CEECE

370468
Transportation Engineering

Intersection
Control and Design

Feb 24, 2009

Jessica Guo
CharlesProfessor
Adams

Learning Objectives
To distinguish different types of
intersections
To define design objectives and
considerations
To distinguish different types of control
devices and their purposes
To define and calculate fundamental
elements of a traffic signal timing system
(Chapter 8, p.287-303)

Intersections
Why are they important?
Types:
At-grade intersections
Interchanges
Grade separation

At-grade Intersections
At-grade: same level

Interchanges
utilize grade separation

Additional illustrations at
http://www.kurumi.com/roads/interchanges/index.html

Intersection Design
Reduce conflicts between road users
Improve efficiency and safety
Consider

Human factors
Traffic
Geometrics
Economics

Conflicts
Four-leg intersection

Staggered-T intersection

Intersection Sight Triangle

Hidden Vehicle

Intersection Sight Triangle

Intersection Sight Triangle

Traffic Control Devices

Devices used to regulate, warn, or guide
traffic, placed on, over, or adjacent to a
street, highway, pedestrian facility, or
shared-use path by authority of a public
agency having jurisdiction
Promote safety and efficiency by providing
for the orderly movement of all road users

Traffic Control Devices

To be effective, a traffic control device
should meet five basic requirements:
Fulfill a need
Command attention
Convey a clear, simple meaning
Command respect from road users
Give adequate time for proper response

Communication is the key!

Types of Control Devices

Manual on Uniform Traffic
Control Devices, FHWA
http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/HT
M/2003r1/html-index.htm
Provide guidelines for
adopting any particular type
of intersection control, in
the form of warrants

Signs
Convey information through their shape,
color, message, and placement

Channelization
Separate or regulate conflicting
movements
Define paths of travel
Use traffic islands or pavement markings

Channelization

Rotaries and Roundabouts

Channelized intersections with a central
circle surrounded by a one-way roadway

http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/intersections/roundaboutsummit/rndabtatt5.htm

Uncontrolled Intersections
Sufficient stopping sight distance is crucial
Is sufficient stopping sight
distance provided?

Traffic Signals
Purposes
Improve overall safety
Decrease average travel time and increase
capacity through an intersection
Equalize the quality of service for all or most
traffic streams

Separate individual movements in time

rather than in space

A Bit of History
While other inventors are reported to have
experimented with and even marketed their own
three-position traffic signals, Garrett A. Morgan
was the first to apply for and acquire a U.S.
patent for such a device. The patent was
granted on November 20, 1923. Morgan later
had the technology patented in Great Britain and
Canada as well.
The Morgan traffic signal was a T-shaped pole
unit that featured three positions: Stop, Go and
an all-directional stop position. The third position
halted traffic in all directions before it allowed
travel to resume on either of the intersection's
perpendicular roads. This feature not only made
it safer for motorists to pass through
intersections, but also allowed pedestrians to
cross more safely.
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/education/gamorgan.htm

Basic Timing Elements

Traffic movements are grouped and allowed to
move in phases
Two-phase signal

Three-phase signal

Four-phase signal

Basic Timing Elements

Elements within a phase:

Green interval: the period of the phase during which the

green signal is illuminated.
Yellow/amber interval: the portion of the phase during
which the yellow light is illuminated.
All-red interval: the period during which the red light is
illuminated for all approaches
Intergreen interval: the interval between the end of
green for one phase and the beginning of green for
another phase

Street A
Street B

All-red
Intergreen

Intergreen Period
Allow each vehicle to stop prior to
entering the intersection or to pass
through without stopping

Stop Zone

v0
S t r v0
2a

Intergreen Period
Allow each vehicle to stop prior to
entering the intersection or to pass
through without stopping

Go Zone

G v0 I W L

Intergreen Period
To Eliminate dilemma zone:
2

v0
0
D S G v0 I W L t r v0

2
a

v0 W L
I tr

2a
v0
Dilemma Zone

G
S

Practice Problem
Given the following information pertaining an
intersection and its signal timing:
Intergreen time of 6 sec
Intersection width of 60ft
Level grade with coefficient of friction of 0.5
Does a dilemma zone exist for a 18ft-long
vehicle approaching at 50mph? Assume a
perception-reaction time of 1sec

Types of Signal Controllers

Pretimed
Fixed interval lengths in fixed sequence

Semi-actuated (traffic-adjusted)
Predefined timing schemes selected based on
traffic flow information

Actuated
Varied length and/or sequence of signal
indications
React to arrivals of vehicles/pedestrians
Isolated or coordinated

Infrared