Field Operational Test of Integrated Freeway Ramp Metering/Arterial Adaptive Signal Control: Lessons Learned in Irvine,California

Abstract

A systematic evaluation of the performance and effectiveness of a field operational test (FOT) of an integrated corridor-level adaptive control system was attempted from fall 1994 through spring 1999 in Irvine, California. The FOT was conducted by a consortium consisting of the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), the city of Irvine, and two private-sector consultants—National Engineering Technologies Corporation and Farradyne Systems, Inc., a division of Parsons Brinckerhoff—with the city of Irvine as the lead agency. The FOT was a cost-share funded by FHWA as part of the Intelligent Vehicle Highway System Field Operational Test Program. The FOT involves an integrated advanced transportation management system, which extends the capabilities of existing traffic management systems in the city of Irvine and in Caltrans District 12. The evaluation originally entailed both a technical performance assessment and a comprehensive institutional analysis. This report of the Irvine FOT does not constitute a technical evaluation because of the failure of any of the planned technologies to be successfully implemented in the field. Because of the extended time frame associated with the project and the significant range of technical and institutional issues associated with the development and eventual failure of the FOT, a summary of project development, institutional barriers, and lessons learned is provided.

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