Optimizing detector placement for isolated intersections based on minimizing average delay and number of stops /
Detector layout has a significant effect on the performance of an intersection. Operational performance of an intersection is often measured with delay. Delays experienced in rural areas are not significant due to low volumes. Areas with high traffic volumes might result in poor operation with the s...
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| Format: | Thesis eBook |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
[Place of publication not identified] :
[publisher not identified] ;
2000.
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Link to OAKTrust copy |
| Summary: | Detector layout has a significant effect on the performance of an intersection. Operational performance of an intersection is often measured with delay. Delays experienced in rural areas are not significant due to low volumes. Areas with high traffic volumes might result in poor operation with the same detector placement as reflected by significant delay. Detector design can also affect traffic safety. The number of stops that a motorist is forced to make can indirectly measure the safety performance of an intersection. As the number of stops increases, the probability of rear-end accidents occurring at an intersection becomes greater. Therefore, the tradeoff relationship between the location of the detectors for reducing delays and the number of stops was examined in this research. The relationship between the placement of detectors, volume levels and headway-timing strategies was also studied. Research was conducted with computer simulation, using both software-only and a hardware-in-the-loop setup created by the Texas Transportation Institute. The majority of the research is based on results from the software-only runs performed with TRAF-NETSIM. The hardware-in-the-loop simulation was used to validate the software-only runs. The results indicated that the cycle length increased as the Carryover and upstream detector setback distance increased. Secondly, the inverse relationship observed between average delay and number of stops was discussed for the tested scenarios. It was determined that speed, headway timing strategy and setback distance had significant impact on the results from the simulations. A discussion of problems encountered with coding specific situations in TRAF-NETSIM is also included. It was recommended that the 85th percentile speed be used to calculate the maximum allowable headway. Many recommendations about future research are included in the thesis. Included is a recommendation to develop a process or algorithm where critical stops could be predicted. Further development and understanding of the inverse relationship between critical stops and average delay could be very helpful to traffic engineers in designing traffic signal systems for arterial networks. |
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| Item Description: | "Major subject: Civil Engineering". Vita. |
| Physical Description: | x, 101 leaves : illustrations ; 28 cm. Also available online. Issued also on microfiche from Lange Micrographics. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (leaf 77). |