b'TRAFFIC SIGNALTAMING THE TYPHOONACADEMY By Kevin M. JohnsonBy Dr. Airton Kohls Technologysever-swirlingwhirlwindofunusual occurrence!), hed open the hood,metastasizesmustbeourtraining,but change is impacting every part of our lives,smack it with his wrench, and jump back init cant be done the same old way. It has The Center for Transportation Research Traffic Signal Academy Laboratory including our careerspast, present, andbehind the wheel. Heand wewere goodtochange.However,theaudiencemust future. Take traffic signals, for example. Ifat keeping things operating. beconsidered.Trainingourtechnicians In2012,TheCenterforTransportationAcademy.Theworkshopmaterialservesandinternational(Canada,SouthAfrica)you had asked me 15 years ago what IdAnd then we experienced a major changemust be done with patience while utilizing ResearchattheUniversityofTennesseeas a rich source of current information forattendees.Theprogramislistedonthebe doing as we knock on the door of 2020,with the introduction of 332/336 cabinetstwoimportanttactics.One,usesimple inKnoxvillelaunchedtheTrafficSignalpeople with different levels of experience inFederalHighwayAdministrationArterialtransportation, believe me, was not on myand their 2070 controllers. LEDs replacedvocabulary. Things that go without saying Academy(TSA),addingtoitsnationallytraffic signal operations. More specifically,Management Program website as a sourcelist; and, possibly, not on yours either. incandescent bulbs. Fiber replaced twistedin the IT world might need to be explained. recognized continuing education program.the objectives for the target audience are: oftrafficsignaltrainingforthecountry.Our lives and our profession have definitelypair copper. And, oh yeah, that little Pac- Dont be surprised if you have to explain TSAoffersaffordableeducationonn Beyondtheestablishedcurriculum,TSAwhat something as basic as an IP address Consulting engineers present currentbeen caught in an incalculable vortex, soManmonitoringsystem?Advancedis.Thesecondbuildsoffthefirst.Use manyaspectsoftrafficsignalsfocusedinformationonstandards,state-of- partnerswithfederalandstateagenciesmuchthatnotonlyhasoursectorbeenTraffic Management Systems (ATMS) andpracticalapplications.OneexampleI onenhancingthedesign,operation,the-artequipmentandsignaltimingtobringguestspeakersthatpointtotransformed, but we know more lies ahead.Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)softwarelike to use is relating an IP address to the andmaintenancecapabilitiesofthepractices, and promote consistency inindustrytrendsandshareinformationonOurs is an exciting profession in an excitingreplacedit.Webeganreceivinginstantaddressofanapartmentcomplex.This transportationcommunity.Prioritizingthedesign. trafficsignalinnovationsandtechnology.era. Its our challenge to learn to ride thenotifications on multiple field alarms whichtypeofexamplehelpstechnicianswith student learning experience, a traffic signaln Technicians and contractors provideFurthermore, TSA provides the opportunitycycloneandgrabholdoftheevolvingwe diagnosed before we even left the office! visualization.Rememberthatallgreat laboratoryattheNationalTransportationguidelinesforefficientinstallationfor vendors to showcase their products ininnovative age that crests our horizon. lessons begin with application.Research Center (NTRC) serves as a uniqueandmaintenanceoftrafficsignalseducational symposiums. Fromanoutsidersperspective,thisall learningenvironment,providinghands-onequipment;explorealternativesIjoinedtheGreensboroDepartmentoflooks like great progress, and it is. It is greatYou might ask: why dont we just hire IT experience on traffic signal equipment andforestablishedpractices;provideAs a Research Associate at the UniversityTransportation 10 years ago. My first jobprogressuntilyourealizethateverythingprofessionalsinsteadofpouringenergy simulation learning tools. guidance on how to minimize liabilityofTennesseeCenterforTransportationwasemergencyrestorationandrepairinghas changed around us, but we, the people,intotrainingcurrentemployeeswithno and lawsuits; and present fundamentalsResearch,Ileadtheeducationaleffortsoutdated equipment. It was a time whenare still here. The problem is that whirlwindsnetworkingexperience?Theansweris The curriculum is