Maximizing Traffic Efficiency through Data-Driven Solutions.

As a City Council-supported effort, Lee Engineering performed an assessment to implement rest-in-red operations for Lead Ave and Coal Ave. This involved traffic and speed counts throughout the corridor, infrastructure survey (signal equipment), and ranking of potential implementation locations at traffic signals.

Rest-in-Red operation is a method of traffic signal operations where the traffic signal is set to run free (not coordinated with adjacent signals) and programmed such that the signal returns to RED in all directions when there is no traffic detected (vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, or emergency preemption). By resting in RED for all directions, the traffic signal is ready to serve the next vehicle detected immediately upon request. This basic Rest-in-Red operation is more responsive to vehicles regardless of the travel direction.

The Enhanced Rest-in-Red operation implemented for this project added a traffic and speed detector monitoring traffic upstream of the intersection on the main street. Logic within the detector senses speed-compliant vehicles and passes along an early detection call (request for green signal indication), and if possible, a green indication will be provided so the compliant traffic may continue through the intersection on green. If logic within the detector senses a non-compliant vehicle, the traffic signal will not be prompted for service and remain red until the driver reaches the stop line detection at the intersection approach. Traditional vehicle stop line detection operations ensue at the stop line, where the vehicle will be provided the green at the next available period.

Lee Engineering worked with the City of Albuquerque to implement Automated Traffic Signal Performance Measures (ATSPM) to monitor and manage five corridors with over 120 total intersections since 2017. In 2020, It was our pleasure to design ITS upgrades along the Louisiana Boulevard corridor allowing robust ATSPM implementation on a sixth Albuquerque corridor and adding nine more intersections to the city’s ATSPM system.

In 2023, the Louisiana Boulevard corridor completed construction, and we are currently using our ATSPM implementation along the corridor to improve delay at individual intersections and progression through the length of the corridor. Additionally, this year, we are continuing the expansion of the City’s ATSPM network with the inclusion of the Unser Boulevard and 98th Street corridors south of I-40.

The Albuquerque Lee Engineering Office is responsible for the primary functions of ATSPM on these corridors, including monitoring and signal timing adjustments to accommodate population and development growth, updating all signal timing parameters throughout the implementation corridors, and responding to and providing feedback for citizen complaints. In addition to our continuous monitoring of ATSPMs for the City of Albuquerque we have also conducted ATSPM training for the City’s traffic engineering staff.

On an individual intersection basis, Lee Engineering has been able to identify numerous equipment malfunctions and movements experiencing an unacceptable quantity of split failures before the issues resulted in community complaints. This ability to take a proactive rather than reactive approach to traffic signal operations is one of the key opportunities presented by performance measures and leveraged by Lee Engineering for the benefit of our clients. For example, the results from the Coors Boulevard Before and After Study showed a 31% reduction of intersection delay on average, in addition to more than 50 seconds in directional travel time savings recorded independently via Albuquerque’s Bluetooth travel time system.

The primary objectives of this project were to install the ATSPM platform onto Castle Rock’s dedicated server, implement traffic signals and associated vehicle detection into the ATSPM platform, collect existing conditions data, provide signal timing recommendations, and complete an interactive ATSPM training with City of Castle Rock engineering staff. Lee Engineering was given access to the City’s server prior to visiting with staff and installed the ATSPM platform with remote access. Additionally, the City provided Lee Engineering with pertinent information to be able to implement traffic signals into the ATSPM server. Lee Engineering met with City staff and performed intersection and traffic signal cabinet inventories to identify equipment requirements and explain ATSPM field requirements to City staff. An interactive training was then provided to City Staff which included a live demonstration of ATSPM and instruction for implementing new signals into the system. Lee Engineering performed a corridor optimization analysis based on the existing conditions. The corridor optimization analysis was accompanied by an informational, technical memorandum that summarized the process for retiming traffic signals and corridors with ATSPM. Lee Engineering developed materials and services to support and deliver training on the installation, analysis, and optimization of ATSPM for Castle Rock. Lee Engineering hosted an interactive training at the City of Castle Rock’s office for traffic engineers and technicians. Additionally, Lee Engineering composed a technical memorandum demonstrating the process of using ATSPM for traffic signal optimization, including written directions guiding users through the retiming process diagram.