REAL-TIME COORDINATED-ACTUATED TRAFFIC CONTROL DURING CONGESTED CONDITIONS

This research report summarizes findings from a research project that deals with real-time coordinated-actuated control during oversaturated traffic conditions on signalized arterials. It is organized into four chapters. Chapter 1 identifies operational problems associated with congestion and provides a summary of existing technology. Chapter 2 summarizes the results of field studies that measure headways during oversaturated traffic conditions. These field studies were conducted in Houston and Austin, Texas. The purpose of these studies was to investigate whether headways increased, decreased, or remained constant on approaches with long queue lengths and long green times. These studies show that driver expectancy plays an important role in determining headways. These studies also show that average headway is independent of a vehicle's position in queue; however, variations in headways increase for vehicles further back in the queue. Chapter 3 summarizes findings from simulation studies conducted to compare five coordination strategies for a five-intersection arterial with one oversaturated direction. The results of this study show that coordination of actuated signals for progressing traffic flow in the congested direction produces lower delays, fewer stops, and shorter queues. Chapter 4 presents the architecture of a real-time traffic control system for coordinated-actuated control, and discusses various issues related to demand estimation. This chapter also describes how these ideas are being implemented in Richardson, Texas, and concludes with the description of a prototype real-time graphical interface for use by operators.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Research study title: Third-Generation, Real-Time Traffic-Responsive Control Strategies for Coordinated-Actuated Control during Oversaturation.
• Corporate Authors:

  Texas Transportation Institute

  Texas A&M University System, 1600 E Lamar Boulevard
  Arlington, TX  United States  76011

  Texas Department of Transportation

  Research and Technology Transfer Office, P.O. Box 5051
  Austin, TX  United States  78763-5051

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Chaudhary, N A
  • Balke, K N
• Publication Date: 1997-12

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 64 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Actuated traffic signal controllers; Field studies; Green interval (Traffic signal cycle); Headways; Prototypes; Real time control; Traffic congestion; Traffic control; Traffic flow; Traffic queuing; Traffic signal control systems; Traffic simulation
• Uncontrolled Terms: Driver expectancy; Interactive graphics
• Geographic Terms: Austin (Texas); Houston (Texas); Richardson (Texas)
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00762965
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA/TX-99/1288-S,, Proj Summary Rept 1288-S,, TTI: 0-1288
• Contract Numbers: Study No. 0-1288
• Files: TRIS, ATRI, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Apr 5 1999 12:00AM