Abstract Manager

The City of Winnipeg has a small-scale Emergency Vehicle Pre-Emption (EVP) system integrated with traffic signals nearby Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) stations. The system includes 24 of the City’s nearly 700 signalized intersections.

A wider application of EVP could improve emergency response times, but it could also negatively impact general traffic, particular on corridors seeing operations benefits made possible by the recently completed Traffic Management Centre.

The City of Winnipeg commissioned a feasibility study for wider application of EVP. The study included a review of existing emergency response performance in Winnipeg, interviews with EVP system vendors and jurisdictions with well-developed EVP systems, and detailed modelling to estimate the potential emergency response time savings from EVP, as well as the impacts to general traffic from disrupted traffic signal coordination.

Emergency response time savings estimates were based on observed emergency response approaches to signalized intersections under the existing condition largely without EVP. Impacts to general traffic were estimated using a custom microsimulation model that simulated disrupted traffic signal cycles due to EVP, as well as the post-actuation transition period. Emergency response time savings and general traffic impacts were assigned to each signalized intersection in Winnipeg based on the intersection characteristics and estimated annual call volumes. Response time improvements and general traffic delays were then converted to financial terms using available data.

Benefit-cost analyses were performed for a City-wide application of EVP, as well as a pilot implementation including 11 intersections. Both analyses showed favorable benefit-cost ratios.