Modeling the Impact of Side-Street Traffic Volume on Major-Street Green Time at Isolated Semi-Actuated Intersections for Signal Coordination Decisions

Signal coordination is generally recognized by traffic engineers as a beneficial strategy for improving arterial traffic progression and safety. Previous research on the criteria for establishing signal coordination plans has been focused on more objective factors such as intersection distance, arterial traffic volume, travel time, platoon dispersion and combinations of these factors. They provided useful guidance for signal coordination decisions, especially during peak hours. However, as traffic is usually less heavy during off-peak hours, the number of stops would have more influence on driver perception of traffic efficiency. This paper developed a mathematical relationship between arterial green time ratio and side-street traffic volume, which can serve as the theoretical foundation for determining signal coordination based on number of stops. The paper investigated how side-street traffic volume would affect major-street green time ratio when an isolated intersection is running semi-actuated signal operation. A probabilistic model was proposed to address this issue. The model was validated against simulation results and the upper limit of side-street traffic volume was defined for the model application. Following the proposed model, the paper briefly introduced how a traffic engineer can use the model results to make signal coordination decision based on the expected number of stops. A real case study was conducted. It was found that the model can successfully analyze the impact of side-street traffic volume on major-street green time at isolated intersections where left turns are permitted. The method for signal coordination decision can be adopted to determine the time periods of running signal coordination plans. The method and the results may be useful to traffic engineers for the effective management of traffic signal networks.

• 
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AHB25 Standing Committee on Traffic Signal Systems. Alternate title: Modeling the Impact of Side-Street Traffic Volume on Major-Street Green Time at Isolated Semiactuated Intersections for Signal Coordination Decisions
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Lin, Dongmei
  • Wu, Ning
  • Zong, Tian
  • Mao, Dian
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 95th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2016-1-10 to 2016-1-14
• Date: 2016

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 14p
• Monograph Title: TRB 95th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Case studies; Green interval (Traffic signal cycle); Isolated intersections; Mathematical models; Ratios; Semi traffic actuated controllers; Signalized intersections; Streets; Traffic signal control systems; Traffic volume
• Uncontrolled Terms: Side streets
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01590568
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 16-1308
• Files: PRP, TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Feb 18 2016 4:57PM