ENCI 412

Traffic Planning

Traffic Signal Design 2

(Chapters
(Ch t
20/21 of
Study Guide)
Lecture Outline

 Recap from Last Time

 Continuum
Contin m Model of Stops & Dela
Delays
s
 Queue Lengths
 Saturated
S t t d Green
G Time
Ti
 Stops & Delays per Cycle
 Overflow
O fl Q
Queues
Interlude...
 Measures of Performance
 Signal Timings
 Lane Utilisation
Recap from (Ch.20 p.107-113)

Last Time

 Within a given cycle time c

 Identify signal phases (change of rr-o-w)
o w)
 Assign movements to these phases

 Assessment of each movement i (flow qi)

 Dependent on supply (green time ratio ui) and
demand (flow ratio yi) for each movement
ui = g i / c yi = qi / si ui > yi

 Saturation flow rate (s) estimated by

s = (fw fg / fc) sb
 sb depends on environment and lane type
Recap from
Last Time cont'd (Ch.20 p.111-112)

 Always an element of lost time (ℓi) due to

 Intergreen time Ii
 Start lag and end gain (ai - bi)

 Effective green time (gi)

≠ displayed green times (Gi)
 Allow for start lag and end gain (Ii - ℓi)
Gi = gi + ℓi – Ii

 Required time (eff’ve green + lost time) for

each movement i is
g i + ℓ i = ui c + ℓ i {gi > min value}
Recap from
Last Time cont'd (Ch.20 p.112-115)

s* nf

 Opposed turn equivalent e0 is q*

su
eo = (0
(0.5
5 g) / (su gu + nf)
gs gu
 su = q* exp(-αq*) / [1 - exp(-βq*)]
 gu = (s*g-q*c) / (s*-q*) *=Opposing flow

 Critical movements dictate overall

intersection performance
U = Σi ui δi Y = Σi yi δi L = Σi ℓi δi
 Degree of saturation X = max{xi = yi/ui} < 1

 Cycle
C cle time must
m st meet demand + lost time
cmin = L / (1 - Y) and U = (c - L) / c
Question to Ponder...
Ponder

Is it better to have longer

or shorter cycle times?
Continuum Model
of Stops and Delays (Ch.20 p.120)

 Can use continuum model to analyse

stops and delays at signals
 Assume
 V h arrive
Vehs i att constant
t t rate
t q for
f whole
h l cycle
l
 Cycle comprises an effective green time g
and
d an effective
ff ti red
d time
ti (
(=c-g))
 Eff. green time g is sufficient to clear queue
i.e. queue length
l h at start off effective
ff red
d=0
 Vehicles depart at saturation rate s for time gs
after the start of effective green, and constant
rate q for the remainder of effective green
Queue Length Model (Ch.20 p.120)

queue Note: q and s in veh/s

length

q(c-g)

q
(s-q)
1
1
0 (c-g) c time
effective red effective green g

saturated
d unsaturated
d
green gs green
Queue Lengths (Ch.20 p.120)

 Queue length is a maximum at end of red

= q (c-g)
(c g) (vehs)

 Effective queue discharge rate is

 (s-q) veh/s during gs
 zero for rest of g (inflow = outflow)
queue
length

q(c-g)

q
(s-q)
1
1
0 (c-g) c time
effective red effective green g
gs
Saturated
Green Time gs (Ch.20 p.120)

 At time gs after the start of green

 {Number of arrivals since the start of cycle}
= {Number of departures during
gs}
i.e. q [(c-g) + gs] = s gs

 q (c-g) = s gs - q gs queue
length

q (c  g ) q(c-g)

gs 
(s  q )
q
 1
(s-q)

1
0 (c-g) c time
effective red effective green g
gs
Stops per Cycle (Ch.20 p.120-121)

q (c  g )
 During interval gs gs 
(s  q )
 Vehicles continue to arrive at rate q and join
the queue (i.e. stop) length
queue

 No of such vehs is
No. q(c-g)

q 2 (c  g ) q
q gs  1
(s-q)

