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Intelligent Transportation Systems

Active Traffic Management Feasibility Studies

Seattle, Washington, United States

Client: Washington State Department of Transportation

Parsons Brinckerhoff Role: ITS Planning, Feasibility Studies

Active Traffic Management Feasibility Studies
Parsons Brinckerhoff conducted several feasibility studies to assess innovative traffic management concepts from European countries and cities for applicability in the Puget Sound region. Phase 1 culminated in a workshop that included the presentation of advanced traffic management (ATM) concepts, the identification of evaluation criteria, and the selection of a freeway for testing ATM concepts. Major work elements for Phase 2 included an investigation of ATM concepts; an assessment of operational, policy, and institutional benefits and challenges to implementation; and conceptual design and cost estimates for all ATM techniques. Phase 3 involved the development of conceptual designs and cost estimates for a combined speed harmonization and queue warning system, completion of a concept of operations report for the proposed system, and modification of the regional intelligent transportation system (ITS) architecture to include ATM techniques. Parsons Brinckerhoff also developed a sketch-planning tool using the ITS Deployment Analysis System, and created a widely circulated state-of-the-art video animation of the proposed system for the Washington State Department of Transportation’s public information and project roll-out process.

The project resulted in the implementation of a variable speed limit/queue warning system on northbound I-5 as it approaches downtown Seattle, as well as on SR 520 and I-90 across Lake Washington. These systems are recognized as some of the most advanced examples of ATM in the United States.

Parsons Brinckerhoff is committed to assisting state and local highway and transit agencies with creative and innovative technology solutions to help meet their transportation goals and objectives. 

Parsons Brinckerhoff has become an international leader in the planning, design, and implementation of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), including field devices, tolling technology, managed lanes, communications, travel information, and transit technology.  We offer cutting edge expertise in rapidly growing areas such as active traffic management, connected vehicle research, performance measurement, and TMC/TOC operations.   

Throughout Parsons Brinckerhoff we recognize the opportunity presented by a stronger focus on Transportation System Operations.   Adopting this new “culture of operations” in public agencies means balancing current construction/maintenance activities with a much stronger operational influence.   Parsons Brinckerhoff can help bring a customer-focused approach to managing a transportation network that includes measuring performance, providing options based on real-time conditions, and deploying infrastructure-based operational enhancements.  

Parsons Brinckerhoff has led or participated in projects of all sizes - working with local, state and national governments around the world - and has extensive and successful experience in almost every discipline of system operations and ITS. Our collaborations have ranged from traffic signal optimization to TMC operation to revolutionary connected-vehicle demonstrations. We've helped develop ITS master plans and updated regional ITS architectures, written specifications and provided PS&E for deployment of field equipment, and have managed system integration and telecommunication projects in virtually every configuration.  Our concept-through-operations approach ensures well-planned and well-engineered projects that are environmentally and community sensitive.