Enhanced Red LIght Enforcement System Project Evaluation...Enhanced Red Light Enforcement (ERLE) System DRAFT Project Evaluation (2019) Prepared for: Minnesota Department of Transportation

Enhanced Red Light Enforcement (ERLE) System Project Evaluation (2019)

October 15, 2019

Enhanced Red Light Enforcement (ERLE) System DRAFT Project Evaluation (2019)

Prepared for:

Minnesota Department of Transportation 1500 County Road B2 Roseville, MN 55113

Prepared by: Dan Nelson ITS Planner T: 612-376-2061 E: [email protected]

AECOM 800 LaSalle Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55402 aecom.com

AECOM

http:aecom.commailto:[email protected]

Enhanced Red Light Enforcement (ERLE) System DRAFT Project Evaluation (2019)

Table of Contents

1. Introduction...................................................................................................................... 4 2. System Design and Installation........................................................................................6 3. System Maintenance Activities ...................................................................................... 12 4. System Evaluation ......................................................................................................... 16 5. System Challenges / Lessons Learned..........................................................................23 6. ERLE System Next Steps.............................................................................................. 24 Appendix A 2019 Violation Summaries...................................................................................... 25 Appendix B Software Interface Instructions............................................................................... 38 Appendix C State Patrol Comment Form .................................................................................. 41

Table of Figures

Figure 1 – Radar Detector at Intersection....................................................................................6 Figure 2 – System Cabinet Hardware Components at Intersection ............................................. 7 Figure 3 – Enhanced Red Light Enforcement System Hardware Installation ............................... 8 Figure 4 – Enhanced Red Light Enforcement System Software Interface ................................... 9 Figure 5 – Total Observed Red Light Violations for All Vehicles (July 2017) .............................. 11 Figure 6 - Observed Red Light Violations for All Vehicles (May 7th thru May 28th) ..................... 16 Figure 7 - Observed Red Light Violations for All Vehicles (June 3rd thru July 2nd) ...................... 17 Figure 8 - Observed Red Light Violations for All Vehicles (July 15th thru Aug. 11th) ....................17 Figure 9 - Observed Red Light Violations for All Vehicles (Sept. 6th thru Oct. 7th) ...................... 18 Figure 10 - Observed Red Light Violations Across All Periods by Time of Day .......................... 19 Figure 11 - Observed Red Light Violations Across All Periods by Day of Week......................... 19 Figure 12 - Observed Red Light Violations by Vehicle Type Across All Periods ......................... 20 Figure 13 - Observed Red Light Violations and Other System Violations Across All Periods ..... 21 Figure 14 – Frequency of Multiple Event Recordings for Commercial Vehicles Across Periods of Time......................................................................................................................... 22 Figure 15 – Types and Frequency of Other System-Recorded Violations.................................. 22

AECOM

Enhanced Red Light Enforcement (ERLE) System Project Evaluation (2019) DRAFT

1. Introduction This technical memorandum summarizes the work performed by AECOM and State Patrol during the summer / fall periods of 2019 on the Enhanced Red Light Enforcement (ERLE) system installed in St. Cloud, MN.

1.1 Project Background

From July 2012 to December 2014, URS Corporation (now AECOM) supported MnDOT District 3 and the Department of Public Safety in developing and testing an enhanced red light violation enforcement system that was installed at the intersection of 2nd Street South and TH 15 in Saint Cloud.

While the system was proven to be a viable tool for red light enforcement, there were issues with the consistent performance of the laser detector utilized with the system. Due to the number of false calls and poor performance in adverse weather conditions (heavy rain, snow, cold temperatures), the State Patrol was not able to effectively use the system. The system was left in place but was not operational in 2015 and 2016.

From October 2016 to March 2018, AECOM worked with MnDOT to upgrade the detection method and provide a functional and more reliable red light violation enforcement tool. The system was observed by AECOM and State Patrol during this period of time and determined to be reliable for use by troopers as part of red light enforcement efforts in the summer period of 2019. A number of recommendations were also made at the end of the project to improve the future use of the system by State Patrol.

1.2 Project Goals and Purpose

The overall goals of the Enhanced Red Light Enforcement system project are to:

1. Develop a low-cost, portable, and easy-to-use red light violation detection and monitoring system with current off-the-shelf technology, and

2. Demonstrate the system’s capability in supporting police officers to perform safe and effective onsite law enforcement by providing them with real-time red light violation monitoring and visual evidence.

It is also anticipated that the system can provide a non-disruptive and legally accepted approach to monitor red light violations, and that the system can optimize the time and monetary resources necessary for an effective red light enforcement program.

The purpose of the project in the summer and fall periods of 2019 was to allow for the Minnesota State Patrol to schedule shifts with troopers for use of the system for red light enforcement in the area. A review of the frequency of red light violations before and after enforcement efforts was also planned to be performed to determine if any difference in the frequency of violations could be detected.

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1.3 Project Team Members and Project Support

AECOM worked with the previous system integrator, Iron Mountain Systems, to remotely maintain and troubleshoot issues reported by Minnesota State Patrol and MnDOT throughout the project. AECOM also monitored system operations throughout the summer and fall periods of 2019. AECOM would like to recognize the efforts of the system developer in supporting the operation of the system during the evaluation period.

