Signal System General

Field

Description

Signal Number

System generated at the time the Signal System was created in TSSA. The Signal Number is in the format S999 (i.e. S061).

Signal Location

Signal Systems are located at Intersections or MidBlock.

Intersections of significance have been assigned Site Numbers and given Location Descriptions. Signal Systems located at an Intersection Site are automatically populated with the Intersection Site's Location Description. The Signal Location can be edited.

Signal Systems located Midblock have the Signal Location manually entered.

See: Signal Location Guidelines for suggested standards.

INT #

The Intersection Site Number (i.e. 872) is the same number referencing a specific intersection used by other TIMS applications (i.e. WebMap). Entering the Intersection Site Number when creating a new Signal System will automatically populate the Signal Location, LRS, and CMA fields. If the Intersection Site Number is not know, the Intersection Search button can be used.

LRS

The Linear Referencing System is a combination of values: road, control section, roadway label, kilometer post.

When the signal system was created in TSSA, the LRS value was automatically calculated if an Intersection Site Number was entered or manually entered if Midblock.

Serving Municipality

The Serving Municipality is the municipality that is served by the signal system (i.e. the municipality that the signal system is located in).

Managing CMA

The CMA is automatically populated when the Intersection Site Number or the LRS is entered. The Managing CMA field may be edited as the CMA that 'manages' the signal system may not be the CMA that the signal system is physically located in.

District

The District is calculated using the Managing CMA value.

Timing Type

The Timing Type will be one of the following values:

• Semi Actuated: The main street phases have maximum recall and will always show to their maximum green time. Side street phases may be actuated and can be skipped or gap-out early.

• Fixed Time: This signal has no actuation. All phases are set to maximum recall.

• Fully Actuated: No phases have maximum recall. All phases are actuated and can be skipped or gap-out early.

Signal System Type

The Signal System Type will be one of the following:

• Full Signal: All legs of the intersection have signal control.

• Half Signal: Also known as a pedestrian activated signal. Signal control is only provided on the main roadway to facilitate a pedestrian crossing of the main roadway. Side street traffic does not have signal control.

Power Provider

This is the electric company that supplies power to the signal system. This is not always the wire provider.

Power Site ID

This is the power providers method of identifying power sites. The Power Site ID can be found on the monthly power bill. The bill identifies the charges for each power site id. The power site id's do not reference the LRS so contact with the power company may be necessary in determining which power site id relates to which signal system.

Risk Potential

Risk Potential considers the impact that may result if a traffic signal system malfunctions. The criteria used to determine the Risk Potential selection are:

High Risk

• Located on an interchange (possible backups into high speed traffic lanes if light not working)

• Interconnect with a railway crossing (possible vehicle hit by train if lights not working)

• High potential for a severe collision if lights not working (high speed, left turn across path)

• Locations having high volume resulting in long line ups if light not working (long delays)

• Locations having a history of high number of severe collisions (history of high collision costs)

Low Risk

• Located in low volume locations (local community, commercial business)

• Little impact on delays if signals not working

• Low speed environment with only minor 'fender benders'

• Department finds out may hours or even days later that the signal are on 'flash' or not working

Medium Risk

• All other locations falling between the high and low risk areas

• Moderate collisions

• Low to moderate speed

• Can operate as four-way stop, but may have some delays

Rating

Rating is an overall rating of the signal system based on the condition of the main equipment.

See: Rating Calculation for an understanding of how the rating is determined or view the Change Equipment Condition procedure.

Active

This is the date the signal system first went into service in the field.

Inactive

This is the date the signal system was taken out of service (i.e. removed altogether as it was replaced by an interchange). The signal system is not deleted from TSSA as it was in service for a period of time and that historical information is required.

Comments

Each of the subsequent areas/sections of the signal system screen have a comments field. Therefore these comments are for general information (i.e. where supporting documents are stored).

Button

Description

Exceptions

If a signal system has exceptions a number is displayed. This number is clickable and will display the exceptions (errors) that require attention.

You can also view a 9 minute demonstration on exceptions: Exception HandlingClick to run the Exception Handling Demo
 

Revalidate

The Revalidate button will recalculate the Exception value. If changes have been made to a signal system's data the refresh will take those updates into consideration if exceptions are impacted.

Livelink

The Livelink button will open Alberta Transportations Enterprise Information Management (EIM) portal at the location of the Intersection Site Number to provide access to any Engineering Drawings that have been stored.

Intersection Search

The Intersection Search button allows the user to enter one or two roads as criteria to look up an Intersection Site Number.

Save

The Save button commits the changes made to the fields in the General area of the Signal System screen to the TSSA database.