THE USE OF EMPIRICAL PLATOON PROFILES TO MINIMISE SIGNAL NETWORK DELAY

The paper describes a technique for collecting vehicle arrival profiles in the field and using these profiles to develop accurate delay vs offset curves for all links in a traffic signal network. The total network delay can then be minimized with respect to offset using the optimization section of the sigop program. The directness of the method would seem to provide the potential for producing better results than analytical or simulation techniques while minimizing the requirement for professional staff time. The delay vs offset curves are shown to be quite stable from day to day if collected at the same time and to vary during the day as a function of traffic conditions. A beginning is made at defining the effects on a particular delay-offset curve caused by changes in downstream split, changes in upstream split and changes in cycle length. The family of delay curves y = (axx + bx + C) produced by the analysis are described to sigop in terms of a series of optimum offsets set equal to -b/2a and link importance factors set equal to a/v, where V is the link volume. The importance factor so measured and developed is an accurate indicator of platoon coherence on a link and can be useful in many traffic engineering studies.(a) /TRRL/

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00410683
• Corporate Authors:

  Printerhall Limited

  29 Newmart Street
  London W1P 3PE,   England 
• Authors:
  • Whitehead, D W
  • ROSE, K
  • Millar, B D
• Publication Date: 1976-1

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 10-13
• Serial:
  • Traffic Engineering & Control
  • Volume: 17
  • Issue Number: 1
  • Publisher: Hemming Group, Limited
  • ISSN: 0041-0683
  • Serial URL: http://www.tecmagazine.com/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Analysis; Bunching; Computer programs; Empirical methods; Mathematical analysis; Offset intersections; Optimization; Simulation; Traffic delays; Traffic platooning; Traffic signal control systems; Traffic signal timing; Traffic signals
• Uncontrolled Terms: Optimum
• Geographic Terms: Canada
• Old TRIS Terms: Analytical method; Sigop
• ITRD Terms: 6471: Analysis (math); 652: Bunching; 8018: Canada; 9010: Delay; 597: Linked signals; 8645: Software; 565: Traffic signal
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00138856
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 26 1976 12:00AM