are compared to field-observed intersection operation using officer directed hand-signaling and officer traffic signal pushbutton operation. A microscopic VISSIM model was also created for both manual control and optimized control scenarios to determine average delays for each approach and to improve the interpretation of macroscopic Synchro results. Findings indicate that traffic officers perform well in near saturated conditions; however, optimized signal timings provide reduced approach delay and overall intersection delay in heavily oversaturated conditions. The paper includes recommendations on how traffic officers can improve intersection performance. The paper also describes how results from data collection, analysis, and simulation modeling have been used to make recommendations to law enforcement in evaluating traffic operations and identifying improvements. Intersection control is crucial to the implementation of the overall traffic management plan, and the research findings provide insight to the effectiveness of law enforcement control of intersection operations.

Published in	American Journal of Traffic and Transportation Engineering (Volume 5, Issue 2)
DOI	10.11648/j.ajtte.20200502.11
Page(s)	20-28
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Special Event Traffic, Pushbutton Operations, Traffic Officer Intersection Control

References

[1]	Deborah Matherly, Pamela Murray-Tuite, and Brian Wolshon. Traffic Management for Planned, Unplanned, and Emergency Events. In Traffic Engineering Handbook, John Wiley & Sons, Inc, (2015) pp. 599-636.
[2]	Latoski, S., W. Dunn, Jr., B. Wagenblast, J. Randall, M. Walker, Managing Travel for Planned Special Events, FHWA-OP-04-010, Office of Transportation Management, Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Dept. of Transportation, Washington, DC, pp. 448, 2003.
[3]	Webster, F. V., Traffic Signal Settings, Road Research Technical Paper No. 39, London, Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, 1958: reprinted with minor amendments, 1969.
[4]	Webster, F. V. and B. M. Cobbe, Traffic Signals, Technical Paper 56, Road Research Laboratory, London, 1966.
[5]	Crawford, J., T. Carlson, W. Eisele, B. Kuhn, “A Michigan Toolbox for Mitigating Congestion,” RC-1554, Texas Transportation Institute, College Sta., TX, pp. 278, 2011.
[6]	W. Marsh, B. (1930). Traffic Signals, When and Where? National Safety Council.
[7]	Parr, S. and B. Wolshon. “Methodology for Simulating Manual Traffic Control.” Transportation Research Record, Journal of Transportation Research 2562 (2016): 9 – 17.
[8]	Ding, N., Q. He, C. Wu, Performance Measurs of Manual Multi-Modal Traffic Signal Control, Proceedings of the 93^rd Annual Transportation Research Board Meeting, Washington, DC, Jan. 2013.
[9]	Lassacher, S., D. Veneziano, S. Albert, Z. Ye, Traffic Management of Special Events in Small Communities, Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board 2099 (2009): 85-93.
[10]	Amini, Sasan & Papapanagiotou, Eftychios & Busch, Fritz. Traffic Management for Major Events. In Digital Mobility Platforms and Ecosystems, Ch. 4, Technische Universität München, (2016) pp. 187-197.

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APA Style

Gowtham Cherukumalli, Wayne Sarasua, Stephen Fry, William Davis. (2020). Evaluation of Manual Traffic Control in Directing Traffic Operations for Major Special Events: Clemson University Football Game Day Experience. American Journal of Traffic and Transportation Engineering, 5(2), 20-28. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajtte.20200502.11

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ACS Style

Gowtham Cherukumalli; Wayne Sarasua; Stephen Fry; William Davis. Evaluation of Manual Traffic Control in Directing Traffic Operations for Major Special Events: Clemson University Football Game Day Experience. Am. J. Traffic Transp. Eng. 2020, 5(2), 20-28. doi: 10.11648/j.ajtte.20200502.11

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AMA Style

Gowtham Cherukumalli, Wayne Sarasua, Stephen Fry, William Davis. Evaluation of Manual Traffic Control in Directing Traffic Operations for Major Special Events: Clemson University Football Game Day Experience. Am J Traffic Transp Eng. 2020;5(2):20-28. doi: 10.11648/j.ajtte.20200502.11