AECOM would like to recognize the contributions of the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) District 3 staff that provided system operational support throughout the project. This includes Tom DuMont who retired from MnDOT in May 2019, as well as Arnie Michalicek and Dave Totzke, who provided system maintenance and communications support throughout the project. Additional MnDOT staff during the summer of 2019 included Zach Whitley of MnDOT District 3 and Derek Leuer of MnDOT in the Roseville office / metro area.

AECOM would also like to recognize the contributions and support from the Department of Public Safety and the Minnesota State Patrol, specifically Capt. Brad Ouart, Lt. Paul VanVoorhis, and Trooper James Kotten throughout the project. AECOM would also like to thank the contributions of Mn.IT support staff in working with State Patrol, including Patrick Pueringer and Brent Jaeger. The combined efforts of MnDOT, State Patrol, and Mn.IT helped to identify areas of improvement for the system in potential future periods of enforcement.

1.4 Document Overview

This technical memorandum is divided into the following sections:

· Section 2 – System Design and Installation – This section provides an overview of how the system was designed and installed for the project previously in 2017.

· Section 3 – System Maintenance Activities – This section describes the maintenance activities that were performed by the AECOM team throughout the project.

· Section 4 – System Evaluation – This section presents a summary of the data gathered in terms of red light violations by basic vehicle type and identifies when these violations occurred most frequently during the project in 2019.

· Section 5 – System Challenges / Lessons Learned – This section presents a summary the main challenges and lessons learned during the project.

· Section 6 – Next Steps– This section presents a summary next steps that could be taken to improve usage of the system in the spring / summer of 2020.

· Appendices – Contains three appendices as described within this document.

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2. System Design and Installation As noted previously, AECOM worked with its subcontractor and system integrator, Iron Mountain Systems, to install a new radar detector to replace the previously used laser detector. Previous issues were observed with the laser detector malfunctioning by communicating the detection of a vehicle crossing the stop bar when no vehicles were present.

The radar detector selected for the project was manufactured by Houston Radar. The detection area of the radar unit is approximately 2 inches square and it functions to detect the presence of an object in a specific area, in this case, the stop bar of the intersection. The radar was installed at a much higher elevation than the laser detector as well, so that the radar could detect vehicles in both southbound through lanes of traffic. The higher detector elevation enables it to avoid occlusions in the near lane.

Similar to the previous system installation, a relay function is built into the system cabinet. Two events need to occur in order for the radar to detect movement of a vehicle across the stop bar. First, the vehicle needs to be detected as present within the pre-defined area. Then, the detected vehicle needs to move out of the pre-defined area. These two events define when a vehicle has crossed over the stop bar at the intersection, and a relay is communicated to the system field processor that the event has occurred. To be recorded as a violation, these two events must both occur during the traffic signal’s red phase for that approach.

The radar detector is depicted in the Figure below.

View of Radar Installed on Signal Pole View from Radar Looking Down at Stop (Approx. 16 feet high) Bar and Crosswalk Area

Figure 1 – Radar Detector at Intersection

Other main system components remained similar to the previous installation. A cellular modem communicated information gathered by the Field Processor through a web-based software interface. The interface remained the same as the previous installation in 2013-2014.

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The system design document was updated to reflect the radar’s installation at the intersection. Refer to the separate design document for additional information.

2.1 System Hardware Installation

The components of the system cabinet were assembled together prior to installation on February 1st, 2017. AECOM worked with MnDOT District 3 staff on site to band the system cabinet to the signal pole. MnDOT District 3 staff provided a bucket truck for use in mounting of the radar at a higher point approximately 16 feet above ground level.

The primary issue encountered during system installation was the antennae installed at the traffic signal cabinet which was not reliably communicating the red signal status from the traffic signal cabinet. The antennae were replaced on Feb. 10th, 2017, which the AECOM team considered as the beginning of the operational state of the system.

Figure 2 below displays the system hardware components inside the system cabinet at the intersection. Figure 3 on the following page illustrates how the hardware components of the system were installed for the project.

Input from radar on pole

Processor for wireless comm. with signal cabinet

Camera Looking South at Intersection

Field Processor for ERLE Software Interface

Camera Looking at Stop Bar

Cellular Modem for viewing of interface via web

Figure 2 – System Cabinet Hardware Components at Intersection

2.2 System Software Installation

The web-based software interface was not altered from the previous system installation in 2013 and 2014. The access to the software was provided through the use of a cellular modem. Users of the interface (i.e. State Patrol) would need to access the interface through a web address on their laptop computer within their vehicle in order to perform red light enforcement. Figure 4 displays the software interface for State Patrol.

AECOM prepared a two-page overview for State Patrol on how to use the software interface in May 2017. Refer to Appendix B for the overview. AECOM also prepared a comment form for State Patrol to complete following their use of the software interface in the field for red light enforcement. Refer to Appendix C for the comment form.