continuously expandingof traffic signal engineering. oftheTrafficSignalAcademyandworkroad safety at intersections was still relyingdontautomaticallyconnectuswithnewsimple. They are assets that bring the best andallowsstudentstoselectfromsixn Decisionmakersdescribethetoemphasizethevisionoftheprogramon the lifespan of incandescent bulbs! Weminds and new skills. For example, beforeof both worlds to the table. At the City of different classes: relationshipbetweentrafficsignaltoprovideopportunityforabetterhad our work cut out for us. The network atthisseismicchange,themainthingaGreensboro,welearnedthatthemost n MUTCD and Signalized Intersections timingandtransportationpolicy,transportationsystemthroughcontinuingthat time, a mere 10 years ago, consistedsignaltechnicianneededtoknowaboutvaluabletechniciansarethosewhohave n Traffic Signal Timing demonstratetheimportanceofeducation of traffic signal professionals ofoftwistedpaircopperthatprovidedjustcomputers was how to create a work order.experienceintheoldway,yettheylook n Traffic Signal Detection andcontinuedfundingformaintenance,all levels. Furthermore, I serve as a point ofenough information to let us know whenNow,computersareourmostvaluableto learn the new ways. They are also the Advanced Operations retiming, and capital improvement. contact for technical assistance to those inwelostpowerorwhentheintersectiontroubleshooting tool. But in this new era, ourones who have become our best trainers. n Traffic Signal Installationneed of clarification on traffic signal issues. wentintoflashmode.Thesoftwaremost experienced and valuable techniciansTheyteachwithempathy,knowinghow and Maintenance Sinceitsinception,TSAhasprovidedForcoursedescriptionandadditionalresembleda1980sversionofPac-Man.are at risk of being left behind. foreignthisnewlanguageisforothers. n Traffic Signal Controller Programming trainingtomorethan1,300participants,information on the traffic Signal Academy,WehadnowayofknowingwehadanShouldwestopseekingnewandmoreFurthermore, as we find ways to run our n Oversaturated Traffic Signal Systems includingnational(25differentstates)please go to trafficsignalacademy.utk.edu. n issue in the field unless we were standingtechnologicalwaysofincreasingourintersections better, lets also find ways to at the screen itself. Meaning? Frequent, butbring our people along with us as part of the Classesarecurrentlyface-to-faceandunpredictable, notifications came from ourperformance? Absolutely not! Our biggestjourney into our changing future and tame availablethroughouttheyearinseveralDr. Airton Kohls is a Research Associate at the Universitypolice department. Detection was primarilyprofessionalchallengeastechnologythis technological typhoon. ncities in Tennessee, in staggered (1 class/ ofTennesseesCenterforTransportationResearch.Hefocused on inductive loops. Other options week), immersive (6 consecutive classes), orreceived his Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering from thewere available, of course, but were mostly on-demand (travel to an agency) offerings. University of Tennessee and worked for 10 years in Brazilunreliable and unpredictable. Even with allKevin M. Johnson began his career with the Greensboro Department as a Transportation Engineer before returning to Knoxvilleof these imperfections, we felt things wereof Transportation (GDOT) in 2008. He is a Level 3 Field Technician that Governmentemployees,consultingand getting his Masters and PhD degrees. Airton servescurrently holds the position of Traffic Signal Maintenance Supervisor. engineers, technicians, and others involvedasanAdjunctAssistantProfessorwiththeUniversityokaynot that it was easy. We operatedHis division maintains more than 450 signalized intersections and is ofTennesseeDepartmentofCivilandEnvironmentalkindoflikemyfatherandhisoldtruck.ever expanding their technological infrastructure. His goal is to see intrafficsignaldesign,operations,andEngineering, teaching Traffic Engineering Operations andDad kept a wrench under the hood, andthat all field technicians have the opportunity and training needed to maintenance benefit from the Traffic Signalis the leading instructor for CTRs Traffic Signal Academy. wheneverthetruckstalledout(notanadvance their skills in the evolving world of ITS.15 16'