Signal Timing and Incident Management in Small Urban Areas

The implementation of Incident Management Systems (IMS) in small urban areas can effectively manage affected traffic through the deployment of Advanced Traveler Information Systems and Advanced Traffic Management Systems. Adequate signal timing adjustments on established alternative routes become very crucial to reducing secondary accidents and traffic congestion on both freeway and affected urban arteries. This paper uses 6 case studies of the I-75 corridor in Sarasota, Florida, with implementation of IMS to evaluate alternative route operations associated with signal timing strategies to provide recommendations in response to a freeway incident. SYNCHRO software was used for development of optimal signal timing strategies on alternative routes, and Sim-Traffic microscopic simulation software was used to assess the benefits of alternative route operations. Simulation results are presented, and conclusions are provided and discussed.