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N State Patrol Location with access to ERLE

US 15 system video (parked ½ mile south at 7th St. bridge overpass)

2nd Street

Functional Operations: 1. Sensor in Signal Cabinet sends a

wireless “on” message to ERLE system when red light is active for SB through traffic

2. Radar on pole detects when cars go through stop bar.

3. ERLE System records a red light violation when light is red AND car crosses through the stop bar

1. Sensor in Traffic Signal Cabinet

Stop Bar

2. Radar Unit 3. ERLE System

Lane 1 Lane 2

SB Through Lanes

Figure 3 – Enhanced Red Light Enforcement System Hardware Installation

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Live View of Stop Bar

Depth of Red Signal Text

Live View of Link to Violation Intersection History Page

Violations from Current Day

Figure 4 – Enhanced Red Light Enforcement System Software Interface

5 second video clip of violation

Screen captures of violation

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2.3 Anticipated System Usage and Operation

The ERLE system allows for officers to perform enhanced red light enforcement by providing an audible tone through the web-based interface whenever a red light violation is detected. It is critical for the officer to confirm that the volume on the computer that is being used is not muted or at a very low volume where the tone may not be heard.

Below is a series of steps that are anticipated to occur when a red light violation occurs and an officer performs enforcement.

1. While parked near the intersection, an officer can visually observe the Live View of the interface presented in Figure 4 above during the green phase for southbound traffic.

2. As the signal changes from green to yellow, the officer can turn their attention to the intersection, so that they can view vehicles approaching the intersection while the light then changes from yellow to red.

3. If the officer hears an audible tone through the computer, that is an indication that a vehicle has crossed over the stop bar while the light was red. The web-based interface will then instantly change from the Live View screen to the Violation Review screen to load a five second recording of the violation along with still images as shown in Figure 4 above.

4. The officer can visually confirm that the vehicle has passed all the way through the intersection, and then prepare to perform red light enforcement from their parked location downstream of the traffic signal as the vehicle passes their parked location.

5. Upon pulling the vehicle over, the officer can then view the Violation Review screen on the web-based interface to review the violation prior to issuing a citation to the driver of the vehicle.

6. After a citation has been issued, the officer can choose to download the five second recording of the violation to their computer for future reference in the event that the citation is challenged by the motorist. Instructions on how to download the video are contained in Appendix A to this document.

7. The officer can then return to their location near the intersection and switch from the Violation Review screen to the Live View of the web-based interface, and begin the process again from Step 1 noted above.

Note that some instances may occur where a vehicle crosses the stop bar on the red light as described in Step 3 above, but is able to stop before crossing through the intersection. This may trigger a tone and violation recording, and perhaps a second recording as the vehicle backs up over the stop bar to allow for east-west traffic to pass through safely. In other cases, a vehicle may make a right hand turn on the red light, which will also trigger an audible tone and violation recording. However, these instances are relatively infrequent compared to the number of red light violations that can be enforced at this intersection.

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2.4 Previous System Evaluation in 2017

A previous evaluation of the system operations in 2017 led to the following general observations:

1. Most of the red light violations occurred in the mid-day period, which could allow for State Patrol to perform red light enforcement in day-time periods and be visible to traffic during their enforcement.

2. A much higher number of violations was observed in the late spring / early summer period than the winter / early spring period. This difference was attributed to a greater number of daylight hours during which drivers could better see their surroundings as they considered making a red light violation.

3. Approximately 90% of the system-recorded violations were valid red-light violations that could be enforced by State Patrol. The other 10% of violations were observed as drivers making a right hand turn on red, or drivers making small movements over the stop bar while the light was red. Figure 6 below presents a summary of these priori violations observed during July 2017 period.

Figure 5 – Total Observed Red Light Violations for All Vehicles (July 2017)

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3. System Maintenance Activities AECOM conducted two primary activities during the operation of the Enhanced Red Light Enforcement System in 2019. These were System Maintenance activities described in this Section 3, and System Evaluation activities, described further in Section 4.

A summary of the system maintenance activities performed prior to the start of the project and during the project is provided below.

3.1 System Repairs Prior to 2019

As noted previously, the system was tested and demonstrated from 2017 to 2018 for MnDOT and State Patrol. In the October of 2018, the software interface could not be accessed remotely via the modem within the system cabinet, and upon further review, it was determined that the power supply unit had failed within the cabinet. A new power supply unit was ordered and installed by AECOM in November 2018. However, this did not restore the overall system to full operation, and the field processor was removed from the cabinet for repair by the system developer (Iron Mountain Systems). The repaired field processor was re-installed in March 2019. Remote maintenance was provided by the system developer to bring the system back into full operation.

A replacement antenna at the signal cabinet was also required to be performed in March 2019 after it was discovered that the antenna had broken off from the top of the signal cabinet. Heavy winds and snowstorm activity in March / April may have caused the antenna to break off from the signal cabinet. A replacement antenna was ordered for the signal cabinet and installed by MnDOT in late March 2019.

