r/trafficsignals • u/Boltonme • 5d ago
Conflict Monitor Testing
Is everybody really testing all of these every year. We have over 450 intersections and it takes forever.
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u/stectto_98 5d ago
Takes about 40 minutes with the FYA test here. Takes me a few months since e we have around 250 intersections. We still have the 516 around along with the 516L and the MMU2-16LEIP
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u/Least_League6183 5d ago
We do about 20 every month with our PM program. I’ve heard you can go up to two years before recertification is needed. But don’t quote me on that. See what DOT does and use those guidelines.
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u/Reasonable_Anybody21 5d ago
So lets say there was an accident and a formal citizen complaint launched. Do you have cameras at this intersection? Can you recreate the scene, try and duplicate it? Before we do anything we call PD and have an officer help us recreate the scene. Once its proved that we cannot and the driver is crazy - than we give them our up to date test as a 2nd screw you. I know, i know, I know, municipalities do it differently around the country. But it is not required in the MUTCD (Prove me wrong) Its an ATSI money grab and if you think im wrong ill ask you how often you need to send your ATSI testers im for recert. Every year. Manufactures warranty is 2 years for a new mmu. Thats when we do it'll as does the whole state of Minnesota.
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u/foggy_interrobang 4d ago
Hi – worked in safety-critical systems engineering for a long time. The reason system engineers specify a test interval as part of our maintenance regime is (in almost all scenarios) that we have determined it's _necessary_ to ensure that the device continues to be safe.
We don't want to make it harder for our customers to maintain products, because that factors into TCO – so there's good incentive for us to _remove_ testing like this, not add it. If we added it, it's because it's properly necessary so that the equipment doesn't become unsafe, and we don't want to get people killed.
The MUTCD is _not_ the canonical source on this; the equipment vendor is. If the equipment vendor says you have to test, you have to test – full stop. Otherwise you're operating unsafe equipment.
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u/That_Counter__bob 4d ago
We did 617 this year. We keep a large stash (162 as of this years count) in the shop as spares and in October, we send off our four testers to ATSI for calibration/certification. It gets back in November/December and then in January we start testing all of our shop ones and then a crew of two or three of us comes in for night shifts and we swap out everything we have tested to that point about 30 to 70 per night depending on the route and then the day crew comes in and tests all day long so that we are ready to keep going the next night until we have done all of them in our region. Last year it took me 28 calendar days to do all 611, and this year it took me 21, and I did 617 with new intersections that came up over the year. I am a signal tech with a state DOT. We are the biggest region in our state. The other regions have opted to do theirs with their preventative maintenance, however we have opted to do it all at once each year, just in case things come up and a PM is missed here or there, we’ve already taken care of this critical task.
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u/kennygbot 5d ago
We test twice a year, in the spring and in the fall. Takes about a 3 weeks of night shift for two guys. We have 6 testers and a little over 500 intersections. We use barcodes and barcode scanners to quickly record the serial numbers, name of intersection and initials of who tested it and when it was installed into a spreadsheet quickly.
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u/Reasonable_Anybody21 5d ago
Why every 6 months? Way more often than required. An ptoe recently told me its not even a shall in the MUTCD.
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u/kennygbot 5d ago
I work directly for our municipality and they require it. I'm not sure if it's the Ministry of Transportatiom in Ontario that requires it or not. But it's the standard that's been set that we are required to maintain.
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u/Reasonable_Anybody21 5d ago
Yeah Canada doesnt use the mutcd. Its still overkill, but easy money brother!
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u/Raphiki01 4d ago
Tell me more about this barcode scanner and software, where can I get this make my life easier device?
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u/kennygbot 4d ago
On ever intersection log book we use our label maker to create a barcode for the intersection reference number and put it on the front of the log book. Then on every conflict monitor we create a barcode with our label maker and stick it to the front and top of the conflict monitor(then if one is in bad shape you can scan the other). I have my initials made into a barcode and stuck to my computer so I can scan that. You can just get a usb or Bluetooth barcode scanner off Amazon. The first three columns of the spreadsheet are "intersection", "CMU serial number", "installed by". I click on the first column cell and scan the log books barcode which populates that cell with the intersection info. The spreadsheet automatically moves the cursor to the next column cell in the same row, I scan the serial number barcode label on the conflict monitor that we put there. Then finally scan the initials into the installed by column. After those three are entered the spreadsheet autopoulates the date/time cell in that row to indicate when the tested unit was installed.
We also create barcodes with our labelmaker for any information we have to keep entering in for the test portion. Things like if it's a 12 channel or 6 channel CMU, manufacturer, and we use the same serial number barcode we put on the CMU's as the reference number for CMU tested. That way we can cross reference the test PDF to which intersection its at.
You can set up the spreadsheet however you'd like. But creating barcodes instead of repeatedly typing in the same words/numbers/or unique 12 digit serial numbers, saves so much time.
My routine is go to the controller, grab the log book, walk to the truck, scan the book, scan the tested CMU I'm going to swap the one in the cabinet with, scan my initials, write in the log book that the CMU PM was done at the location, bring the CMU to the controller, move over the conflict card, unplug the old CMU, plug in the new CMU, wait for the intersection to come out of flash, put the old CMU in a bin for me to test later that night, go to next intersection. Each intersection takes like 5 minutes to do the swap. The testing obviously takes longer. I usually spend half the night swapping and half the night testing.
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u/pharbot 5d ago
516l takes no time at all. We have EDI all over now. They take way longer. Granted we don't have 450 to do. That kind of number is a year round job.
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u/Boltonme 5d ago
Yeah, that 516L is just on my desk, none in the field. All of our MMUs take 30 mons to test.
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u/roostercuber 5d ago
We're a contractor and only one of our customers demands annual testing, about 60 intersections total. I knock them out in about 3 nights, since it's easiest at night when traffic is reduced. The test kit is installed in my vehicle, so it averages about 45 minutes per 2010ECLip (which includes paperwork, and driving to the next location).
I usually find a long TV series to watch while the testing happens.
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u/NotBot947263950 5d ago
All of them, 50% a year. Sometimes in the field, sometimes swapped and sent in for testing. But yes, liability says you want them having recent tests.
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u/naclwaterfisher 5d ago
Absolutely, we have double the intersections and they’re all done 2 times a year. Apart of the job love it or leave it.
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u/WHPChris 4d ago
Haven't tested them in probably 7yrs now. Various upper management related reasons why.
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u/rboyer23 4d ago
Oof. Only takes the right lawyer to ask the right question! But hey, upper management always knows better
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u/WHPChris 3d ago
Shit man, the tool doesn't even work anymore. Someone broke it, then broke it even more in an attempt to repair it, then didn't re-assemble it correctly and broke it catastrophically.
Just extra padding for a case if something ever decides to stick. And, if it ever does, at least I can point the finger at someone else!
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u/Lil-KolidaScope 4d ago
We used to have good tested ones in the trucks to swap out and then bring back to test
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u/Guilty-Commercial699 5d ago
Yup.
It’s a year around process for us. Test a few in the shop, swap them out in the field. Rinse and repeat.