Pedestrian delay estimation at signalized intersections in developing cities

This paper proposes a pedestrian delay model suitable for signalized intersections in developing cities, on the basis of a field study conducted in Xi’an, China. The field study consisted of two parts: Part I involved only one crosswalk, and the signal cycle was divided into 13 subphases; Part II involved 13 crosswalks, but the signal cycles were only divided into green phases and non-green phases. It was found that pedestrian arrival rates were not uniform throughout cycles; pedestrians arriving during green phases might also receive delays; pedestrian signal non-compliance was so severe that delays were greatly reduced, but non-complying pedestrians might still receive delays; and for pedestrians walking different directions, though the relationships between average delay and arrival subphase were different, the overall average delays were almost the same. On the basis of the field study results, some assumptions are made about the relationship between average pedestrian delay and arrival subphase, and a new model is developed to estimate pedestrian delays at signalized intersections. The model is validated using the field data, and the validation results indicate that in Xi’an the new model provides much more accurate estimation than the existing models.     

Modeling delay at signalized intersections with channelized right‐turn lanes considering the impact of blockage

This paper presents a probabilistic delay model for signalized intersections with right‐turn channelization lanes considering the possibility of blockage. Right‐turn channelization is used to improve the capacity and to reduce delay at busy intersections with a lot of right‐turns. However, under heavy traffic conditions the through vehicles will likely block the channelization entrance that accrues delay to right‐turn vehicles. If the right‐turn channelization gets blocked frequently, its advantage in reducing the intersection delay is neglected and as a result the channelization lane becomes inefficient and redundant. The Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) neglects the blockage effect, which may be a reason for low efficiency during peak hours. More importantly, using HCM or other standard traffic control methods without considering the blockage effects would lead to underestimation of the delay. To overcome this issue, the authors proposed delay models by taking into account both deterministic and random aspects of vehicles arrival patterns at signalized intersections. The proposed delay model was validated through VISSIM, a microscopic simulation model. The results showed that the proposed model is very precise and accurately estimates the delay. In addition, it was found that the length of short‐lane section and proportion of right‐turn and through traffic significantly influence the approach delay. For operational purposes, the authors provided a step‐by‐step delay calculation process and presented approach delay estimates for different sets of traffic volumes, signal settings, and short‐lane section lengths. The delay estimates would be useful in evaluating adequacy of the current lengths, identifying the options of extending the short‐lane section length, or changing signal timing to reduce the likelihood of blockage. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Multi-regime arrival rate uniform delay models for signalized intersections

This paper presents the development and validation of uniform delay models for coordinated signalized intersections. The Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) identifies one uniform and five non-uniform (platoon) arrival types. Delays for non-uniform arrival cases are computed by applying progression adjustment factors (PFs) to the delay for uniform arrival case. The range of PF is from 0% to 256%. We found that the PF approach produced accurate results for only one-half of cases. This paper presents an Arrival-Based approach that eliminates the needs for applying PF. The AB approach directly considers the effects of quality of progression in formulating delay models. It uses different flow rates for vehicles within and outside platoons. A total of 11 different delay models were derived to cover all arrival cases. Data from three different states were used for validation of AB delay models. The results indicate that AB models provided accurate results for all arrival types. However, HCM uniform delay model was not accurate for Arrival Types 1, 4 and 6. Furthermore, the results of cycle-by-cycle delay analyses showed that the difference between field delays and AB models were not significant, but that was not the case for the HCM model. The AB models can be simplified to yield the HCM uniform delay model, if a single regime arrival rate is assumed. Single regime arrival rate implies that the flow rate for vehicles in platoon is the same as those arriving randomly. For only the uniform arrival case, the AB delay model is identical to the HCM delay model; thus making the HCM uniform delay model a special case of AB models.     

Maneuvers of motorcycles in queues at signalized intersections

The maneuvering models of motorcycles in previous studies often considered motorcycles' traveling in terms of movements in a physical static lane and not in terms of dynamic virtual lane‐based movements. For that reason, these models are not able to imitate motorcyclists' behavior well. This paper proposes a maneuverability model framework for motorcycles in queues at signalized intersections with considering the dynamic motorcycle's lane. The model includes (i) a dynamic motorcycle's lane to identify the current, left, and right lanes of the subject motorcycle, (ii) a threshold distance to determine when a motorcyclist starts to consider maneuvering, (iii) a lane selection model to identify the lane preferred by a motorcyclist, and (iv) a gap acceptance model to describe whether or not the lead and lag gaps are acceptable for maneuvering. The model framework captures the variation across the motorcyclist population and over time observations. The models were applied to Hanoi and Hochiminh city, Vietnam, based on microscopic data collected from video images. All of the parameters were estimated using the maximum likelihood method with the statistical estimation software GAUSS. The results show that 77.88% of the observed maneuvers – either staying in the current lane or turning left or right – could be modeled correctly by the proposed models. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Discharge headway at signalized intersections in Hong Kong