After monitoring the system in April and early May 2019, a small number of system-recorded violations were observed with a green light present for the southbound movement of traffic. The issue was caused by commercial vehicles that would obstruct the line-of-sight communication between the antenna on the traffic signal cabinet to the antenna on the system cabinet. The communication of the beginning of the red phase was not being received by the system cabinet due to the vehicle obstruction.

A stronger antenna with a higher gain and signal strength was ordered and installed at the signal cabinet by MnDOT staff on May 21, 2019. Since this period of time, no system-recorded red light violations were observed while the light was green during the evaluation period.

3.2 Media Day Event

AECOM attended a media day event on May 30, 2019 that was managed by MnDOT and the Minnesota State Patrol. The purpose of the media day event was to introduce the future use of the system by State Patrol in 2019. AECOM attended to answer any questions and provide any technical assistance as needed.

Media coverage of the system was made available by various local media outlets as cited below for reference:

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· KSTP Channel 5 Video Link - https://kstp.com/news/minnesota-state-patrol-testing-new-video-technology-targeting-drivers-who-run-red-lights/5372265/

· Fox Channel 9 Video Link - http://www.fox9.com/news/troopers-test-new-red-light-camera-system-in-st-cloud

· Kare 11 Video link - https://www.kare11.com/article/news/red-light-cameras-crack-down-on-stop-light-violators/89-d2496771-2b3d-44a1-a34d-93a9e41226c4

· WCCO Channel 4 Video Link - https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2019/05/30/red-light-violation-pilot-program-minnesota-state-patrol-st-cloud/

· Star Tribune Coverage - http://www.startribune.com/in-minnesota-pilot-project-cameras-will-be-watching-for-red-light-runners/510689892/

3.3 System URL Change / Modem Security Upgrade After Media Day Upgrade

Shortly after the Media Day event, State Patrol received concerns about the general public being able to access the web interface described in Section 2 of this document. Media coverage of the web interface included the URL that the general public could use to access the interface, which could increase the latency of the video being monitored in real time by State Patrol. To reduce the potential of the general public accessing the website at any time, the AECOM modified URL after the media day event and notified State Patrol of the URL change. The URL was changed on May 31st.

State Patrol also requested additional security be placed on the website so that only authorized users would be able to access the web interface. The proposed method of security by the AECOM team was to enable a trusted IP listing on the cellular modem provided by MnDOT. This approach was proposed to the State Patrol and Mn.IT staff and was approved on June 20, 2019.

3.4 System Interface Operational Issues

In early June, State Patrol troopers reported from using the system that an audible tone was not being heard on the system interface upon the detection of a Violation in the Live View portion of the system interface. This issue was investigated by AECOM over the coming months and a number of troubleshooting efforts identified the following as the main source of the problem:

1. Issue: Firefox Browser / Audible Tone – State Patrol reported in early June that they were viewing the interface on vehicle laptops through a Firefox browser. The system interface had been designed for a Chrome web browser, which State Patrol had used during testing that was done in 2017. Firefox issued a browser update in May 2019 that required troopers to manually adjust their browser settings to allow for the tone to play automatically on the browser.

a. Resolution: Mn.IT staff provided detailed instructions to State Patrol on how to adjust these browser settings on June 20, 2019. These settings were verified by State Patrol as allowing for audio to be played on the browser interface.

2. Issue: Live View to Violation Review Page Transition – The change of the URL on May 31st inadvertently caused a Page Transition issue reported by State Patrol about the operation of the interface. Upon detection of a red light violation, the Live View page of the interface was not automatically switching to the

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http://www.startribune.com/in-minnesota-pilot-projecthttps://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2019/05/30/redhttps://www.kare11.com/article/news/red-light-camerashttp://www.fox9.com/news/troopers-test-new-redhttps://kstp.com/news/minnesota-state-patrol


Violation Review page as it should have been doing. This was caused by the URL change in May 31st which did not contain a “.com” domain in the URL. The lack this “.com” domain caused the system to not transition the Live View page to the Violation Review page.

a. Resolution: AECOM updated the URL to the following URL on Aug. 16th – http://rlc1.ironmountainsystems.com/rlc/live - to allow for the page transition to occur as designed.

3. Issue: Video Lag on Live View – State Patrol reported in August that the live feed of video in the Live View appeared to not be displaying the most recent flow of traffic through the intersection. The video lag was reviewed and found to be related to the use of the Firefox browser for viewing the live video feed. A recommendation was made to hold down the CTRL key on the keyboard while clicking the refresh icon near the URL name in the Firefox browser.

a. Resolution: AECOM made a recommendation to hold down the CTRL key on the keyboard while clicking the refresh icon near the URL name in the Firefox browser. This was tested and successfully verified with State Patrol on site of the system cabinet on Sept. 3rd.

4. Issue: System Timer / Page Transition – State Patrol reported on July 5th that the Live View page would automatically transition to the Violation Review page after a period of 6 minutes of time. This would create the false impression that a violation had occurred, even though no violation was recorded.

a. Resolution #1: AECOM increased the system timer from 8 minutes to 16 minutes on July 17th. This was a change made to the system code. State Patrol reported that they were still observing a time of around 6 minutes for an automatic transition to the Violation Review page in early September.

b. Resolution #2: AECOM followed up with Mn.IT staff and received an update on Sept. 19th that despite the presence of the system code at a higher value of 30 minutes, the issue still persisted on computers with an automatic transition at every 6 minutes. State Patrol noted that this activity would not be acceptable from an operational standpoint in the field.

