CIVE461A: Transportation

Engineering and Lab

Unit E: Traffic Analysis at Signalized

Intersections
Signal Coordination

Required Reading: MWK 7.7, 7.8

 Outline
• Signal coordination
– Fundamental relationships and time-space
diagram
– Platoon dispersion
– Progression adjustment factor

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Signal Coordination
• Fundamental Relationships
and Time-Space Diagram
• Platoon Dispersion
• Progression Adjustment Factor

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 Definition and Objective
• Signal coordination is the level of timing
coordination/synchronization between adjacent
traffic signals
• A main objective of coordination is to reduce signal
delay
• Good signal coordination implies that as many
vehicles as possible arrive at a traffic light when its
indication is green
• Define: PVG = percentage of vehicles arriving on
green; is a measure of progression quality
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 Fundamental Relationships
• Three most important factors affecting progression
quality are:
– Signal spacing
– Vehicle speed
– Cycle length

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 Fundamental Relationships
Offset
• Example: consider two intersections running east-west on a
one-way street
• Time at which second signal turns green after the start of
green of the first signal should be equal to the travel time
between the two intersections
𝑑𝑜
𝑜𝑓𝑓𝑠𝑒𝑡 =
𝑉

– 𝑜𝑓𝑓𝑠𝑒𝑡 = start of green phase for downstream intersection relative to

upstream intersection, for the same traffic movement, in seconds
– 𝑑𝑜 = distance between upstream and downstream intersections for
offset calculation in feet (or meters)
– 𝑉 = travel speed between upstream and downstream intersections, in
ft/s (or m/s) 6
 Example
Offset
• Intersections on a one-way street separated by 800m
• Average running speed of vehicles = 64 km/h
• Calculate offset necessary for ideal progression
800
𝑜𝑓𝑓𝑠𝑒𝑡 = 1000 𝑚/𝑘𝑚 = 45 s
64 𝑘𝑚/ℎ× 3600 𝑠𝑒𝑐/ℎ

• Note: setting of offset for ideal progression in one

direction may lead to poor progression in the other
direction.

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Example
Time-Space
Diagram

C = 60 sec

g/C = 0.5

for both
intersections

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Time-space diagram illustrating good coordination for only one direction
 Two-Way Progression
• To obtain good progression for both directions, the
cycle length must be considered.
• In previous example, cycle length needs to be twice
the travel time from Intersection 1 to Intersection 2.
𝑑𝑜
𝐶𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑔 = ×2
𝑉

– 𝐶𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑔 = cycle length necessary for ideal two-way

progression, in seconds.

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 Two-Way Progression (cont.)
• To determine cycle length for previous example:
800 𝑚
𝐶𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑔 = 1000 𝑚/𝑘𝑚𝑖 × 2= 90 s
64 𝑘𝑚/ℎ× 3600 𝑠𝑒𝑐/ℎ
𝑔
= 0.5 ⟹ 𝑔 = 45 𝑠, 𝑟 = 45 𝑠
𝐶
𝑜𝑓𝑓𝑠𝑒𝑡 = 45 𝑠

• Basic requirement that all signals within a

coordinated system run on a common cycle length

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Example
Time-Space
Diagram

C = 90 sec

g/C = 0.5

for both
intersections

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Time-space diagram illustrating good coordination for both directions
Signal Coordination
• Fundamental Relationships and
Time-Space Diagram
• Platoon Dispersion
• Progression Adjustment Factor

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 Platoon Dispersion
• When queued vehicles depart at start of green
phase, they are closely spaced, forming a platoon.
• Signal coordination aims to maintain these platoons
in such a way that they arrive at successive
intersections on green.
• Platoon dispersion occurs due to:
– Greater distance between signals (whereby traffic along
arterial would become more random)
– Character of land use surrounding roadway (e.g.
intersecting driveways, curbside activities such as parking,
bus stops, etc.)
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Signal Coordination
• Fundamental Relationships and
Time-Space Diagram
• Platoon Dispersion
• Progression Adjustment Factor

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 Control Delay Determination

d  d1  PF  d 2  d3

d = average signal (control) delay per vehicle in

seconds
PF = progression adjustment factor
d1, d2, d3 = as defined on previous slide (sec/veh)

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 Uniform Delay (d1)
Adjust for Progression (PF)
• PF accounts for effect of signal progression quality on delay.

