Network-Wide Optimization of Transit Signal Priority

Transit signal priority (TSP) is widely accepted as a viable solution to reduce the delay of transit services at intersections. TSP changes signal timing settings in favour of buses, with possible marginal negative impacts on the traffic stream in the non-prioritized approach. Travel time value and variability of both private cars and transit services are affected through TSP implementation. Despite significant past research related to TSP deployment and operation, less attention has been given to the planning phase of this strategy. Specifically, there is a need to shift from the local or corridor level studies to a network level analysis. In addition, there is no mathematical formulation that considers the impact of TSP deployment as a generalized cost function. In this paper, a framework to find optimum settings and location of TSP treatments is presented. This framework comprises three modules. Firstly, a generalized cost function is proposed which considers the impacts of TSP deployment on delay and reliability of private vehicles and transit services. Secondly, a simulation-based model (a package which employs VISSIM and SIDRA Intersection software) is developed to evaluate each scenario using the data for individual buses and cars. This model can be utilized for a variety of TSP logic. A heuristic algorithm was then linked to the simulation-based model to find the optimum solution throughout all possible combinations. The outputs of the proposed framework are an optimum set of intersections to install TSP as well as TSP eligible bus lines at each intersection. The method was applied to an example network and the results confirmed the potential of this framework to find optimum TSP locations at the network level.

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• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AP050 Bus Transit Systems. Alternate title: Networkwide Optimization of Transit Signal Priority.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Bagherian, Mehdi
  • Mesbah, Mahmoud
  • Ferreira, Luis
  • Charles, Philip
  • Khalilikhah, Majid
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 94th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2015-1-11 to 2015-1-15
• Date: 2015

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 13p
• Monograph Title: TRB 94th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bus priority; Microsimulation; Network analysis (Planning); Optimization; Traffic flow; Traffic signal priority; Traffic signal timing
• Subject Areas: Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01551200
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 15-1146
• Files: PRP, TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Jan 27 2015 11:21AM