3.5 Final Project Meeting with MnDOT / State Patrol

AECOM attended a teleconference on October 7th, 2019 to discuss next steps on the project. The operational issues described in Section 3.3 prevented State Patrol from feeling comfortable with using the system for enforcement for an extended period of time in the summer of 2019. Though the system was used to issue a few violations in June 2019, the operational issues prevented the system’s use for an extended period.

It was noted that State Patrol would pause efforts at attempting to use the system given the coming winter season. Additional efforts by AECOM could be taken to improve the use of the system in the coming Spring 2020 if State Patrol and MnDOT desired to re-start enforcement efforts at that time.

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http://rlc1.ironmountainsystems.com/rlc/live


3.6 System Timer Resolution

Further discussion with the system developer is needed to determine if a script can be written for the field processor to resolve the system timer through automatically refreshing the Live View page. This may require a small cost to be incurred by the system developer to support the development and testing of the script, prior to field testing by State Patrol of the system with a Firefox browser.

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4. System Evaluation AECOM monitored the system’s operation for a period of five months between May 7th, 2019 and October 7th, 2019 to evaluate the frequency of red light violations being recorded by the system. AECOM used the web-based software interface to review of all the system-recorded violations for the purpose of verifying that all violations included the detection of a vehicle crossing the stop bar of the intersection on a red light.

The following periods of time were chosen for system evaluation based on the availability of system data. Appendix A presents a three page summary of all violations observed across all of the periods listed below.

· Period 1 - May 7th thru May 28th – Three week period before Media Day Event · Period 2 - June 3rd thru July 2nd – Four week period in June after Media Day · Period 3 - July 15th thru Aug. 11th– Four week period in July / August · Period 4 - Sept. 6th thru Oct. 7th – Four week period in September / October

4.1 Period 1: Red Light Violations Observed in May 2019

AECOM monitored red light system violations from May 7th to May 28th showing when red light violations were observed by time of day and day of week. It was observed that a total of 60 of these violations were commercial vehicles, compared to 44 violations by passenger vehicles. A copy of the violation summary was provided to State Patrol and is included in Appendix A for reference. Figure 6 presents an image of the evaluation.

The purpose of the review in May 2019 was to:

1. Verify that the system was functioning properly before State Patrol enforcement expected to occur in the summer of 2019

2. Identify periods of time for when enforcement could be scheduled. 3. Establish a “before-enforcement” period of time to be used for comparison

against a similar evaluation after enforcement efforts by State Patrol.

Figure 6 - Observed Red Light Violations for All Vehicles (May 7th thru May 28th)

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4.2 Period 2: Red Light Violations Observed in June 2019

AECOM monitored red light system violations from June 3rd to July 2nd showing when red light violations were observed by time of day and day of week. It was observed that a total of 72 of these violations were commercial vehicles, compared to 81 violations by passenger vehicles. A copy of the violation summary was provided to State Patrol and is included in Appendix A for reference. Figure 7 presents an image of the evaluation. It should be noted that a gap occurred in data collection between June 20th and June 24th due to an error in data collection activities.

Figure 7 - Observed Red Light Violations for All Vehicles (June 3rd thru July 2nd)

4.3 Period 3: Red Light Violations Observed in July-August 2019

AECOM monitored red light system violations from July 15th to August 11th showing when red light violations were observed by time of day and day of week. It was observed that a total of 76 of these violations were commercial vehicles, compared to 120 violations by passenger vehicles. A copy of the violation summary was provided to State Patrol and is included in Appendix A for reference. Figure 7 presents an image of the evaluation.

Figure 8 - Observed Red Light Violations for All Vehicles (July 15th thru Aug. 11th)

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4.4 Period 4: Red Light Violations Observed in September-October 2019

AECOM monitored red light system violations from September 6th to October 7th showing when red light violations were observed by time of day and day of week. It was observed that a total of 94 of these violations were commercial vehicles, compared to 118 violations by passenger vehicles. A copy of the violation summary was provided to State Patrol and is included in Appendix A for reference. Figure 7 presents an image of the evaluation.

Figure 9 - Observed Red Light Violations for All Vehicles (Sept. 6th thru Oct. 7th)

4.5 Comparison of Periods 1-4 and Red Light Violations Observed

A comparison of the total observed violations across all four periods of time is presented in Figures 10 and 11 on the following page.

Figure 10 presents an increase in observed violations over each period of time. This finding was consistent with a previous evaluation in 2017 that noted a much higher number of violations being observed in the late spring / early summer period than the winter / early spring period of time. This increase could be attributed to a greater number of daylight hours during which drivers can better see their surroundings as they consider making a red light violation.

Figure 11 presents the total violations observed over each period of time by the day of the week. In general, violations were much more likely to occur during the week than on a weekend.

