DEVELOPMENT OF DELAY MODELS FOR STOP-CONTROLLED INTERSECTIONS USING QUEUING THEORY

A new methodology is developed to estimate delay at uncongested stop-controlled intersections. It is based on dividing total delay into two distinct components - service delay and queue delay - and developing separate models for each component. Empirical models are developed to estimate the average service time and the variance of the service time as a function of the traffic volumes. Then, the estimated values are used as inputs to the theoretical queueing equations for average wait time to estimate the average queue delays. This idea is the key connection between the empirically estimated service time as well as the variance of service time with the theoretically estimated queue time. The M/G/1 and M/M/1 models are used to represent the queue delay at two-way and all-way stop-controlled intersections, respectively. The service delay models and the queue delay models are combined to get the total delay models. The proposed models are built based on 46 hours of field data. The models are validated using independent field data, and are compared to the HCM. The proposed models are very practical because they use only two input variables: the subject approach arrival rate and conflicting traffic volumes.

• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  National Institute for Advanced Transportation Technology

  University of Idaho, Moscow
  115 Engineering Physics Building
  Moscow, ID  United States  83844-0901

  TransNow, Transportation Northwest

  University of Washington, Department of Civil Engineering
  129 More Hall, Box 352700
  Seattle, WA  United States  98195-2700
• Authors:
  • Benekohal, R
  • Al-Omari, B
• Conference:
  • Third International Symposium on Intersections Without Traffic Signals
  • Location: Portland, Oregon
  • Date: 1997-7-21 to 1997-7-23
• Publication Date: 1997-7

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: p. 26-35

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Intersections; Queuing theory; Service time; Stop signs; Traffic delays; Traffic volume; Unsignalized intersections
• Uncontrolled Terms: Stop-controlled intersections
• Old TRIS Terms: Queueing theory
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00741176
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB, USDOT
• Created Date: Oct 28 1997 12:00AM