TEAPAC Suite, NOSTOP details

NOSTOP
Arterial Signal System Bandwidth Progression

NOSTOP is the simplified arterial bandwidth progression method in TEAPAC Complete for linear systems of up to 25 signals. The results are displayed in the most meaningful way possible for quick comprehension and direct field implementation. In its simplest use, the method will maximize the two-way bandwidth for the arterial considering important parameters such as different speeds for each direction on a link, yellow and all-red intervals, and coordination with other system timing plans. Optimum timing plans are displayed in both tabular and graphical form, including a time-space diagram which shows the through splits and offsets, lead and lag left-turn phases, and the progressive band.

When the question of what system cycle length to use is considered, the method provides a fast and effective means of presenting the user with a graph of the variation of progression efficiency over a complete range of cycle lengths, as well as potential progression speeds. This graph shows the bandwidth in seconds and percent as well as the percent efficiency (attainability as compared to the smallest through split time). After the cycle/speed analysis is tabulated and graphed, detailed information for the cycle length with the best efficiency is displayed. Further analysis of a user-selected cycle length provides the optimum system control parameters such as through splits and offsets. Additional results include (1) the amounts of lead and lag left-turn time available at each intersection which will not interfere with the through bands, (2) the amounts of through green time unused by the progression bands, and (3) widening the band in a preferential flow direction.

The time-space diagram display provides immediate graphical feedback as to the quality of the progression and the bottlenecks which may exist, directly on-screen, if desired. This display shows the optimum offsets and the progressive bands which result with these offsets. User offsets can also be entered and displayed on the time-space diagram.

The analysis provides a quick and accurate bandwidth analysis which can be conducted repeatedly by the computer for each system in order to find the optimum cycle length and progression speed combination. The program thus produces the optimum cycle/speed/offset combination for each signal, which in turn produces the best possible progression performance of an arterial street system. Using these results, combined with the optimum signal phasing and splits produced by TEAPAC's signal analysis optimization, leads to a highly efficient operation of the arterial system. The resulting offsets can also be used to pre-load TRANSYT-7F's optimization process directly from TEAPAC.

this page last updated February 04, 2019