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Figure 10 - Observed Red Light Violations Across All Periods by Time of Day

Figure 11 - Observed Red Light Violations Across All Periods by Day of Week

4.6 Review of Observed Red Light Violations by Vehicle Type

Appendix A also presents a summary of the red light violations observed by two main vehicle types as described below:

· Commercial Vehicles – Large commercial vehicles with a commercial trailer or flatbed for hauling other materials behind them

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· Cars / Trucks – Passenger vehicles and passenger trucks not hauling trailers / flatbeds behind them. This grouping essentially included all other vehicles that were not commercial vehicles.

A summary of the total observed red light violations across all periods of the evaluation is presented in Figure 12.

Figure 12 - Observed Red Light Violations by Vehicle Type Across All Periods

4.7 Review of Observed Red Light Violations and All System Recorded Violations

Figure 13 presents a summary of the observed red light violations and the other system-recorded violations across all periods of time. An observed red light violation is an event in which a vehicle crosses the stop bar on the red light and continues southbound through the intersection. Other system-recorded violations are defined as those violations in which the radar detected vehicles crossing over the stop bar area while the light is red, but not fully crossing through the intersection to proceed southbound. The most common types of these other system recorded violations include the following:

· Multiple Event Recordings – Cases in which a commercial vehicle and its trailer behind it are both detected by the radar, thus multiple recordings are made for the same commercial vehicle.

· Inching Over Stop on Red – Cases in which a vehicle slowly and impatiently crosses over the stop bar area while the light is red, leading the radar to detect the movement of the vehicle and the system to record a violation.

· Right Turn on Red – Cases in which a vehicle crosses over the stop bar on the red light to make a right hand turn, instead of using the right turn bay provided at the intersection.

Although the amount observed red light violations as a percentage of all system recorded violations varied between 65% and 80% throughout the evaluation period, all of the system-recorded violations were valid in terms of how the system was designed.

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In other words, no system recorded violations were observed in which no vehicle or other object was present at the time of the system-recorded violation, and no system violations were observed while the light was green during the evaluation period.

A percentage of the observed red light violations as a percentage of all system-recorded violations is presented above each period of time. Further detail on the most commonly observed system-recorded violations is presented in the following sections.

Figure 13 - Observed Red Light Violations and Other System Violations Across All Periods

4.7.1 Commercial Vehicles and Multiple Event Recordings

Approximately half of the “other violations” occurred from commercial vehicles causing multiple event recordings in the system. This is due to the gap in space between the commercial vehicle and its trailer behind it. The passage of the commercial vehicle and its attached trailer through the radar’s area of detection can cause two separate objects to be detected as crossing over the stop bar on a red light, thus two separate violations to be recorded by the system for the same commercial vehicle.

It should be noted that not all commercial vehicles caused the system to record two separate violations. Figure 14 displays the total number of red light violations by commercial vehicles across the three periods of time between June and October. While an adjustment could be made to the software settings on the radar hardware to reduce multiple event recordings of commercial vehicles, it may also prevent the system from recording two separate passenger vehicles crossing the stop bar in separate lanes while the light is red. Given the relatively low amount of these multiple event recordings as a percent of all commercial vehicles detected in red light violations, no changes were made to the radar to reduce the potential for multiple event recordings.

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Period

Total Red Light Violations with

Commercial Vehicles

Commercial Vehicles with

Single Recording

Commercial Vehicles with

Multiple Recordings

Percent of Total Violations with

Commercial Vehicles

June 72 48 24 33% July-Aug. 69 48 21 30%

Sept. -Oct. 94 76 18 19%

Figure 14 – Frequency of Multiple Event Recordings for Commercial VehiclesAcross Periods of Time

4.7.2 Right Turns on Red

The second most common type of other system recorded violation involved vehicles making a right hand turn on red instead of using the right turn bay provided at the intersection. This accounted for about 25% of all other system recorded violations.

4.7.3 Vehicles Slowly Moving Over Stop Bar

The third most common type of other system recorded violation involved vehicles slowly crossing the stop bar area while the light was red, which caused the radar to detect their movement and the system to record a violation. In addition, some vehicles that stopped too late on a red light would slowly back over the stop bar area while the light was in red, also causing a system recorded violation. While these occurrences may seem common at other intersections, the total amount of these cases was about 23% of all other system recorded violations.

Other System-Recorded Violation Types Total Percent of Total 174 100.00%

Multiple Event Recordings 84 48% Right Turn on Red 43 25%

Inching past stop bar on red 34 23%

Backed over stop bar 6 All other recordings

Pedestrian Crossing 3 4% Police presence 3

Wrong way driver 1

Figure 15 – Types and Frequency of Other System-Recorded Violations

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5. System Challenges / Lessons Learned The biggest challenge encountered during the project was related to the Firefox browser and its operation of the software interface for State Patrol. As noted earlier, the software interface had been designed to operate on a Google Chrome browser. This was chosen as the browser due to the coding that was developed by the system developer to provide live video feed provided on the Live View page of the interface.

