Applied High Resolution Traffic Controller Data Outcome Based Performance Measures With Gate-Down Confirmation Circuit Available to Purchase

Track clearance green phases are used at railroad preempted intersections to provide time to clear the railroad tracks of highway vehicles before a train arrives. This paper describes preemption performance measures developed in Indiana that use high resolution, real-time traffic signal event data, and a gate-down confirmation circuit at an active railroad crossing. These performance measures are used to quantitatively assess the synchronization of the track clearance phase with the railroad gate position. Performance measure plots from over 4,000 preemption events over six months are presented. The lessons learned from the assessment of these performance plots are described along with changes made to the test site during the study period. The paper concludes with recommendations for incorporating a highway-railroad synchronization performance measure using the start of railroad active warning time as a surrogate gate-down confirmation circuit.