Scheduling Traffic Signal Maintenance

A major responsibility of highway engineers is to provide for the public a highway system capable of accommodating vehicle and pedestrian travel in a safe, efficient, and economic manner. In developing this highway system, the engineer is responsible for the planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of that system. In many instances the maintenance function is relegated to a minor position. Limitations in the available resources, coupled with the expan­ sion of the planning, design, and construction operations to keep pace with the increasing traffic demands, have resulted in a situation where funds and efforts, which are necessary for the maintenance of existing facilities, have been diverted to other tasks. In addition, past experiences indicate some difficulty in interesting engineers in the area of maintenance operations. The result is a shortage of qualified men and other resources in a field on which the continued operation of the highway system is predicated. In the past maintenance engineers have used rule-of-thumb warrants, personal experience, or component analysis to determine the maintenance program that utilizes the expected budget allowances. Recent advances in the fields of systems analysis and computer technology have provided the engineer with the tools necessary to analyze various maintenance situations. A complete analysis of all related factors enables the main­ tenance engineer to optimize the use of available men, money, and equipment and to insure the proper and safe operation of the system. The traffic engineer is concerned with a maintenance program appli­ cable to traffic signals and flashers. Signal reliability is a necessity because failures create hazards to life and property and increase the maintenance costs by requiring men and equipment for emergency repairs.