Challenge
There are multimodal intersections, and then there are massively multimodal intersections. The Moody/Porter intersection, located at the west end of Portland’s new Tilikum Crossing Transit Bridge, may be the most multimodal signalized intersection in the United States. This intersection has distinct signalized movements for pedestrians, bicyclists, light rail trains, buses, streetcars, and automobiles. In 2015, shortly after opening the intersection, City of Portland officials began to receive complaints about very long pedestrian delays at the intersection.
Solution
The City had a plan to upgrade the signal controller at the intersection and implement a call-based transit priority plan. In order to understand the benefits of the proposed upgrades, Kittelson developed a software-in-the-loop microsimulation model of the Moody/Porter Intersection, the Tilikum Crossing, and the surrounding area. This model used the exact software and signal timing that would control the intersection in the field, so it was able to control a virtual intersection for testing.
The Outcome
Mastering the Massively Multimodal Intersection
Based on forecast volumes for year 2030, the upgrades are expected to reduce total person delay at the intersection by 44.2 hours during each PM rush hour. Additionally, a high-quality 3D public involvement video was made to demonstrate how the upgraded intersection would operate.