This paper reports the analysis and comparisons of discharge headways at 26 sites in Hong Kong. Previous studies here established good understanding of the average discharge headway under various conditions but very few studies dealt with discharge headway of individual vehicles which is a vital component in the traffic simulation at signalized intersections. This study that looked into the discharge headway of individual vehicles found that the discharge headway at different queue position follows the Type I Extreme Value Distribution. A method of estimating site‐specific parameters for this distribution has also been proposed.     

Delay-based passenger car equivalents for trucks at signalized intersections

This paper presents a new methodology for computing passenger car equivalents at signalized intersections that is based on the delay concept. Unlike the commonly used headway-based methods that consider only the excess headway consumed by trucks, the delay-based approach fully considers the additional delay heavy vehicles cause on traffic stream. Delay-based passenger car equivalents are not constant, but depend on traffic volume, truck type and truck percentage. The field data indicated that the passenger car equivalents increase as the traffic volume and the percentage of heavy vehicles increase. The field data were used to calibrate TRAF-NETSIM simulation model that was used to cover a broad range of traffic conditions. Mathematical models to estimate the equivalencies were developed. The passenger car equivalent for single unit trucks vary from 1.00 to 1.37, and for combination trucks 1.00–2.18 depending on traffic volume and truck percentage. The passenger car equivalents are highly correlated with traffic volume and, to some degree, with percentage of heavy vehicles. Although the PCE of 1.5 recommended in the 1985 HCM seems to be more reasonable than the 2.0 recommended in the 1994 and 1997 HCM, both overestimate the impact of single unit trucks. For combination trucks, the 1997 HCM overestimates the capacity reduction effects of the trucks in most cases.     

An exact modelling of the uniform control traffic delay in undersaturated signalized intersections

The average delay experienced by vehicles at a signalized intersection defines the level of service (LOS) at which the intersection operates. A major challenge in this regard is the ability to accurately estimate all the components underlying the overall control delay, including the uniform, incremental and initial queue delays. This paper tackles this challenging task by proposing a novel exact model of the uniform control delay component with a view to enhancing the accuracy of the existing approximate models, notably, the one reported in the Highway Capacity Manual 2010. Both graphical and analytical proofs are employed to derive exact closed‐form expressions for the uniform control delay at undersaturated signalized intersections. The high degree of accuracy of the proposed models is analysed through extensive simulations to demonstrate their abilities to exactly characterize the performance of real‐life intersections in terms of the resulting vehicle delay. Unlike the existing widely adopted uniform delay models, which tend to overestimate the LOS of real‐life intersections, the delay models introduced in this paper have the merit of exactly capturing such a LOS. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modelling and analysis of traffic queue dynamics at signalized intersections

The dynamics of formation and dissipation of queues at isolated signalized intersections are investigated by analyzing the vehicle conservation equation along the street. Solution of the conservation equation is obtained by the method of characteristics for general initial and boundary conditions, and the effect of the control variables (cycle length, green and red intervals) and system parameters (arrival rates, capacity) on the length of the queue is examined. The theoretical results are obtained by examining the dynamics of the shock waves which are formed because of the intermitted service of traffic by the signal. These results include analytical criteria for the development of saturated or unsaturated situations, analytical expressions for the maximum queue length and limits on the control variables so that the queues remain bounded. The basic findings of this study can be employed for the solution of the traffic signal optimal control problem.     

Signal control optimization for automated vehicles at isolated signalized intersections

Traffic signals at intersections are an integral component of the existing transportation system and can significantly contribute to vehicular delay along urban streets. The current emphasis on the development of automated (i.e., driverless and with the ability to communicate with the infrastructure) vehicles brings at the forefront several questions related to the functionality and optimization of signal control in order to take advantage of automated vehicle capabilities. The objective of this research is to develop a signal control algorithm that allows for vehicle paths and signal control to be jointly optimized based on advanced communication technology between approaching vehicles and signal controller. The algorithm assumes that vehicle trajectories can be fully optimized, i.e., vehicles will follow the optimized paths specified by the signal controller. An optimization algorithm was developed assuming a simple intersection with two single-lane through approaches. A rolling horizon scheme was developed to implement the algorithm and to continually process newly arriving vehicles. The algorithm was coded in MATLAB and results were compared against traditional actuated signal control for a variety of demand scenarios. It was concluded that the proposed signal control optimization algorithm could reduce the ATTD by 16.2–36.9% and increase throughput by 2.7–20.2%, depending on the demand scenario.     

