PASSER™ IV-96

PASSER™ IV is a DOS-based program for timing traffic signals in networks based on progression bandwidth optimization. PASSER™ IV is capable of optimizing signal timings for arterials as well as multi-arterial closed-loop networks. The program explicitly handles one-way and two-way arterials in a network and thus is able to deal with conventional and three-level diamond interchanges in isolation or as sub-networks within a larger network of arterials.

Screen shot of PASSER IV system page, showing street arterials as tree.

The program is composed of two modules: the user interface and the optimization module. In addition to its own output report, PASSER™ IV is capable of generating basic input data files for use with the TRANSYT-7F program to perform bandwidth-constrained delay minimization. Thus, PASSER™ IV provides a network signal-timing optimization capability that was previously available only for arterial problems through the combined use of the two programs PASSER™ II and AAP.

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APPLICATIONS AND FEATURES

PASSER™ IV is applicable to single arterials and multi-arterial (open or closed) networks. It calculates greens splits using Webster's method and then simultaneously determines cycle length, offsets and phasing sequences that maximize progression bandwidth on all directions along each arterial in the defined network. The key features of PASSER™ IV are described as the follows:

1. Allows user-specified or volume-based arterial and directional priorities.

2. Allows link speeds to vary between user-specified limits and constrains optimal speeds for adjacent links within specified limits.

3. Allows a user to specify the master signal and the master direction for use as the offset reference point. Additionally, the user can choose beginning or ending of coordinated phases for calculating offsets.

4. Allows a user to select different measurement units for input data and output report. For instance, the data can be specified in English units, and the output be requested in Metric units.

5. Prints a specified number of best signal timing solutions.

6. Prints an extensive output report, including:

• Network signal timing summary,

• Artery-by-artery sections including time-space diagrams, and

• Signal-by-signal NEMA phasing tables and measures-of-effectiveness (MOEs), including: phase intervals, offsets, splits, approach delays, volume-to-capacity ratios, level of service, stops, queue lengths, fuel consumption, and vehicular emissions.
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INPUT DATA REQUIREMENTS

PASSER™ IV data input coding process is relatively simple compared to other network optimization/simulation programs currently in use. It requires the following traffic data:

• Average speed and range of speed for approach links, and allowed speed variation for adjacent links

• Traffic demand (volumes) at approaches

• Saturation flow rates for approaches

• Optional minimum green splits

• Green splits (optional)

• Cycle length range defined by lower and upper limits.

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PROGRAM OUTPUT

PASSER™ IV solution reports includes the following information:

• Solution summary for each arterial in the network. The information includes the following:

§ Directional bands in fractions of the cycle length and in seconds

§ Arterial efficiency and attainability

§ Optimal phase sequences selected

§ Optimal travel times and speeds

§ Time-Space diagrams

• A signal-by-signal solution section which includes:

§ Optimal cycle length

§ Phase interval settings

§ Durations (including yellow and all-red times) of NEMA phases, their offsets, and phase reversal information

§ Measures-of-effectiveness for each NEMA phase. These include: approach delays, delay-based level of service, volume-to-capacity (v/c) ratios, v/c-based level of service, average number of stops, average queues, fuel consumption, and estimates of three types of vehicular emissions

• A network-wide summary containing bandwidths and efficiencies for each arterial, optimal cycle length, average network efficiency, delay, fuel consumption, and vehicular emissions.

The following screens illustrate various sections of the program output.

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Screen shot of PASSER IV Artery-wide information showing node numbers, cross streets names, band as percent of cycle, and band in seconds.


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Screen shot of PASSER IV showing note number versus distance plot.

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Screen shot of PASSER IV showing movement-wise measures of effectiveness for NEMA phases.

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Screenshot of PASSER IV showing percentages for A and B Bandwidth, efficiency percent, attain percent, average network efficiency, and other metrics.

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COMPUTER HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

PASSER™ IV is developed for IBM® PC and compatible computers. The program requires the following hardware and software:

• A PC with 450K of available conventional memory 4 megabytes of extended memory.

• A hard disk drive with 10 megabytes of free storage space.

• A color monitor (optional).

• Microsoft® or compatible mouse and mouse driver (optional).

• Microsoft® DOS operating system version 3.1 or higher. Although not specifically designed for 32-bit operating systems, the program will also run from a DOS window under Windows® 95, Windows® 98 or Windows NT® operating systems.

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AVAILABLE DOCUMENTATION

Report: FHWA/TX-97/1477-1

Title: PASSER™ IV-96, Version 2.1, User/Reference Manual

Authors: Nadeem A. Chaudhary, P.E., and Carroll J. Messer, P.E.

Date: October 1996

 

 

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