(s  q ) 0 (c-g)
1
c time
effective red effective green g
gs

 Total number of stops per cycle is

qs (c  g )  Includes q(c-g)
q (c  g )  qg s  vehs stopped
(s  q )
during red
Proportion of Stops (Ch.20 p.121)

 Total number of stops per cycle is

qs (c  g )
(s  q )

 Number of vehicles arriving and departing

per cycle is qc
 Proportion of vehicles having to stop
= {total stops} / {volume}

= s (c  g )
c (s  q )
Delay per Cycle (Ch.20 p.121)

q (c  g )
 Total delay per cycle is given by gs 
(s  q )
area under the graph
 1
2 (c  g ) q (c  g )  12 g s q (c  g )
qs (c  g )2

2 (s  q )
 Number of vehicles arriving and departing
per cycle is qc queue
length

 Ave delay / vehicle is q(c-g)

1 1
q
s (c  g )2 (s-q)

2c (s  q ) 0
effective red
(c-g)
effective green g
c time

gs
Overflow Queues (Ch.20 p.121)

 If there is a queue of vehicles remaining

when the green ends
 {Proportion of vehicles having to stop}
and {Average vehicle delay}
are increased respectively by
E (z ) s (c  g ) E (z )
and
qc qc (s  q )

 E(z) = expected (average) number of vehicles

in the queue at the start of red
Randomness in
Arrival Rate (Ch.20 p.121)

 Any randomness (or irregularity) in arrival

rate will lead to a further increase in
 Proportion of vehicles having to stop
 Average vehicle delay
s c  g  
 Increase in average delay =
2c s  g 
2

  = index of dispersion of arrivals (var/mean)

= 0 for regular (constant-rate) arrivals
= 1 for
f Poisson
P i arrivals
i l
 INTERLUDE
Intersection Analysis
- Indian
I di Style
St l
Measures of
Performance (Ch.20 p.116)

 Operational efficiency of a signal-controlled

intersection is expressed in terms of various
measures of performance
 Delay (average,
(average total)
 Number of stops (complete or partial)
 Queue lengths (average,
(average 95%)

 Can derive other measures from these

e.g. fuel consumption

 Performance measures for each movement

must be adequate (not just overall ints'n)
Delay Components (Ch.20 p.116)

 Formulae for estimating delay, stops and

queues based on two components
 Uniform component, based on assumption of
regular
egu a arrivals
a a s and
a d largely
a ge y related
e ated to red
ed time
t e
 Overflow component, due to random nature of
traffic flow and based on ave no. of vehicles left
in queue at end of the green period, E(z)

 Overflow queues may

 Exist for short periods
(low moderate degree of saturation)
(low-moderate
 Persist for long periods (high deg of saturation)
Average
Overflow Queue (Ch.20 p.116)

 Average overflow queue No (vehicles) at

isolated fixed
fixed-time
time signals estimated as

N0  0.25 Q Tf  x  1 +  x  12 + 12  x - x 0  / Q Tf   for x  x0
0 otherwise
 Q = movement capacity = gs/c
 Tf = flow
fl period
ddduring which
h h an average
arrival flow rate q persists (e.g. 0.5 hr)
 x0 = degree of saturation,
saturation below which the
average overflow queue is 0
= 0.67
0 67 + [(s g) / 600] (s in veh/s,
veh/s g in sec)

N0 very dependent on Tf when x > 0.9

 s (c  g )2
Delay / veh 
Delay Rate 2c (s  q )
(Ch.20 p.117)

 Total delay or delay rate (D) (veh-h per h)

for a movement at an isolated fixed
fixed-time
time
signal is estimated as follows:
D = 0.5 q c [(1-u)2 / (1-y)] + N0 x

 Average delay (d) per vehicle is simply

d=D/q (hrs per veh)

(divide by 3600 to get delay in sec per veh)

 s (c  g )
Pr( stops ) 
Stop Rate c (s  q )
(Ch.20 p.117)

