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Optimization of urban road traffic in Intelligent Transport Systems

Conference Paper · October 2012

DOI: 10.1109/ICATE.2012.6403458

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 Optimization of urban road traffic in Intelligent
Transport Systems
Elena Alina Stanciu*, Ilona Madalina Moise* and Lacramioara Mihaela Nemtoi*
* University Politehnica ,Bucharest, Roumania,
stanciuelenaalina@yahoo.com, ilonamoise@yahoo.com, lacramioaranemtoi@yahoo.com
Abstract – The urban traffic congestions represent a major
problem in the vast majority of world metropolis and the
Intelligent Transport Systems are created to provide real
time control and route guidance for the traffic participants,
and to optimize the performance of traffic networks. The
updated control and the adaptive control strategies are
more and more frequently used due to their potential to
reduce the delay in the intersections. New opportunities to
control the traffic on street networks have been created due
to the fast evolution of communications and computerized
processing methods in the last decade. The role of urban
traffic optimization is to both increase the efficiency of
transport services and their capacity to respond to user re-
quirements. This category of systems include information
systems that disseminate information concerning the public
transport schedule and the exact time-of-arrival of public
transport assets, prices, routes, automatic trip tax collection
systems, vehicle location systems for fleet management and
safety systems. The paper herein provides an analysis of a
group of intersections, starting from the Vasile Milea Boule-
vard, up to its intersection with the 13 Septembrie Road,
while trying to determine the optimal maximum green time
for each and every intersection, in order to reduce the wait-
ing time at the semaphores, to improve the level of service
and to avoid semaphore waiting queues.
I. INTRODUCTION
The road traffic is defined as the general move-
ment of vehicles and persons, concentrated on terrain sur-
faces specially designed for such purpose, i.e. the roads.
The phenomenon of road traffic or road circulation takes
place on large distances and large territories, as well as in
restrained areas. Following the continuous evolution of
vehicles, the rhythm and the pace of road traffic increased
accordingly. The vehicle pool has reached impressive fig-
ures, both at national and international levels. More than
700 million vehicles are registered worldwide, of all types
and designations, more and more vehicles and road trans-
portation means being produced each year. Such increase
led to the reach of motor saturation limit on many roads,
especially in the economically developed countries.
In our country, due to the fast increase of the motor ve-
hicles number, a development of the road infrastructure,
as well as the upgrade of existing road infrastructure is
certainly needed. Worldwide, the traffic road phenomenon
is more and more difficult to control, coordinate or man-
age. In reality, this stochastic process can be decomposed,
in order to analyze and study it. This decomposition can
be performed based on the main directions on which the
persons and merchandise actually move. The appar-
ently chaotic nature of road traffic is given by the fact that
it is performed by large numbers of moving entities (road
vehicles and pedestrians) which are driven by very diverse
reasons, like scope, destination, distance, urgency, impor-
tance and route.
The objective of urban traffic optimization is to in-
crease the efficiency of transportation services and thus
their capacity to satisfy user requirements. Urban traffic
optimization systems include but are not limited to infor-
mation systems that disseminate public urban transporta-
tion schedules, prices and routes, systems that automati-
cally collect the transportation fees, automatic vehicle
location and vehicle fleet management systems, safety
systems etc.
II. INTELLIGENT TRANSPORT SYSTEMS
The Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) can be de-
fined as an aggregate of advanced systems in the field of
electronics, telecommunications and information technol-
ogies, integrated with the overall objective to increase the
efficiency and the safety of transportation[1]. The basic
ITS technology is oriented on three main directions:
communications, information, integration. Information
acquisition (collection), processing, integration and sort-
ing are the basic activities of ITS. The ITS solutions create
individual travelers, drivers, carriers and authorities that
are all better informed, capable to make “smart” decisions.
The intelligent transport systems and services refer to any
system or service that makes the movement of persons and
goods more efficient and economical. Intelligent Trans-
port Systems include a wide range of new instruments,
designed for the administration of transportation networks
and travel services. The information acquisition,
processing, integration and delivery to the transportation
actors are centric for Intelligent Transport Systems, pro-
viding online real time information concerning the current
traffic conditions of a transportation network, information
that can be exploited for daily planning. The instruments
included in the Intelligent Transport Systems provide for
better informed authorities, transport operators and travel-
ers, increasing their capability to coordinate whatever de-
cisions they make. A new approach concerning the trans-
port problems is needed, in order to achieve a national
transport system that is efficient both from the economical
and environmental protection points of view. Depending
on their development objectives, ITS can be defined and
categorized in several ways, as briefly presented below.
According to ISO, the ITS can be classified on the
functions they fulfil, as follows:
ATMS-Advanced Traffic Management Systems
AVCS-Advanced Vehicle Control Systems
APTS-Advanced Public Transport Systems
CVO-Commercial Vehicle Operation.[1][2]
III. BENEFITS OF THE INTELLIGENT
TRANSPORT SYSTEMS
The main benefits of ITS, grouped with regard to their
impact on transportation are: accidents rate reduction,
decongestion of traffic, environment monitoring and pro-
tection, operational efficiency and productivity increase,
comfort and safety increase[3] [4].
A. Accidents rate reduction
ITS provide for a significant accidents rate re-
duction, and also for a reduction of accidents’ severity and
emergency services intervention time.
The systems that have an impact on accident rate
reductions refer mainly at: automatic traffic control for all
the transportation parties, enforcement of speed restric-
tions and movement authority by video surveillance sys-
tems, speed control to ensure traffic fluency, incidents
detection, incidents early warning and anti-collision sys-
tems, increase of visibility, emergency response time,