While State Patrol had been using Google Chrome as a browser in 2017 during the prior system testing, Mn.IT staff determined in 2018 / 2019 to remove Chrome browsers from State Patrol vehicle computers due to various security concerns with the browser. Firefox browsers were installed as the primary browser to replace Chrome browsers.

This change was not reported as a concern until June 2019 at which point a re-design of the software interface to work primarily within a Firefox browser was not possible due to time and budget constraints. State Patrol reported that some of the navigational buttons on the Live View did not work properly, this was due to the difference in how the two different browsers interpret the coding behind the software interface.

The main challenge with the operation of the Firefox browser was the inability of the browser to interpret the system code inserted into the software interface for the system timer function. The purpose of the system timer is to automatically transition the interface from the Live View page to the Violation Review after a period of time has elapsed. This transition is necessary due to the nature of live video that can lag after being viewed on a web browser for an extended period of time.

Though the timer was updated to 16 minutes in July 2019, State Patrol continued to report that they were still observing an automatic transition after 6 minutes of time. Their concern was that this automatic transition, also accompanied by an audible tone, could be perceived by troopers as an actual violation, though no red light violation had actually occurred. Although a manual process of refreshing the Live View page had been proposed at five minute intervals to prevent the automatic transition process, this manual task of refreshing the Live View page every 5 minutes was not viewed as acceptable for use by troopers

Since the system timer for the automatic transition could not be adjusted on the laptop computers used by State Patrol, the planned scheduling of troopers to use the system was not performed by State Patrol. A project meeting in October 2019 determined that with the winter season approaching, the task of scheduling troopers for enforcement would not be performed until spring 2020 to allow time for further resolutions to be implemented by the project team.

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6. ERLE System Next Steps AECOM has summarized the following as Next Steps on the project that could benefit future system installations.

6.1 Step 1: Implement Script to Refresh the Live View page on Firefox Browser

This step involves writing a script for the field processor to automatically re-fresh the Live View page without the need for a manual re-fresh of the page that was proposed by AECOM earlier in the project. It is likely this script would prevent the automatic transition that was designed for the system and thus address the issue reported by State Patrol with respect to the false perception of a system violation.

It is anticipated that writing this script will require a small cost to be incurred by the system developer to support the development and testing of the script, prior to field testing by State Patrol of the system with a Firefox browser.

6.2 Plan for ERLE System Usage with State Patrol

After the process of automatically refreshing the Live View page has been completed, the Minnesota State Patrol will need to re-schedule shifts with troopers for use of the system for red light enforcement in the area. Appendices B and C could help support the use of the system in future months. Refer also to section 2.3 of this document for a series of steps that are anticipated to take place as part of red light enforcement.

6.3 Review Violation Activity

After officers have used the system for a longer period of time, it may be helpful to review the timestamps that are recorded to determine if any difference in the frequency of violations can be detected. The review of these timestamps will help to confirm that enforcement shifts are being scheduled for the periods of time when red light violations are being detected the most frequently.

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Appendix A 2019 Violation Summaries AECOM monitored the system’s operation for a period of five months between May 7th, 2019 and October 7th, 2019 to evaluate the frequency of red light violations being recorded by the system. AECOM used the web-based software interface to review of all the system-recorded violations for the purpose of verifying that all violations included the detection of a vehicle crossing the stop bar of the intersection on a red light.

The following periods of time were chosen for system evaluation based on the availability of system data. This Appendix A presents a three page summary of all violations observed across all of the periods listed below.

· Period 1 - May 7th thru May 28th – Three week period before Media Day Event · Period 2 - June 3rd thru July 2nd – Four week period in June after Media Day · Period 3 - July 15th thru Aug. 11th– Four week period in July / August · Period 4 - Sept. 6th thru Oct. 7th – Four week period in September / October

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Appendix B Software Interface Instructions The URL for RLC website: http://rlc1.ironmountainsystems.com/rlc/live/. Please use a Firefox or Chrome browser to view the website.

1. Live View Screen (Please note that an IP address may need to be provided to MnDOT to enable viewing of the interface). To enable a “Full Screen” view of the Live Video, right-click on the Live Video part of the screen. Select “Show Controls” to enable the bar to display near the bottom of the screen. Click on the full screen to then enable the full screen view. To leave the view, simply press the Esc button on your keyboard to go back to the screen shown below. Please also refresh the browser by hitting the F5 key after a few signal cycles have been completed. This will help to reduce the latency of viewing vehicles in near real-time in the Live View.

For a “Full Screen” view: 1.Right click in the Live Video

and select “Show controls” to enable bar on screen.

2.Then click the full screen icon.

Full screen view icon

Figure 1: Live View Screen when open the URL.

2. Violation History Review Screen View the Review Screen by clicking the “Violation History” button (Figure 1) and selecting a date such as “2017-05-10” (Figure 2) and then a specific violation event such as “13-48-05-60-01” (Figure 3). Note that these five digits represent the following data related to that violation: hour-minute-second-millisecond-lane of violation. If the last digit is 01, the violation was in the right lane of traffic (with 02 for the left lane).

