SIMULATION OF THE EFFECT OF PEDESTRIANS ON VEHICLE DELAY AT SIGNALIZED INTERSECTIONS (ABRIDGMENT)

The purpose of this study is to determine, through simulation, the effects of pedestrian movement on the flow of vehicles at signalized at-grade intersections. A computer simulation model was developed and validated to quantify the effects of pedestrian movements on vehicle delay, and to suggest possible criteria for the inclusion of a separate pedestrian phase in signal cycles as a method of reducing the delay to vehicles caused by pedestrians. Three measures of vehicle delay at intersections were computed by the model: the average length of the vehicle queue, the average time spent in the queue, and the number of vehicles passing through the intersections. These delay measures were considered functionally related to volumes of pedestrian traffic, pedestrian crossing behavior, volume of traffic, length of signal cycles, and percentage of turning vehicles. Results of the study indicated that: pedestrian-caused vehicle delays increased with an increase in the volumes of pedestrian or vehicle traffic. In every case in which volumes of pedestrian and vehicle traffic were held constant, the undesirable intersection operations showed greater vehicle delay than the ideal intersection operations. And, intersection operations experiencing delays could benefit from the inclusion of a pedestrian phase in the signal cycle by reducing delay to vehicles and promoting safe pedestrian movement.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1976/605/605-010.pdf
• Summary URL:
  http://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=SIMULATION+OF+THE+EFFECT+OF+PEDESTRIANS+ON+VEHICLE+DELAY+AT+SIGNALIZED+INTERSECTIONS+(ABRIDGMENT)&author=T.+Harpst&author=R.+Popper&author=J.+Yu&publication_year=1976
• Availability:
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• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Pedestrians. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Harpst, Timothy P
  • Popper, Robert J
  • Yu, Jason C
• Publication Date: 1976

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: References;
• Pagination: pp 42-43
• Monograph Title: Vehicle operators and pedestrians
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 605
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Pedestrians; Queuing; Signalized intersections; Simulation; Traffic delays; Traffic safety; Traffic volume; Vehicles
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00156056
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309025788
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Oct 13 1977 12:00AM