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Chapter 1: The Traffic Signal Control System: Its Pieces and How They Fit Together
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The prerequisite for this course is the completion of an introductory course in transportation engineering.
This activity will give you the opportunity to assess and strengthen your understanding of that critical
prerequisite knowledge so that you can reliably recall and use it, even as you continue to build on it.
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Determine your current level of competency with traffic signal system concepts
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Prepare a document that includes your answers to the Critical Thinking Questions
1. Assume that traffic arrives at a signalized intersection with uniform flow (equal space between each
vehicle). At what point during the cycle will the queue length (number of vehicles in the queue) be at
its maximum?
a. At the beginning of red?
b. At some other point during red?
c. At the beginning of green?
d. At some other point during green?
[explain your answer]
2. What is the effect of long cycle lengths at a signalized intersection (as compared with shorter cycle
lengths)?
a. The delay is reduced.
b. The delay is increased.
c. There is no effect on delay.
d. Other
[explain]
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What Do You Know About Traffic Signal Systems?