Professor Michael Kyte from the University of Idaho has put together two different modules for learning how traffic signals work. I hope these materials become part of the standard curricula for civil engineering students specializing in traffic engineering. These materials would have greatly sped up my learning curve as a traffic engineer.
The first book – Operation, Analysis, and Design of Signalized Intersections – is intended to be a module in an introductory transportation engineering course. It gives an overview of intersection operations and the components of a pre-timed traffic signal plan. Professor Kyte co-authored the book with Maria Tribelhorn.
The second book – Traffic Signal Systems Operations and Design – is more appropriate for a senior level traffic engineering course. It goes deeper into the theory of the traffic signal timing parameters and how to develop actuated traffic signal timing plans (more adaptive timing plans that use sensor data to adjust to the real-time traffic flows). Professor Kyte co-authored the book with Tom Urbanik. The website for this book has a lot of supplementary material a professor can use when teaching from this book.
I applaud Professor Kyte for making both books available on Amazon by using the self-publishing Createspace platform. The intro book is less than $20 and the advanced book is less than $25. And they came in two days with my amazon prime membership!
p.s. No affiliate links here in case you were wondering.
