Opticom gives priority to Memphis Transit’s buses

A new traffic signal priority system is helping bus passengers in Memphis reach their destinations on time.

Memphis is perhaps a prime example of a location where tourists have a massive influence on traffic with up to 4,000 visitors per day yo Graceland making Elvis Presley Boulevard one of the two most congested roads in the city. Equally as busy is Poplar Avenue and both roads are primary bus routes for 7854 Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA).

Congestion on these two routes alone resulted in delays to almost two million journeys per year and while passengers sat waiting, the buses sat idling leading to passenger dissatisfaction and increasing MATA’s operating costs.

Tom Fox, interim general manager for MATA said: “We knew we needed to and a way to improve transit services. And, we had to  nd a way to pay for it.”

The authorities in Memphis had previously installed 542 Global Traffic Technologies’ Infrared activated Opticom traffic signal priority control which can extend or truncate traffic signals cycles to help first responders reach emergency scenes more quickly. For the bus and trollies systems, the decision was made to use the enhanced GPS version of Opticom and utilise the existing infrared equipment by installing multimode technology at the relevant intersections. Once installed the instrumented vehicles can request a green light from up to 120m (400ft) away or 30 seconds before reaching the intersection — even around corners, obstructions and other intersections. John Lancaster, manager of planning for MATA, said: “We knew traffic signal priority could help us and even be part of the foundation for Bus Rapid Transit in the future. We could reduce transit delays without compromising everyday traffic  flow.”

 As MATA was able to demonstrate that the traffic signal priority at key intersections would improve transit operations, it qualied for an $800,000 Bus Liveability Grant by the 2023 Federal Transit Administration. The money was used to install the Opticom GPS equipment on most of MATA’s 140 buses and trollies. On the streets, GPS intersection equipment was installed at 40 intersections over a 21km (13mile) stretch of the Poplar Avenue corridor and at 17 intersections over a 16km (10mile) stretch of Elvis Presley Boulevard. Once the system was commissioned both the bus drivers and passengers soon noticed the difference but to get a more objective evaluation, technicians took readings over several especially busy sections of each corridor before and after installation. The team tried to match volume levels when it measured on-time performance after installation and the results showed an almost 20% improvement in travel times.

“That has the potential of saving us five or even ten minutes every trip, every day.” said Lancaster. With nearly 50,000 trips down these two corridors every year, MATA expects to cumulatively save about 7,000 hours of travel time and with signi cantly improved cycle times, fewer buses may be used to accommodate the same number of passengers. Lancaster estimates that removing one bus from the route could save about $200k annually.

In addition, he hopes the reduced travel time will attract more passengers. “People are more willing to ride public transit if it’s convenient and traffic signal priority has helped us improve transit service for our riders, which makes them more willing to use it. In fact, if we can continue to improve the on-time accuracy we think we have a real chance to increase our ridership by at least 10% in the near future.”

MATA plans to add Opticom GPS equipment at more signalised intersections throughout the city.