• Function of level of coordination between 2 signals,

influenced by many factors: cycle length, vehicle travel
speeds, distance between intersections

• Good signal coordination leads to high % of vehicles arriving

during the green portion of the phase for an approach, thus
reducing delays

• Poor signal coordination leads to high % arriving during red,

thus increasing delays
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Progression Adjustment Factor
(𝑃𝐹)
1 − 𝑃𝑉𝐺 𝑓𝑝
𝑃𝐹 =
1− 𝑔 𝐶

– 𝑃𝑉𝐺 = percentage of vehicles arriving on green, expressed

as a proportion
– 𝑔 𝐶 = proportion of green time available
– 𝑓𝑝 = supplemental adjustment factor for when the platoon
arrives during the green (based on arrival type AT)

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Arrival Type (AT)

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 Determination of 𝑓𝑝
1 − 𝑃𝑉𝐺 𝑓𝑝
𝑃𝐹 =
1− 𝑔 𝐶
• Based on arrival type
AT-1 AT-2 AT-3 AT-4 AT-5 AT-6
Default 1.00 0.93 1.00 1.15 1.00 1.00
𝑓𝑝
Source: Table 7.6 MWK

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 Determination of 𝑃𝑉𝐺
1 − 𝑃𝑉𝐺 𝑓𝑝
𝑃𝐹 =
1− 𝑔 𝐶
• 𝑃𝑉𝐺 is either measured in the field or
estimated from the arrival type (AT)

𝑃𝑉𝐺 = 𝑅𝑝 𝑔𝑖 𝐶
– 𝑅𝑝 = platoon ratio (based on arrival type)
– 𝑔𝑖 = effective green time for lane group 𝑖 in
seconds
– 𝐶 = cycle length in seconds
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 Determination of 𝑃𝑉𝐺 (cont.)
1 − 𝑃𝑉𝐺 𝑓𝑝
𝑃𝐹 =
1− 𝑔 𝐶

𝑃𝑉𝐺 = 𝑅𝑝 𝑔𝑖 𝐶
Arrival Type Range of platoon ratio Default value (𝑹𝒑 )
(𝑹𝒑 )

Source: Table 7.7

MWK AT-1 ≤ 0.50 0.333
AT-2 > 0.50 and ≤ 0.85 0667
AT-3 > 0.85 and ≤ 1.15 1.000
AT-4 > 1.15 and ≤ 1.50 1.333
AT-5 > 1.50 and ≤ 2.00 1.667
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AT-6 > 2.00 2.000
 Example 1
• 𝑔 𝐶 = 0.4
• Favorable progression (AT-4)
• Determine PF

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 Example 1 (cont.)
Solution
• AT-4  𝑓𝑝 = 1.15 and 𝑅𝑝 = 1.333
• 𝑃𝑉𝐺 = 𝑅𝑝 𝑔𝑖 𝐶 = 1.333 0.4 = 0.533
1−𝑃𝑉𝐺 𝑓𝑝 1−0.533 1.15
• 𝑃𝐹 = = = 0.895
1− 𝑔 𝐶 1−0.4
– Reasonable because favorable progression will
result in PF<1, which when multiplied by d1 will
reduce overall signal delay

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 AT-1 AT-2 AT-3 AT-4 AT-5 AT-6
Default 1.00 0.93 1.00 1.15 1.00 1.00
𝑓𝑝

Arrival Type Range of platoon ratio Default value (𝑹𝒑 )

(𝑹𝒑 )

AT-1 ≤ 0.50 0.333

AT-2 > 0.50 and ≤ 0.85 0667
AT-3 > 0.85 and ≤ 1.15 1.000
AT-4 > 1.15 and ≤ 1.50 1.333
AT-5 > 1.50 and ≤ 2.00 1.667
AT-6 > 2.00 2.000

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 Example 2
• 𝑔 = 40 s; 𝐶 = 120 s
• 85 vehicles arrive during effective green and
total of 200 vehicles arrive during the entire
cycle.
• What is the estimated arrival type of this
situation?

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 Example 2 (cont.)
Solution
• 𝑔 𝐶 = 40 120 = 0.333
• 𝑃𝑉𝐺 = 85 200 = 0.425
• 𝑃𝑉𝐺 = 𝑅𝑝 𝑔𝑖 𝐶
𝑃𝑉𝐺 0.425
⟹ 𝑅𝑝 = = = 1.275
𝑔𝑖 𝐶 0.333
Therefore, arrival type 4 based on MWK Table
7.7.

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Source: Table 7.7
MWK

Arrival Type Range of platoon ratio Default value (𝑹𝒑 )

(𝑹𝒑 )

AT-1 ≤ 0.50 0.333

AT-2 > 0.50 and ≤ 0.85 0667
AT-3 > 0.85 and ≤ 1.15 1.000
AT-4 > 1.15 and ≤ 1.50 1.333
AT-5 > 1.50 and ≤ 2.00 1.667
AT-6 > 2.00 2.000

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