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@article{10.11648/j.ajtte.20200502.11,
  author = {Gowtham Cherukumalli and Wayne Sarasua and Stephen Fry and William Davis},
  title = {Evaluation of Manual Traffic Control in Directing Traffic Operations for Major Special Events: Clemson University Football Game Day Experience},
  journal = {American Journal of Traffic and Transportation Engineering},
  volume = {5},
  number = {2},
  pages = {20-28},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajtte.20200502.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajtte.20200502.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajtte.20200502.11},
  abstract = {Crowd ingress and egress occurring before and after large special events results in oversaturation of the traffic network and is a crucial issue event planners and transportation officials must address. Because intersections constitute the greatest restraint in network traffic flows, efficient operation during special event peak flows is crucial. This research focuses on evaluating how well traffic control officers optimize intersection operations during heavily oversaturated conditions associated with large-scale special events. Network traffic data, including volumes, queues, and traffic officer signal/right-of-way phase times, were collected before and after four Clemson University home football games during the 2014 and 2015 season. Actual traffic count volumes were adjusted to account for vehicle queues and used to develop optimal signal timings using Synchro. These results are compared to field-observed intersection operation using officer directed hand-signaling and officer traffic signal pushbutton operation. A microscopic VISSIM model was also created for both manual control and optimized control scenarios to determine average delays for each approach and to improve the interpretation of macroscopic Synchro results. Findings indicate that traffic officers perform well in near saturated conditions; however, optimized signal timings provide reduced approach delay and overall intersection delay in heavily oversaturated conditions. The paper includes recommendations on how traffic officers can improve intersection performance. The paper also describes how results from data collection, analysis, and simulation modeling have been used to make recommendations to law enforcement in evaluating traffic operations and identifying improvements. Intersection control is crucial to the implementation of the overall traffic management plan, and the research findings provide insight to the effectiveness of law enforcement control of intersection operations.},
 year = {2020}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Evaluation of Manual Traffic Control in Directing Traffic Operations for Major Special Events: Clemson University Football Game Day Experience
AU  - Gowtham Cherukumalli
AU  - Wayne Sarasua
AU  - Stephen Fry
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JF  - American Journal of Traffic and Transportation Engineering
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AB  - Crowd ingress and egress occurring before and after large special events results in oversaturation of the traffic network and is a crucial issue event planners and transportation officials must address. Because intersections constitute the greatest restraint in network traffic flows, efficient operation during special event peak flows is crucial. This research focuses on evaluating how well traffic control officers optimize intersection operations during heavily oversaturated conditions associated with large-scale special events. Network traffic data, including volumes, queues, and traffic officer signal/right-of-way phase times, were collected before and after four Clemson University home football games during the 2014 and 2015 season. Actual traffic count volumes were adjusted to account for vehicle queues and used to develop optimal signal timings using Synchro. These results are compared to field-observed intersection operation using officer directed hand-signaling and officer traffic signal pushbutton operation. A microscopic VISSIM model was also created for both manual control and optimized control scenarios to determine average delays for each approach and to improve the interpretation of macroscopic Synchro results. Findings indicate that traffic officers perform well in near saturated conditions; however, optimized signal timings provide reduced approach delay and overall intersection delay in heavily oversaturated conditions. The paper includes recommendations on how traffic officers can improve intersection performance. The paper also describes how results from data collection, analysis, and simulation modeling have been used to make recommendations to law enforcement in evaluating traffic operations and identifying improvements. Intersection control is crucial to the implementation of the overall traffic management plan, and the research findings provide insight to the effectiveness of law enforcement control of intersection operations.
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Author Information

Gowtham Cherukumalli

Department of Civil Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, US
Wayne Sarasua

Department of Civil Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, US
Stephen Fry

Department of Civil Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, US
William Davis

Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Citadel, Charleston, US

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APA Style

Gowtham Cherukumalli, Wayne Sarasua, Stephen Fry, William Davis. (2020). Evaluation of Manual Traffic Control in Directing Traffic Operations for Major Special Events: Clemson University Football Game Day Experience. American Journal of Traffic and Transportation Engineering, 5(2), 20-28. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajtte.20200502.11

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ACS Style

Gowtham Cherukumalli; Wayne Sarasua; Stephen Fry; William Davis. Evaluation of Manual Traffic Control in Directing Traffic Operations for Major Special Events: Clemson University Football Game Day Experience. Am. J. Traffic Transp. Eng. 2020, 5(2), 20-28. doi: 10.11648/j.ajtte.20200502.11

