Transportation Management Center Concepts of Operations

Although ITE has established a recommended practice regarding the ratio ofengineering staff to signalized intersections, there is no comparable ratio ofsignal center operators to intersections, due to the many variations incomplexity and workload in such centers.Many factors, such as the level and types of automation provided, greatlyinfluence the number of personnel required. Traffic adaptive signal systemsrequire considerably less direct intervention than do less “intelligent” systems.Similar examples of significant productivity improvements include the use ofcomputerized fax transmission to predefined lists of recipients, incidentmanagement systems which recommend tailored complete incidentmanagement solutions, and radio systems which allow connection of multipleparties, and which are integrated with intercom and telephone systems.There are a variety of factors (listed below) that must be taken into considerationin determining the number of operations personnel for a traffic signal operationsenter (TOC). There is no one formula to use in assessing this requirement:• Frequency, duration, and overlap of work shifts and operations coverageduring weekends and holidays• Control sharing with other TOCs and/or TMCs• Services/functions provided in support of disparate operational conditionsincluding recurrent congestion, special events, and/or incidents• Type, stability, and complexity of the communications system andassociated electronic equipment and hardware• Type and operational reliability of detection system• Magnitude and complexity of advanced technologies including VMSs,CCTV, video sensors, advanced or adaptive traffic controllers, etc.• Operational strategies deployed including fixed time, semi-actuated, fullactuated,time of day and day of week timing plans, traffic responsive,traffic adaptive, etc.• Type and complexity of deployed traffic control systems (central vs.distributed)• Uniformity in system design and operations across disparate controltechnologies deployed• Standardization and operational integration of control equipment andhardware• Response time requirements for corrective action• Institutional arrangements and organizational structure for integrated andinter-jurisdictional traffic operations and service delivery4-34