Transportation Infrastructure: Benefits of Traffic Control Signal Systems Are Not Being Fully Realized
RCED-94-105
Published: Mar 30, 1994. Publicly Released: May 02, 1994.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed federal, state, and local efforts to use traffic control signal systems to reduce congestion, focusing on: (1) the benefits of traffic control signal systems; (2) the problems state and local agencies face in implementing, operating, and maintaining effective signal systems; (3) the relationship between current signal systems and emerging technologies; and (4) Federal Highway Administration (FHwA) efforts to assist state and local governments' development of traffic signal systems.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Transportation | To better assist states and localities in designing, implementing, operating, and maintaining traffic control signal systems, the Secretary of Transportation should direct the Administrator, FHwA, to identify critical activities in relation to signal systems that require the agency's oversight and assistance. |
The Department concurred with the recommendation and stated that FHwA provides oversight and assistance in critical areas and will assist states and localities when requested to the extent possible within FHwA's available resources.
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| Department of Transportation | To better assist states and localities in designing, implementing, operating, and maintaining traffic control signal systems, the Secretary of Transportation should direct the Administrator, FHwA, to develop the expertise needed to carry out this role and assist the states and localities with their traffic control signal systems. |
The Department stated that it recognizes the need to expand its expertise. To accomplish this, FHwA said it has ongoing training programs which provide information regarding systems design, selection, and operations. Through this continuing effort, FHwA is seeking to expand the level of expertise in traffic management among its field personnel. No specific additional FHwA actions resulted from this recommendation, therefore it is being closed.
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| Department of Transportation | To better assist states and localities in designing, implementing, operating, and maintaining traffic control signal systems, the Secretary of Transportation should direct the Administrator, FHwA, to develop guidance for its field offices defining the conditions under which operations plans are required, the content of operations plans (particularly their provisions for the systems' long-range resource requirements), and the review that field offices are to undertake to ensure that the plans are adequately prepared. |
FHwA issued new guidance in December 1994 that provides information to guide localities in planning for traffic signal systems' long-range resource requirements. The new guidance also strengthens and clarifies FHwA's review requirements.
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