Modeling Left-Turn Blockage and Capacity at Signalized Intersection with Short Left-Turn Bay

A left-turn bay that does not have a sufficient length would be blocked by the adjacent through traffic. Left-turn vehicles can also spill back to block the through traffic when the left-turn demand is high. These two types of left-turn-related blockages have adverse effects on the operation of a signalized intersection. Left-turn bay blockage by through traffic will reduce the left-turn capacity, and left-turn bay spillback will affect the adjacent through capacity. Both problems are uncharted in the "Highway Capacity Manual" (HCM). This research studies these two blockage scenarios associated with left-turn bays under different left-turn signal operations. The capacity of the left-turn and through movements is modeled as a function of the length of the left-turn bay by using a probabilistic approach, taking into account potential blockage due to a short left-turn bay length. The developed capacity model will be validated on the basis of CORSIM simulations of a real-world signalized intersection. The research is aimed at estimating the left-turn and adjacent through capacity when left-turn bay blockage or spillback occurs, to complement the HCM method and highlighting the effect of the length of the left-turn bay and the left-turn signal strategy.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.3141/2071-09
• Summary URL:
  • http://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=Modeling+Left-Turn+Blockage+and+Capacity+at+Signalized+Intersection+with+Short+Left-Turn+Bay&author=Y.+Zhang&author=J.+Tong&publication_year=2008
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/9780309113465
• Authors:
  • Zhang, Yunlong
  • Tong, Jiaxin
• Publication Date: 2008

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; Photos; References;
• Pagination: pp 71-76
• Monograph Title: Highway Capacity and Quality of Service 2008
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board
  • Issue Number: 2071
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Highway capacity; Highway traffic control; Left turn lanes; Left turn phase; Length; Signalized intersections; Through traffic; Traffic models; Validation
• Identifier Terms: CORSIM (Traffic simulation model); Highway Capacity Manual
• Uncontrolled Terms: Lane blocking; Spillback effects (Traffic)
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01099259
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 9780309113465
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: May 21 2008 7:05AM