DO NOT DELETE MOST

RECENT VIOLATION

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http://rlc1.ironmountainsystems.com/rlc/live


Figure 2: Screen for Selecting a Day Figure 3: Screen for Selecting a Violation

Figure 4: Review Screen for a Recorded Violation

Under the Review Screen (Figure 4):

- Top Left: a 5-second video clip (It may take 10-15 second to download the video depending on the communication bandwidth). o The video can be reviewed by clicking the play button and then move the bar. o The video can be displayed in a full screen by clicking the full screen button. o The video can be downloaded and saved to file by clicking the download button. If using a

Firefox browser, video can be saved by right-clicking in the video screen and then clicking on “Save Video As…”.

o Move the cursor to the video and Right click the mouse to saver the video clip to a local drive of a computer.

- On the Bottom: A total of 80 snapshots of a violator. o Move the bar (left or right) to view all frames. o Click a specific frame to enlarge this frame and print it if needed.

3. Violation Alerts under Live View Screen

The Live View Screen (Figure 1) will automatically switch to the Review Screen (Figure 4) with a Beep Sound when a violation is detected under a real time manner. The depth of red in seconds displayed in video and snapshots (RED 1 SEC) will allow enforcement staff to determine whether a ticket should be issued.

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Guidance on ERLE System Usage and Operation

The ERLE system allows for officers to perform enhanced red light enforcement by providing an audible tone through the web-based interface whenever a red light violation is detected. It is critical to for the officer to confirm that the volume on the computer that is being used is not muted or at a very low volume where the tone may not be heard.

Below is a series of steps that are envisioned to occur when a red light violation occurs and an officer performs enforcement.

1. While parked near the intersection, an officer can visually observe the Live View (Figure 1) of the interface during the green phase for southbound traffic.

2. As the signal changes from green to yellow, the officer can turn their attention to the intersection, so that they can view vehicles approaching the intersection while the light then changes from yellow to red.

3. If the officer hears an audible tone through the computer, that is an indication that a vehicle has crossed over the stop bar while the light was red. The web-based interface will then instantly change from the Live View screen to the Violation Review screen (Figure 4) to load a five second recording of the violation along with still images.

4. The officer can visually confirm that the vehicle triggering an audible tone has passed all the way through the intersection, and then prepare to perform red light enforcement from their parked location beyond the traffic signal as the vehicle passes their parked location.

5. Upon pulling the vehicle over, the officer can then view the Violation Review screen (Figure 4) on the web-based interface to review the violation prior to issuing a citation to the driver of the vehicle.

6. After a citation has been issued, the officer can choose to download the five-second recording of the violation to their computer for future reference in the event that the citation is challenged by the motorist. Instructions on how to download the video are presented under Figure 4 above.

7. The officer can then return to their location near the intersection and switch from the Violation Review screen to the Live View (Figure 1) of the web-based interface, and begin the process again from Step 1.

Note that some instances may occur where a vehicle crosses the stop bar on the red light as described in Step 3 above, but is able to stop before crossing through the intersection. This may trigger a tone and violation recording, and perhaps a second recording as the vehicle backs up over the stop bar to allow for east-west traffic to pass through safely. In other cases, a vehicle may make a right hand turn on the red light, which will also trigger an audible tone and violation recording. However, these instances are relatively infrequent compared to the amount of red light violations that can be enforced at this intersection.

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Appendix C State Patrol Comment Form Law Enforcement Observation Worksheet for

Enhanced Red Light Enforcement (ERLE) System

Officer Name:

Date of Enforcement / /2017

Time Period of Enforcement: A.M/P.M To A.M/P.M

Was Inclement Weather Present? None Rain Sleet Snow Hail Fog Circle all that apply

Please indicate how well the ERLE system worked for you Extremely Well Well Not Well

I Could Not Use the ERLE

We want to make sure the ERLE system helps support you and

your work.

Please describe any challenges you had using the ERLE system.

Please note any additional comments / observations on the

ERLE System here. --->

How many red light citations did you issue using the ERLE today?

__________________________

Thank you for your service and your time to complete this form.

Questions?

Please Contact: Katie Fleming MnDOT Project Manager 651-234-7013 [email protected]

or Dan Nelson AECOM Project Consultant 612-376-2061 [email protected]

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Enhanced Red Light Enforcement (ERLE) SystemProject Evaluation (2019) DRAFT

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Structure BookmarksTable of Contents SB Through Lanes Figure Figure 10 - Observed Red Light Violations Across All Periods by Time of Day Figure 11 - Observed Red Light Violations Across All Periods by Day of Week Figure 12 - Observed Red Light Violations by Vehicle Type Across All Periods Figure 13 - Observed Red Light Violations and Other System Violations Across All Periods Figure 14 – Frequency of Multiple Event Recordings for Commercial VehiclesAcross Periods of Time Figure 15 – Types and Frequency of Other System-Recorded Violations

Documents

Enhanced Red LIght Enforcement System Project Evaluation...Enhanced Red Light Enforcement (ERLE) System DRAFT Project Evaluation (2019) Prepared for: Minnesota Department of Transportation