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AMA Style

Gowtham Cherukumalli, Wayne Sarasua, Stephen Fry, William Davis. Evaluation of Manual Traffic Control in Directing Traffic Operations for Major Special Events: Clemson University Football Game Day Experience. Am J Traffic Transp Eng. 2020;5(2):20-28. doi: 10.11648/j.ajtte.20200502.11

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@article{10.11648/j.ajtte.20200502.11,
  author = {Gowtham Cherukumalli and Wayne Sarasua and Stephen Fry and William Davis},
  title = {Evaluation of Manual Traffic Control in Directing Traffic Operations for Major Special Events: Clemson University Football Game Day Experience},
  journal = {American Journal of Traffic and Transportation Engineering},
  volume = {5},
  number = {2},
  pages = {20-28},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajtte.20200502.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajtte.20200502.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajtte.20200502.11},
  abstract = {Crowd ingress and egress occurring before and after large special events results in oversaturation of the traffic network and is a crucial issue event planners and transportation officials must address. Because intersections constitute the greatest restraint in network traffic flows, efficient operation during special event peak flows is crucial. This research focuses on evaluating how well traffic control officers optimize intersection operations during heavily oversaturated conditions associated with large-scale special events. Network traffic data, including volumes, queues, and traffic officer signal/right-of-way phase times, were collected before and after four Clemson University home football games during the 2014 and 2015 season. Actual traffic count volumes were adjusted to account for vehicle queues and used to develop optimal signal timings using Synchro. These results are compared to field-observed intersection operation using officer directed hand-signaling and officer traffic signal pushbutton operation. A microscopic VISSIM model was also created for both manual control and optimized control scenarios to determine average delays for each approach and to improve the interpretation of macroscopic Synchro results. Findings indicate that traffic officers perform well in near saturated conditions; however, optimized signal timings provide reduced approach delay and overall intersection delay in heavily oversaturated conditions. The paper includes recommendations on how traffic officers can improve intersection performance. The paper also describes how results from data collection, analysis, and simulation modeling have been used to make recommendations to law enforcement in evaluating traffic operations and identifying improvements. Intersection control is crucial to the implementation of the overall traffic management plan, and the research findings provide insight to the effectiveness of law enforcement control of intersection operations.},
 year = {2020}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Evaluation of Manual Traffic Control in Directing Traffic Operations for Major Special Events: Clemson University Football Game Day Experience
AU  - Gowtham Cherukumalli
AU  - Wayne Sarasua
AU  - Stephen Fry
AU  - William Davis
Y1  - 2020/05/19
PY  - 2020
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajtte.20200502.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.ajtte.20200502.11
T2  - American Journal of Traffic and Transportation Engineering
JF  - American Journal of Traffic and Transportation Engineering
JO  - American Journal of Traffic and Transportation Engineering
SP  - 20
EP  - 28
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2578-8604
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajtte.20200502.11
AB  - Crowd ingress and egress occurring before and after large special events results in oversaturation of the traffic network and is a crucial issue event planners and transportation officials must address. Because intersections constitute the greatest restraint in network traffic flows, efficient operation during special event peak flows is crucial. This research focuses on evaluating how well traffic control officers optimize intersection operations during heavily oversaturated conditions associated with large-scale special events. Network traffic data, including volumes, queues, and traffic officer signal/right-of-way phase times, were collected before and after four Clemson University home football games during the 2014 and 2015 season. Actual traffic count volumes were adjusted to account for vehicle queues and used to develop optimal signal timings using Synchro. These results are compared to field-observed intersection operation using officer directed hand-signaling and officer traffic signal pushbutton operation. A microscopic VISSIM model was also created for both manual control and optimized control scenarios to determine average delays for each approach and to improve the interpretation of macroscopic Synchro results. Findings indicate that traffic officers perform well in near saturated conditions; however, optimized signal timings provide reduced approach delay and overall intersection delay in heavily oversaturated conditions. The paper includes recommendations on how traffic officers can improve intersection performance. The paper also describes how results from data collection, analysis, and simulation modeling have been used to make recommendations to law enforcement in evaluating traffic operations and identifying improvements. Intersection control is crucial to the implementation of the overall traffic management plan, and the research findings provide insight to the effectiveness of law enforcement control of intersection operations.
VL  - 5
IS  - 2
ER  -

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