TRAFFIC OPERATIONS LABORATORY (TOL)

Equipment to evaluate traffic signal components and fiber optic communications is housed in a 7,400-square-foot building. An extensive collection of traffic signal control hardware, including controllers, detector units, and conflict monitors, provides a valuable resource for hands-on instruction and research. The laboratory was established in 1998 to train Illinois Department of Transportation personnel and contractors in the integration and working relationship of the railroad and highway signal systems and has been continually updated since then.

The TOL has about 7,400 sq. ft. of available building space nearly half of which is comprised of offices, classrooms, and testing areas, and the rest is a 17-foot high bay area. The lab has a variety of testing equipment suited for the evaluation of traffic signal components and fiber optic communications. An extensive collection of traffic signal control hardware, including controllers, detector units, and conflict monitors, provide a valuable resource for hands-on instruction and research.