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Arterial Operations

Current Initiatives

Arterial Operations Committee

The Arterial Operations Committee is comprised of local traffic engineers and consultants who meet every other month to discuss the progress of projects overseen by the Committee; regional projects that may have impacts on arterials; and other relevant issues, such as air quality conformity, status of funding obligations, upcoming grant and training opportunities, and new publications.

The Smart Corridors Task Force is a sub-group of those interested in the deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems to improve arterial operations.  The mission of the Task Force, which meets every quarter, is to address common issues and challenges in planning and deploying smart corridor projects, including the implementation of incident tracking and management systems; data analysis and archiving; funding for operations and maintenance; and regional integration.

The Committee, jointly with MTC's Regional Pedestrian Committee and Regional Bicycle Working Group, also provides oversight for Pedestrian and Bicyclist Collision Analysis Task Force, whose mission is to develop recommendations for identifying and understanding collision problem areas for pedestrians and bicyclists in the Bay Area.  The Task Force plans to: 1) review and critique existing and emerging methods for data collection and analysis; 2) develop recommendations that are sensitive to the different pedestrian and bicyclist environments in the Bay Area and the different levels of resources that are available to Bay Area localities; and 3) identify areas for future improvement.  The Task Force meets monthly. 

Regional Signal Timing Program (RSTP)

Under the RSTP, MTC provides local jurisdictions with traffic engineering assistance and expertise in retiming their traffic signals, including implementing transit signal priority.  Technical assistance is provided for the analysis of existing conditions, including collecting new traffic counts and performing travel time and delay studies; development of recommended timing plans; implementation and fine-tuning of approved timing plans; and evaluation of the benefits of the project.  Timing plans are limited to morning, midday, and afternoon peak commute periods, and are for time-of-day signal coordination only (no traffic responsive or adaptive).

Traffic engineering assistance for RSTP projects is provided by consultants retained by MTC.  Funding is approximately $1.2 million per year.  Project solicitations occur in the last quarter of the year, with the pool of consultants selected once every two years.

All files in Microsoft Word, unless otherwise noted.

Traffic Engineering Technical Assistance Program (TETAP)

Under TETAP, MTC provides local jurisdictions with traffic engineering assistance and expertise on projects aimed at improving arterial operations and safety, and promoting cooperation and collaboration between agencies and across modal boundaries. To date, over 200 projects have been funded, providing assistance in: traffic signal coordination; preparation of grant applications for traffic signal system improvements; and analysis of bicycle and pedestrian facilities.

Traffic engineering assistance for TETAP projects is provided by consultants retained by MTC.  Funding is approximately $250,000 per year, with a maximum grant award of $30,000 for projects or up to 16 hours of consultant assistance for On-Call Services. Project solicitations usually occur in the last quarter of the year, with the pool of consultants selected once every two years.

All files in Microsoft Word, unless otherwise noted.

Traffic Signals Database [Log On]

The Traffic Signals Database was created by MTC to assist local jurisdictions in their efforts to monitor and maintain their traffic signal inventory. The database is provided over the Web with secure access and includes the inventory of traffic signals owned by each jurisdiction and detailed information on design and operations parameters for those traffic signals. It also provides easy-to-use querying and mapping capabilities. Initial population of the database was achieved through MTC's Arterials Inventory and Database project. Local agencies are responsible for subsequent updates to the database.  An enhancement project is underway to provide additional functionality to the application, including making some portions of the database accessible to the public.

List of Signals by County and City (Excel)

Technology Transfer Program

Through the Technology Transfer Program, MTC sponsors free, half-day seminars on a variety of topics of interest to local traffic engineers. Past seminars include:  the use of fiber-optics for traffic signal interconnect, transitioning to advanced traffic management centers, telecommunications options, the use of video detection technology, configuration management for ITS projects, testing and maintenance of fiber-optic communication plants, a comprehensive approach to traffic calming, and transit signal priority.  Three to five seminars will be offered from 2005 to 2007.

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