weather conditions and micro-climate monitoring[2][5].
B. Decongestion of traffic
Traffic congestion can be reduced through transport
demands administration, transportation network’s effi-
ciency increase, redirection of transportation demands
toward other transportation means that may have spare
capacity[1][6]
C. Environment monitoring and protection
Most of the environment benefits are based on the prin-
ciple that fewer vehicles in operation result in lowering
fuel consumption and consequently less carbon emissions.
Specific services that are targeted to environment protec-
tion: pollution monitoring, air quality reporting and trans-
portation demands management. The systems that facili-
tate such benefits are: navigation devices, traffic informa-
tion services that provide drivers with data concerning the
most efficient routes in order to avoid delays, information
concerning the available parking slots that are sent directly
to the drivers in a certain area, thus avoiding drivers cir-
cling the crowded parking areas, real time information
about arrival/ departure schedules in multimode transport
systems, which encourage the use of public transportation
etc.[1][5][6]
D. Comfort increase
ITS provide information concerning travel conditions,
including weather conditions at destination, which overall
reduce travel associated stress. ITS provide public trans-
portation users information concerning delays and real
time information concerning alternative transport services,
so that the travel can be carried out with minimal interrup-
tions and inconveniences. The ITS which have a positive
impact on travel comfort are: real time traffic information,
real time public transports information, dynamic route
guidance, vehicle tracking, intelligent card payment of
transportation fees[1][5].
E. Safety increase
Increasing safety is a priority for all infrastructure oper-
ators, which use a variety of ITS technologies in order to
increase road safety. Integrated traffic control systems,
dynamic access control systems to approach lanes, dy-
namic message panels, traffic and incidents detection sys-
tems are used in order to monitor traffic conditions and to
ensure an easy and safe travel. Many infrastructure opera-
tors make use of weather monitoring systems that provide
drivers with early warning information on potentially dan-
gerous situations. Two of the usual indicators on road
safety increase are the reduction of accidents rate and the
reduction of emergency response times. The accidents rate
reduction is not the same thing with disasters rate reduc-
tion because the relations between the two indicators de-
pend on several other factors. On board of the vehicles,
the active support systems with an impact on the increase
of visibility area, the preservation of the occupied lane, the
collision avoidance and alert monitors reduced the errors
associated with driver’s fatigue[1][3][5]
F. Efficiency
The increase of efficiency is a goal of all the national
ITS programs. The benefits related to travel efficiency
increase depend on a number of factors. The benefits are
higher for longer travels than for the shorter ones, both in
absolute terms and relative terms of reference. The pede-
strians can benefit from shorter waiting time at the road
crossing points, through an intelligent control of the se-
maphores. The road administrators and infrastructure op-
erators can benefit from ITS products and services
through the optimization of existing facilities and roads.
During our days the world is continuously moving and the
time means money, so that is obvious that saving time
through the use of ITS means saving money for those in-
volved in transportation businesses, and also for the trav-
eling citizens. It is therefore hoped that the enhanced ve-
hicle control systems (e.g. collision avoidance systems)
will determine the traffic volume in the time unit, through
the reduction of safety space intervals between vehicles,
thus increasing traffic volumes in the same time with re-
ducing the incidents rate[1][5][6][7][8]
IV. OPTIMIZATION OF INTERSECTIONS
VASILE MILEA-DRUMUL TABEREI-DRUMUL
SARII-CALEA 13 SEPTEMBRIE
In the following paragraphs, we will perform an analy-
sis of a group of intersections, starting from the Vasile
Milea Boulevard, up to its intersection with the 13 Sep-
tembrie Road, while trying to determine the optimal max-
imum green time for each and every intersection, in order
to reduce the waiting time at the semaphores, to improve
the level of service and to avoid semaphore waiting
queues.
 The initial layout of the area under study is represented
in the figure below:
Fig.1. The layout of the intersection under study
Figure 1 represents graphically the area chosen for the
case study, and in the following we will perform an evalu-
ation of each intersection, in order to be able to compare
the initial situation, with the situation resulted after opti-
mization.
Fig. 2 Reference data for the Vasile Milea – Timisoara Blvd intersection
Following the input of traffic volume on each circula-
tion direction and lane, and the lengths of the actual sema-
phore cycles for the aforementioned intersection, it can be
noticed that the intersection’s capacity is 75.5%, the de-
lays are 15.1 seconds per vehicle per intersection, and the
level of service for this intersection is B, characterized by
stable flows, with a high degree of freedom of choice con-
cerning the speed and the operation conditions, with a
little influence on other traffic participants.
Fig.3Reference data for the Vasile Milea – Drumul Taberei intersection
For the Vasile Milea – Drumul Taberei intersection, the
initial data provide the following information: for a sema-
phore cycle length of 55 seconds, the intersection capacity
(ICU – Intersection Capacity Utilization) is 73.6%, the
delays rise to 34.5 seconds per vehicle and the level of
service is C, characterized by stable traffic flows, but with
a notable interaction with other traffic participants. The
general level of comfort and safety decreases considera-
ble. The delays calculations are integral part of the optimi-
zation process and will include the traditional delays cal-
culation methods, but will also include a novel method to
calculate delays, based on blocking conditions. If the in-
tersection is coordinated, the Synchro software application
explicitly calculates the progression factor, the coordina-
tion effects and accuracy.
Fig. 3. Reference data for Drumul Sarii intersection
The pre-optimization status for this intersection can be
resumed as follows: for a 40 seconds semaphore cycle, the
level of service is A (with delays < 10 seconds), characte-
rized by an unrestrained traffic flow, with individual users
virtually unaffected by the presence of other vehicles in
the same space.
Fig. 4. Reference data for the 13 Septembrie – Antiaeriana intersection Fig.5 Situation of the 13 Septembrie intersection following optimization
– separation of the traffic flows