 Average number of complete stops per veh

or stop rate (h) is estimated as
h = 0.9 [(1-u) / (1-y)] + [N0 / (q c)]
 0.9 constant allows for partial stops
 Second term allows for multiple
p stops
p if x>1
 Stop rate may be > 1.0 stops per veh

N
No. off complete
l t stops
t (H) per unit
it time
ti
experienced by movement with flow rate q
H=qh (stops/hr)
 Max queue  q (c  g )

Queue Lengths (Ch.20 p.117)

 Average number of vehicles (N) in the

queue at start of the green period is
N = q r + N0
 r = effective red time (c - g)
i.e.
no. of vehs arriving during effective red time r
+
no. off vehs
h remaining
i i from
f previous
i green period
i d

 Expression for N based on theoretical model

that ignores finite length of vehicles
Queue Length
vs Vehicle Length
Maximum
Queue Length (Ch.20 p.117)

 Maximum queue length occurs some time

after the start of the green period
 But by then, queue is no longer stationary

 Maximum
M i queue length
l th (Nmax) is
i
Nmax = N / (
(1 - y) ((veh))

 Above equations relate to average queues

 Prudent to design queue storage for a critical
queue length Nc exceeded only a few times
 As a simple rule, critical queue length  2.2 N
Pedestrian Delays (Ch.20 p.118)

 Formulae for estimating pedestrian delays,

stops, queues derived from those for vehs
(using pedestrian red time r)
 Assume both y and N0 are zero (no saturation)
 Average delay per pedestrian (d) is
d = 0.5
0 5 r2 / c
 Number of pedestrians stopped (H) is
H=qr/c
 Number of waiting pedestrians at the start of
the green (walk) period is
N=qr
Signal Timings (Ch.20 p.118)

 Can seek to optimise "performance index" P

that combines delays and stops through the
use of a "stop penalty" K as follows
P=D+KH
 D and H = total delay
y and number of stops
p for
all critical movements

 Value of K typically ranges from 20 to 60

 Based on fuel consumption rate while idling or
stopped
Optimum / Practical
Cycle Times (Ch.20 p.118)

 Optimum cycle time (co)

 Cycle time that approximately minimises the
previous performance index P

co = [(1
[(1.4
4+0
0.01
01 K) L + 6] / (1 - Y)

 Practical cycle time (cp)

 Min. cycle time just sufficient to enable traffic
to pass through intersection without x > xp

cp = L / (1 - U)
 cp = minimum cycle time cmin if xp= 1.0
Choosing a Cycle Time (Ch.20 p.118)

 Various suggestions for selecting maximum

acceptable degrees of saturation
 xp = 0.9 recommended for general use
 Different
Diff values
l can be
b chosen
h for
f different
diff
movements (to reflect priority/hierarchy)

 Either co or cp may be chosen as cycle time

 Recommended that both are calculated and a
cycle time c between cp and co be chosen
 Further constraint is that c  cmax
Available Green Time (Ch.20 p.118-119)

 For chosen cycle time c

 Total available (effective) green time is (c - L)

 Available green time should be distributed

to critical movements i according to
gi = (c - L) (ui / U)
 Non-critical movements will get the same
green time of equivalent critical movement
 Further constraint is minimum displayed green
time G(min)
 gi  {G(min) + Ii - ℓi}
Lane Utilisation (Ch.20 p.119)
Conclusions

 Assuming constant arrival/departure rates

greatly simplifies our calculations
 Gives reasonable estimates of delays/stops, etc
 Can add extra factors for true randomness

 Can derive various performance measures

 Delays, stops, queues
 Most noticeable when deg of saturation x  1

 Minimum cycle time usually not optimum

 Too
T much
h time
ti taken
t k up with
ith inter-green
i t stops
t
Question to Ponder for Next Time:
How Do I Analyse This?

 Traffic Signals 60 80 20
+ + +
Analysis Example 10 15 5

Main
 See Course Notes Road
(Ch.21)
320 + 35 225 + 25

 Tutorial on 450 + 50 1380 + 140

70 + 5 60 + 5
Thursday
 Presentation on
Learn 10 180 10
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