Departure headways at signalized intersections: A log-normal distribution model approach

Modeling departure headways at signalized intersections attracts constant research efforts in the last four decades due to its importance. But most previous approaches focus on the mean departure headways only. In this paper, two interesting findings are presented. First, the distributions of the departure headways at each position in a queue are revealed to approximately follow a certain log-normal distribution (except the first one) and the corresponding mean values level out gradually. Second, a car-following model from the driver's perspective is proposed to explain why the departure headways follow such a log-normal distribution. The consistency between the empirical and simulation results indicates that this new car-following model provides an acceptable description of the unseen interactions between the vehicles in a discharging queue. The new model is also useful for simulation based intersection capacity analysis and traffic signal control.

• Record URL:
  • http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6VGJ-4VM7YDN-2/2/06773341c49a2b9918ebe12d71062ab6
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/0968090X
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Abstract reprinted with permission from Elsevier
• Authors:
  • Jin, Xuexiang
  • Zhang, Yi
  • Wang, Fa
  • Li, Li
  • Yao, Danya
  • Su, Yuelong
  • Wei, Zheng
• Publication Date: 2009-6

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 318-327
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies
  • Volume: 17
  • Issue Number: 3
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0968-090X
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/0968090X

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Car following; Empirical methods; Headways; Queuing; Signalized intersections; Traffic simulation
• Uncontrolled Terms: Log-normal distributions
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; I71: Traffic Theory;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01130109
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Jun 17 2009 12:08PM