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Traffic Signal Systems Operations and Design: Isolated Intersections
This book is intended to help university civil engineering students and practicing traffic
engineers to better understand how isolated actuated traffic control systems work and to
provide both groups with an opportunity to complete a signal timing design for an isolated
signalized intersection. Creating a book like this one you are now reading, with a unique
focus on activity-based learning, is a complex process and has only been possible through
the efforts of a number of valued colleagues.
The Federal HighwayAdministration funded the development of the MOST (Mobile Signal
Timing Training) simulation environment and the accompanying 37 experiments (many
of which are included in this book). Some of the people who contributed to this project
include Michael Dixon, Ahmed Abdel-Rahim, Paul Olson, Enas Amin, Darcy Bullock,
Eddie Curtis, Rick Denny, Milan Sekulic, Kiel Ova, Gary Duncan, Hua Wang, Azizur
Rahman, Anuj Sharma, Matt Wiesenfeld, Mike Inerowicz, Chris Day, Howard Cooley, and
Jim Pline.
The Federal HighwayAdministration funded theTransEd project (through its Transportation
Education Development Pilot Program) that has developed four activity-based textbooks
including this book. Clark Martin from FHWA was the program manager. Most of the 63
activities in this book were developed as part of this project. A number of people played
a major role in this project and in the development of these activities. Steve Beyerlein
provided invaluable feedback and insightful ideas on the pedagogy on which this book is
based. J.J. Peterson, Kevin Lewis, and Matt Ricks worked closely with students from the
University of Idaho to test and evaluate many of these activities. Peter Koonce provided
ideas and feedback on the readings, used some of the material in his classes, and helped
to prepare some of the “in my practice” material. Peter Furth provided significant ideas
on the choice point covered in Chapter 9. Anuj Sharma, Mike Hunter, Ed Smaglik, and
Dave Hurwitz tested some of this material in their classes and provided useful feedback.
Richard Wall helped to focus ideas on controller system technology. Marti Ford and Maria
Tribelhorn reviewed a final draft of the manuscript and provided valuable suggestions.
Cindy Urbanik provided continuing support as the ideas for this book were developed
over a number of years. Denna Hintze was the final editor, did the design and layout of the
text, and provided a number of helpful ideas on pedagogy. James Colyar, John Halkias,
and Vassili Alexiadis provided information on the NGSIM data sets. Joe Pallen and Kevin
Lee provided many of the photographs used in the text. Finally, a number of students at
the University of Idaho and other universities have reviewed and suffered through early
iterations of this material and provided invaluable feedback. We sincerely thank all of those
who have helped in this effort.
This book is dedicated to the memory of a valued colleague and friend.
“The way to be outstanding in your field is to be out standing in the field.”
Bill Kloos, City of Portland, Manager, Signals and Street Lighting Division
1951-2009