Following the input of traffic volumes in the simulation

software, on each and every traffic flow, it can be noticed Figure 6 represents a traffic optimization solution that is
that for a 90 seconds semaphore cycle, the optimization of the separation of traffic flows. After this solution is ap-
this intersection is not possible, because the number of plied and simulated, the traffic parameters are improved,
vehicles is too large, thus determining the intersection as detailed in Table 3 below.
blocking. The same result is achieved through simulation,
even if the semaphore cycle is increased at 150 seconds. TABLE III. TRAFFIC PARAMETERS – INITIAL
SITUATION
After the analysis of each intersection having as para-
meters the actual lengths of the semaphore cycles, the
initial status of each of the roads considered in the case Ini- Opti- ICU ICU De- De- Lev- Level
study is synthetically presented in Table 1 below. tial ti- fol- after lays lays el of of
lengt mize low- theop- be- after ser- service
h of d ing timiza- fore op- vice after
TABLE I. TRAFFIC PARAMETERS – INITIAL SITUATION the lengt the tion op- timi- after theop-
sema h of first was timi- za- the timiza-
ma- the op- applied za- tion first tion
Initial length ICU (Inter- phor sema timi- (%) tion( (s) op- was
De-
Intersec- of the sema- section Ca- Level of e ma- za- s) timi- applied
lay
tion phore cycle pacity Usage) service cycle phor tion za-
(s)
(s) (%) (s) e (%) tion
Vasile cycle
Milea 60 75.7 15.2 B (s)
Drumul 73.6
Taberei 55 34.5 C 90 109 93.3 62.7 93.3 21.2 F C
Drumul 37.8
Sării 40 5.9 A
Calea 13 82.4
Septem- 90 93.3 F V. CONCLUSIONS
brie The traffic optimization in intersections can be achieved
through semaphore cycle improvement, as follows:
Following the optimization, the values of the same in- Semaphores enhancement through the use of novel
dicators are presented in Table 2 below. equipment, that provide for the development of more
complex strategies to modify the traffic flows;
Semaphores synchronization in order to dynamically
TABLE II. TRAFFIC PARAMETERS – POST OPTIMIZATION respond to the changing traffic conditions in real time, in
order to reduce useless delays;
Optimized
ICU (Inter-
Coordination and interconnection of semaphores, to al-
length of low a better interworking between fixed and adaptive se-
section Ca- Delay Level of
Intersection the sema- maphores, by real time administration of time tables and
pacity Usage) (s) service
phore cycle
(%) automates control, in order to reduce the number and the
(s)
Vasile
frequency of vehicle stops that occur in the intersections;
Milea 70 75.7 14.3 B Removal of semaphores from the intersection that do
Drumul not really need control, in order to reduce delays and un-
Taberei 90 73.6 20.6 C wanted stops;
Drumul Change of semaphores control with predetermined tim-
Sării 40 37.8 5.9 A
ings, function of updated traffic parameters;
Calea 13
Septembrie 150 82.4 90.3 F Modification of Change Yellow interval and/ or the Re-
lease on Red interval;
Modification of the semaphore cycle duration;
 Use of software tools, designed for traffic analysis and
optimization (Synchro, Aimsun, Contram, Transyt, etc).

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