Life cycle cost analysis of vehicle detection technologies and their impact on adaptive traffic control systems

The recent trend to adopt and install adaptive/responsive signal control strategies to advance the operational performance of coordinated corridors and networks requires an examination of the life cycle costs associated with those control strategies. Adaptive systems not only require high resolution data that is measured by the detection systems installed throughout the network, but ongoing maintenance and troubleshooting costs associated with the adaptive system and their accompanying vehicle detection technologies. Therefore, there exists a need to carry out a life cycle cost analysis associated with utilizing non-invasive versus in pavement detection and their applications for adaptive/responsive signal control strategies.;This paper presents a life cycle analysis of several signal control technologies and vehicle detection technologies. A summary of previous work in life cycle cost analyses in transportation, adaptive signal control cost studies, and operations and maintenance studies is followed by the background of adaptive systems, vehicle detection, operations and maintenance, and life cycle cost analysis. Cost information for adaptive signal control technologies and vehicle detector technologies was obtained through practitioner surveys and product manufacturer and vendor inquiries. Specific adaptive and detection technology pricing were primarily collected directly from each specific technology manufacturer, and the costs associated with maintenance and installation were collected from agency professionals. A life cycle cost analysis tool (LCCA) was developed using Microsoft Excel and utilized to carry out analysis in this research. The goal of the LCCA tool is to compare and contrast signal timing control and associated detection schemes to determine agency life cycle costs and accompanying user costs. The LCCA tool allows the user to select up to ten alternatives including signal control and vehicle detection for major and minor stopbar and advanced detection zones simultaneously to compare life cycle costs.;The results of this research indicate inductive loop detection has the lowest life cycle cost regardless of analysis period. Additionally, InSync: Fusion's life cycle cost is comparable to coordinated signal timing over shorter term analysis, but SCATS, SynchroGreen, and Transcend have substantially higher life cycle costs. Signal control technologies with higher costs can be justified if they provide a decrease in additional user costs presented in this research. The results of this research can be conveyed to transportation agencies and used to provide recommendations toward installing future adaptive signal control and vehicle detection technologies.