A Sophisticated Transit Signal Priority System – How It Works

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the development of new transit signal priority (TSP) systems and to present the challenges overcome and the information gathered for future implementation projects. The application of active transit priority on a regular basis can be disruptive for the flow of traffic and traffic movements. Therefore, active priority for transit vehicles has been divided into two categories, conventional and unconventional. Unconditional refers to a signal granted every time a transit vehicle is detected and conditional refers to signals granted while taking into account schedule adherence and passenger load. This paper will discuss the pros and cons of each application and its application in the region of York, City of Mississauga, Halifax Regional Municipality and Region of Waterloo.