Analysis of yellow-light running at signalized intersections using high-resolution traffic data

Many accidents occurring at signalized intersections are closely related to drivers’ decisions of running through intersections during yellow light, i.e., yellow-light running (YLR). Therefore it is important to understand the relationships between YLR and the factors which contribute to drivers’ decision of YLR. This requires collecting a large amount of YLR cases. However, existing data collection method, which mainly relies on video cameras, has difficulties to collect a large amount of YLR data. In this research, we propose a method to study drivers’ YLR behaviors using high-resolution event-based data from signal control systems. We used 8 months’ high-resolution data collected by two stop-bar detectors at a signalized intersection located in Minnesota and identified over 30,000 YLR cases. To identify the possible reasons for drivers’ decision of YLR, this research further categorized the YLR cases into four types: “in should-go zone”, “in should-stop zone”, “in dilemma zone”, and “in optional zone” according to the driver’s location when signal turns to yellow. Statistical analysis indicates that the mean values of approaching speed and acceleration rate are significantly different for different types of YLR. We also show that there were about 10% of YLR drivers who cannot run through intersection before traffic light turns to red. Furthermore, based on a strong correlation between hourly traffic volume and number of YLR events, this research developed a regression model that can be used to predict the number of YLR events based on hourly flow rate. This research also showed that snowing weather conditions cause more YLR events.     

Exploration of correlation between environmental factors and mobility at signalized intersections

Characterizing the relationship between environmental factors and mobility is critical for developing a sustainable traffic signal control system. In this study, the authors investigate the correlation of the environmental impacts of transport and mobility measurements at signalized intersections. A metamodeling-based method involving experimental design, simulations, and regression analysis was developed. The simulations, involving microscopic traffic modeling and emission estimation with an emerging emission estimator, provide the flexibility of generating cases with various intersection types, vehicle types, and other parameters such as driver behavior, fuel types, and meteorological factors. A multivariate multiple linear regression (MMLR) analysis was applied to determine the relationship between environmental and mobility measurements. Given the limitations of using the built-in emissions modules within current traffic simulation and signal optimization tools, the metamodeling-based approach presented in this paper makes a methodological contribution. The findings of this study set up the base for extensive application of simulation optimization to sustainable traffic operations and management. Moreover, the comparison of outputs from an advanced estimator with those from the current tool recommend improving the emissions module for more accurate analysis (e.g., benefit-cost analysis) in practical signal retiming projects.     

Comparative analysis of the safety effects of electric bikes at signalized intersections

The paper compares the risk-taking behavior of the riders of electric-bikes and bicycles and their effects on safety at signalized intersections. Data were collected at signalized intersections in the city of Kunming in China. Traffic conflicts techniques are used to estimate the safety effects of electric-bikes and bicycles, with the incidents observed divided into sixteen types. About 77.7% of conflicts were caused by the risky behavior of the automobiles drivers that in particular did not yield right-of-way to electric-bikes/bicycles, 13.4% by the risky behavior of e-bikers, and the rest by cyclists. Red-light running was the leading cause for the conflicts in which the electric-bikes were at-fault.     

New approach for developing warrants of protected left-turn phase at signalized intersections

The research embodied in this paper presents a new approach for the development of guidelines for the installation of a protected left-turn phase at signalized intersections when permissive-only left-turn operation is present. This approach is based on maintaining intersection traffic operation at optimum efficiency. Three analyses were presented and discussed and they involved the use of the new approach on some hypothetical basic scenarios at a four-legged intersection with single lane in each approach. The first scenario involved exclusive left-turn lane operation while the other two scenarios involved shared-lane operation. Exhaustive signal optimization analyses were conducted using a signal optimization software package called “Signal Expert”. Regression models were developed from optimization results that allow the analyst to make the decision on protected left-turn phase installation using the basic input data of signal timing design without the need to perform field measurements. The regression results showed that the transition from permissive to protected/permissive left-turn operation, based on system optimization, is mainly a function of traffic conditions and that this transition (interface) is predictable. The results also suggested that these warrants are of reasonable accuracy when compared with those in the current practice.     

