[Vision2020] downtown

[Art Deco]

Traffic flows and stop sign timings are generally set by using applied 
topology, specifically network theory, using computer programs called 
network analysis.  In order to get the timings to work optimally, the data 
collected on traffic volume and direction used as input for these programs 
must be accurate.

Here are some problems:

1.    The direction and volumes of traffic may vary greatly depending on the 
time of day, but the stop lights appear to be only set for the average of 
the day and do not appear to shift with the time of day.  Hence, sometimes 
the system is set for just the opposite of what it should be.

2.    In regulating a quadrangle (Washington, Sixth, Jackson, 3rd) one of 
the four nodes must be the "bleeder" node, i.e. must be off a little to take 
or to give slack so that the other nodes function correctly.  The more 
flexible the system is as to time of day variances, the less problem will be 
the problem noticed at the "bleeder" node.

There have been problems setting the lights for this quadrangle for 
sometime.  If my memory is correct, it took more than a year with several 
resets to get it to be fairly decent.  I do not understand this as there are 
many free network flow analysis programs available.  Perhaps the traffic 
flow data used was not as carefully gathered as it could have been.  It need 
not be said that the IDT does not appear to be over-endowed with engineering 
prowess.

One thing has not changed.  People turning left onto Third from Washington 
continue to do so long after the light has changed to yellow and to red. 
People going all three directions at Sixth and Jackson frequently run the 
yellow (they do not get out of the intersection after entering it while the 
yellow is on and before the red comes on) and less frequently, but scarier, 
just plain run the red light, especially going west on Sixth or turning 
right from Jackson.

I do not understand the reluctance to enforce the traffic laws at these two 
nodes -- one is only a block from the police station.  Perhaps a city 
council member, the mayor, or a city staff person can comment on that part 
of the problem and also on what they are doing to find a solution to the 
other parts of the problem.

W.



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dan Carscallen" <areaman at moscow.com>
To: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
Sent: Monday, October 02, 2006 7:10 AM
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] downtown


>J Ford says:
> "I've noticed that the traffic lights on Jackson, Main and Washington
> with the cross street of Third, are way off.  Before the
> construction, it seemed the timing was a mite closer in time than they
> are now.  At the change, there is almost a 10-20 second delay before ANY
> light
> turns green, leaving everyone sitting there looking around - "You go, no
> you go, no, no...you go."
>
> Anyone in the City Staff - can this be fixed?"
>
> Pretty much all the lights (and their timing) in the downtown area are
> under the purview of ITD, since Jackson and Washington are all part of
> US95.  I know ITD had a new "program" to get the timing to work better
> throughout the system, and I believe they uploaded the program with the
> new timing just as the Washington lights were taken offline for the
> reconstruction.  There may still be some tweaking that needs to be done
> before things are 100%.  I do like that I can get thru on 3rd street
> without having to stop at all three lights now, but 6th and Main seems
> to be a little off . . .
>
> DC
>
>
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