Category: Professional
Professional writing by Caspian Ale on traffic engineering, transportation, data, technology, public-sector decision-making, and practical tools.
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History of Roundabouts, Part 3: From the Lab to the Street
Britain’s modern roundabout principles moved from controlled experiments to public roads through the development of mini-roundabouts. This part examines the early trials in Peterborough, Cardiff, and Hillingdon, including what they demonstrated about capacity, delay, pedestrians, and safety. Read more →
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History of Roundabouts, Part 2: The Modern Roundabout Is Born
The modern roundabout emerged in Britain through more than a change in priority. This part examines Frank Blackmore’s research, the 1966 give-way rule, and the geometric changes that began controlling entry speed and vehicle paths. Read more →
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History of Roundabouts, Part 1: Before the Modern Roundabout
Roundabouts did not begin as the compact, yield-controlled intersections used today. Part 1 traces monumental circles, Columbus Circle, early one-way gyratory systems, and the large, high-speed rotaries that shaped public perceptions before the modern roundabout emerged. Read more →
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History of Traffic Signals, Part 5: The Modern Signal and Its Future
Modern traffic signals operate within increasingly data-driven and connected systems. Part 5 explores adaptive control, performance measurement, signal warrants, Safe System principles, V2X, artificial intelligence, and the continuing responsibility of public agencies to manage these technologies effectively. Read more →
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History of Traffic Signals, Part 4: Expanding Whom and What the Signal Serves
Traffic signals gradually expanded beyond serving general motor-vehicle traffic. Part 4 examines pedestrian and bicycle accommodations, turn arrows, LED displays, transit priority, and emergency-vehicle preemption, along with the operational and safety considerations these capabilities introduced. Read more →
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History of Traffic Signals, Part 3: The Signal Becomes Responsive and Networked
Traffic signals eventually moved beyond predetermined timing. Part 3 examines how vehicle detection, electronic controllers, open architectures, central computers, and communications made signals more responsive to changing traffic conditions and connected them as parts of larger transportation networks. Read more →
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History of Traffic Signals, Part 2: From Isolated Signals to a National System
As traffic signals spread, engineers needed to coordinate them and establish consistent practices across jurisdictions. Part 2 follows the development of coordinated signal systems and the MUTCD, which helped transform isolated traffic-control devices into a standardized national system. Read more →
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History of Traffic Signals, Part 1: Before the Modern Traffic Signal
Traffic control began with officers, gestures, whistles, and mechanical devices. Part 1 traces the development of early electric and three-color signals, examines the contributions of several important inventors, and explains why no single person invented the modern traffic signal. Read more →
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Signal Warrants App: From Frustration to a Free Engineering Tool
I built a free Signal Warrants app after getting frustrated with paid software limitations, especially around rolling hours, usability, and transparency. This is the story of turning that frustration into a practical engineering tool, one small step at a time. Read more →
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Photo Mapper
PhotoMapper is a browser-based tool that reads GPS metadata from geotagged photos and places each image on a map. It helps engineers and other field professionals organize photos by location without uploading them to a server. Read more →
