Anaheim Advanced Traffic Control System Field Operational Test Task B: Assessment of Institutional Issues

Problem

The city of Anaheim, California, was committed to implementing three new traffic control technologies: SCOOT (Split, Cycle, and Offset Optimizer Technique), a signal control system developed and used in Britain; a 1.5 Generation Control system whose purpose was to update baseline timing plans for SCOOT from the first generation system already in use, and a video traffic detection system to supplement loop detectors. The project required coordination between a number of agencies and partners, including the city of Anaheim, its systems contractor JHK/Transcore, SCOOT vendor Siemens, video system provider Odetics, Eagle Signal, Caltrans and the FHWA, who funded the Field Operational Test, and PATH.

The purpose of this report is to answer the question: through what structures and methods can the technologies be applied without being confounded or restricted by institutional issues?

Method

Information was gathered through direct observation of project participants, primarily at formal meetings, and detailed interviews of all key project participants. Interview questions covered project goals and objectives, implementation, funding, and working relationships. They addressed administrative, financial, leadership, personnel, legal, liability, and technical issues.

Findings

Numerous institutional problems were identified by participants, some of them interwoven with technical problems. Prime among them was a lack of leadership during a crucial period in the process of implementation, when the Principal Traffic Engineer left and was not replaced for 8 months. Although his duties were reassigned, the lack of someone in a leadership and advocacy role led to several delays, including a long delay before a contract was signed with SCOOT provider Siemens. This caused other delays, and could have ended the project altogether had Caltrans not allowed several extensions.

Other main findings include:

• A strong, proactive project manager is needed.
• Delays caused unanticipated costs that put the project over budget and did not leave enough time for proper training.
• Staff failed to plan adequately for training and maintenance needs, and they overestimated the operators' ability to switch to a new system.
• Unanticipated communication problems included differences between British and American standards, differences between software systems, integrating older systems with SCOOT, and a time difference that created difficulties communicating with the SCOOT vendor.
• Staff was not motivated to fully learn the new system because it wasn't clear to them whether the new system would actually be used after the FOT.
• Everyone interviewed had a different idea of what the FOT's goals were.