Operational analysis of the contraflow left-turn lane design at signalized intersections in China

The primary objective of the study was to evaluate the impacts of an unconventional left-turn treatment called contraflow left-turn lane (CLL) on the operational performance of left-turn movement at signalized intersections. An analytical model was developed for estimating the capacity of left-turn movement at signalized intersections with the CLL design. The capacity model was calibrated and validated using field data collected at six approaches at five signalized intersections in the city of Handan, China. The results of field data analyses showed that the use of CLL design improved the capacity of left-turn movements. However, the capacity gains with the CLL design were quite stochastic considering the randomness in the arrivals of left-turning vehicles. Analytical delay models were proposed for estimating the delay to left-turning vehicles at intersections with the CLL design. A procedure was also proposed for optimizing the location of the upstream median opening and the green interval of the pre-signal. Simulation analyses were conducted to compare the delay experienced by the left-turning and through vehicles at signalized intersections with the conventional left-turn lane, the CLL and another unconventional left-turn treatment entitled “tandem design”. The results showed that both CLL and tandem designs outperformed conventional left-turn lane design; and the CLL design generated less delay to both the left-turning and through vehicles as compared with the tandem design.     

Real-time estimation of turning movement counts at signalized intersections using signal phase information

A variety of sensor technologies, such as loop detectors, traffic cameras, and radar have been developed for real-time traffic monitoring at intersections most of which are limited to providing link traffic information with few being capable of detecting turning movements. Accurate real-time information on turning movement counts at signalized intersections is a critical requirement for applications such as adaptive traffic signal control. Several attempts have been made in the past to develop algorithms for inferring turning movements at intersections from entry and exit counts; however, the estimation quality of these algorithms varies considerably. This paper introduces a method to improve accuracy and robustness of turning movement estimation at signalized intersections. The new algorithm makes use of signal phase status to minimize the underlying estimation ambiguity. A case study was conducted based on turning movement data obtained from a four-leg signalized intersection to evaluate the performance of the proposed method and compare it with two other existing well-known estimation methods. The results show that the algorithm is accurate, robust and fairly straightforward for real world implementation.     

Traffic performance of shared lanes at signalized intersections based on cellular automata modeling

Shared lanes at signalized intersections are designed for use by vehicles of different movement directions. Shared lane usage increases the flexibility of assigning lane grouping to accommodate variable traffic volume by direction. However, a shared lane is not always beneficial as it can at time result in blockage that leads to both capacity and safety constraints. This paper establishes a cellular automata model to simulate traffic movements at signalized intersections with shared lanes. Several simulation experiments are carried out both for a single shared lane and for an approach with a shared lane. Simulation of a single shared lane used by straight‐through and right‐turn (as similar to left‐turn in the USA) vehicles suggests that the largest travel delay occurs when traffic volumes (vehicles/lane) of the two movement streams along the shared lane are at about the same level. For a trial lane‐group with a shared lane, when traffic volumes of the two movement streams are quite different, the shared lane usage is not efficient in terms of reduction in traffic delay. The simulation results are able to produce the threshold traffic volume to arrange a shared lane along an approach. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modeling traffic operation at signalized intersections without explicit left‐turn yielding rules with an enhanced cell transmission model

This paper presents an enhanced cell transmission model (CTM) to capture traffic operation at signalized intersections without explicit permissive left‐turn yielding rules (i.e. aggressive permissive left‐turn maneuvers may not necessarily yield to opposing through traffic), which can be widely observed in many developing countries. Different from previous studies that focus on traffic dynamics on approaching links, this study contributes to modeling traffic operations within the intersection. A novel cell transmission framework with various types of virtual cells is proposed to model the dynamics of traffic movements from approach to exit. The unique phenomenon of competitive occupying of the conflict point between the left turn and opposing through movements is modeled. The cell state indicating its blockage is proposed to capture the dynamic queue formulation and dissipation and to evaluate the operational traffic performance at the intersection. Field validation results show that the proposed model can capture the operation of traffic at signalized intersections without explicit permissive left‐turn yielding rules with significantly higher level of accuracy than traditional traffic flow models. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A study on adjustment factors for U-turns in left-turn lanes at signalized intersections

U-turns are treated as left-turns in the current procedures for estimating saturation flow rates at signalized intersections. While U-turning vehicles are usually mixed with left-turning vehicles in inside or left-turn lanes and conflict with opposing through traffic as left-turning vehicles, the vehicle operating characteristics are different. The objective of this paper is to investigate the effects of U-turns on the traffic flow in left-turn lanes. Field data of 600 headways of left-turning passenger cars and 160 headways of U-turning passenger cars are recorded. The average headways of U-turning passenger cars are found to be significantly larger than those of left-turning passenger cars. The effects of U-turning vehicles depend upon the percent of U-turning vehicles in the left-turn lane, as well as the order of formation in the traffic stream. Adjustment factors for varying percents of U-turning vehicles in left-turn lanes are established.