Lessons Learned Implementing Multi-Jurisdictional Transit Signal Priority Systems: King County Metro Transit and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Date: January 22, 2008 Time: 1:00–2:30 P.M. ET Cost: All T3s are free of charge PDHs: 1.5
Description
In February 2000, representatives from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) visited King County Metro Transit as part of a formal study tour to evaluate the application of transit signal priority technologies along the West Coast. At the time, King County Metro Transit was one of the only transit operators in the United States who had successfully implemented a system that interfaced with a variety of local traffic control systems. Utilizing some of the lessons learned from King County Metro Transit, Los Angeles Metro embarked on its own multi-jurisdictional transit signal priority system, which ultimately debuted in February 2004. In 2006, the two agencies conducted a second peer-to-peer site visit to review the state of Los Angeles Metro's Countywide Signal Priority Program and to assess the suitability of Metro's WLAN bus-to-intersection communications strategy as a replacement for King County Metro Transit's RFID approach.
This T3 Webinar will focus on the implementation of signal priority by King County Metro Transit and Los Angeles County Metro. John Toone from King County Metro Transit will discuss the initial deployment of signal priority in the Seattle area, with an emphasis on the technical, political, and financial challenges faced by the agency in the late 90's. Steven Gota and Reinland Jones from Los Angeles County Metro will discuss the challenges of implementing signal priority along corridors traversing through multiple jurisdictions, focusing on lesson's learned from the initial outreach with King County and the deployment of Metro's Bus Signal Priority Pilot Project and ensuing Countywide Signal Priority Expansion Program. The session will conclude with John Toone's assessment of the most recent peer-to-peer exchange with LA Metro and subsequent system changes that are planned for King County Metro Transit's next generation system.
Learning Objectives
Understanding of the challenges of implementing signal priority along multi-jurisdictional routes
Familiarity with the technical, political and financial issues relating to transit signal priority deployment
Understanding of the benefits of the peer-to-peer information exchange process between public sector agencies
Presenters
John Toone, King County Metro
John Toone is a Senior ITS Project Manager with King County Metro in Seattle, Washington where he has worked for 15 years in the Transit Speed & Reliability program. He is responsible for the ongoing development his agency's Transit Signal Priority system and is developing an ITS infrastructure to support Metro's new bus rapid transit corridors. John's work in ITS also includes ITS America TSP workshops, TCIP workgroup 10 (Transit Signal Priority), and development of the TSP Interactive Model (TIM) - a TSP benefits estimation and benefit/cost tool for planners. John received his Bachelor's and MPA degrees from the University of Washington, and served 11 years in the Army Reserves as an Engineer Officer.
Steven Gota, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro)
Steve Gota is a Transportation Planning Manager with Metro. He currently serves as Metro's Countywide Signal Priority program manager and for the past nine years has been involved in the development and implementation of a regional signal priority solution for Los Angeles County. During his tenure with Metro, Steven has been critically involved in the administration of the agency's regional signal synchronization and bus speed improvements program with a primary focus on coordinating the deployment of Arterial ITS projects. He graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Analysis & Design from the University of California, Irvine and a Master's degree in Transportation Planning from the University of Southern California. Steven has over 11 years of transportation planning experience in both the public and private sector.
Reinland Jones, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro)
Reinland Jones graduated with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Urban and Regional Planning from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. For the past two years, Reinland has worked for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) as a Planner in the agency's Transportation Development and Implementation Department. He has been critically involved in Metro's Countywide Signal Priority Expansion efforts and currently serves as the agency's principal technical program liaison. He is currently responsible for working directly with Metro's jurisdictional partners to execute project related inter-jurisdictional legal agreements and resolve technical implementation issues. Reinland has also been involved in strategic planning efforts to expand signal priority to other municipal transit operators.
