Trac Engineering And Management

37. Capacity and LOS Analysis of a Signalized I/S

Chapter 37 Capacity and LOS Analysis of a Signalized I/S

37.1 The HCM model

The HCM model for signalized intersection analysis is relatively straightforward. The model becomes complex when opposing right turns are invloved. Input module: The input module is simply a set of conditions that must be specied for analysis to proceed. It is the parametric description of the variables to be analyzed. Some of the variables involved are discussed here. Area Type: The location of the intersection must be classied as being in the central business district (CBD) or not. The calibration study conducted for the 1985 HCM [10] indicated that intersections in CBDs have saturation ow rates approximately 10% lower than similar intersections in other areas. If drivers are used to driving in a big city CBD, all locations in satellite communities would be classied as other. In an isolated rural community, even a small business area would be classied as a CBD. The general theory is that the busier environment of the CBD causes drivers to be more cautious and less ecient than in other areas. Parking Conditions and Parking Activity: If a lane group has curb parking within 84m of the stop line, the existence of a parking lane is assumed. Any vehicle entering or leaving a curb parking space constitutes a movement. Where parking exists, the number of parking movements per hour occuring within 84m of the stop line is an important variable.

Dr. Tom V. Mathew, IIT Bombay

April 2, 2012

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37. Capacity and LOS Analysis of a Signalized I/S

Conicting Pedestrian Flow: Left-turning vehicles turn through the adjacent pedestrian crosswalk. The ow of pedestrians impedes left-turining vehicles and inuences the saturation ow rate for the lane group in question. Pedestrian ows between 1700 ped/hr and 2100 ped/hr in a cross-walk have been shown to fully block left-turners during the green phase. Local Bus Volume: In signalized intersection analysis, a local bus is one that stops to pick up and/or discharge passengers within the intersection at either a near or a far side bus stop. Stopped buses disrupt the ow of other vehicles and inuence the saturation ow rate of the aected lane group. A bus that passes through the intersection without stopping to pick up or discharge passengers is considered to be a heavy vehicle. Arrival type: The single most important factor inuencing delay predictions is the quality of progression. The 1994 HCM model uses six arrival types to account for this impact. Arrival Type 1: Dense platoon, containing over 80% of the lane group volume, arriving at the start of the red phase. Represents very poor progression quality. Arrival Type 2: Moderately dense platoon arriving in the middle of the red phase or dispersed platoon containing 40% to 80% of the lane group volume, arriving throughout the red phase. Represents unfavourable progression on two-way arterials. Arrival Type 3: Random arrivals in which the main platoon contains less than 40% of the lane group volume. Represents operations at isolated and non-interconnected signaliazed intersections characterized by highly dispersed platoons. Arrival Type 4: Moderately dense platoon arriving at the middle of the green phase or dispersed platoon, containing 40% to 80% of the lane group volume, arriving throughout the green phase and represents favourable progression quality on a two-way arterial. Arrival Type 5: Dense to moderately dense platoon, containing over 80% of the lane group volume, arriving at the start of the green phase. Represents higly favourable progression quality. Arrival Type 6: This arrival type is reserved for exceptional progression quality on routes with near-ideal progression characteristics.

Volume adjustment module: In the 1994 HCM module, all adjustments are applied to saturation ow rate, not to volumes. Several important determinations and calculations are done in this module. Conversion of hourly volumes to peak rates of ow: The 1994 HCM model focusses on operational analysis of the peak 15-minute period within the hour of interest. Since demand Dr. Tom V. Mathew, IIT Bombay 2 April 2, 2012

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37. Capacity and LOS Analysis of a Signalized I/S

volumes are entered as full-hour volumes, each must be adjusted to reect the peak 15-minute interval using a peak hour factor. This assumes that all the movements of the intersection , peak during the same 15-minute period. Establish lane group for analysis: Any set of lanes across which drivers may optimize their operation through unimpeded lane selection will operate in equlibrium conditions determined by those drivers. Any such set of lanes is analyzed as a single cohesive lane group. An approach is considered to be a single lane group, except for the cases of exclusive left or right-turn lanes. Where an exclusive turning lane exists, it must be analyzed as a separate lane group for analysis. Lane utilization adjustments: The lane adjustment made to volume is for unequal lane use. Where lane groups have more than one lane, equilibrium may not imply equal use of lanes. The 1994 HCM allows for an optimal adjustment factor to account for this. The lane utilization factor adjusts the total lane group ow rate such that when divided by the number of lanes in the group, the result is the rate of ow expected is the most heavily-used lane. When a lane utilization adjustment is used, the resulting v/c ratios and delays reect conditons in the most heavily-used lane of the group. If the factor is not used, the resulting v/c ratios and delays reect average conditions over the lane group. Worksheet: A worksheet is prepared for tabulating intersection movements,peak hour factor,peak ow rates,lane groups for analysis,lane group ow rates, number of lanes,lane utilization factor and proportion of left- and right-turns in each lane. Saturation ow rate module: In this module, the prevailing total saturation ow rate for each lane group is estimated taking into account eight adjustment factors. The adjustment factors each adjust the saturation ow rate to account for one prevailing condition that may dier from the dened ideal conditions. Lane width adjustment factor: The ideal lane width is dened as 4m, and it is for this value that the ideal saturation ow rate is dened. When narrower lanes exist, the increased side-friction between adjacent vehicles causes drivers to be more cautious, and increases headways. If width is less than 4m, a negative adjustment occurs;if width is greater than 4m, a positive adjustment occurs and if the width is equal to 4m, the factor becomes 1.00. Grade adjustment factor: The procedure involved assumes that the eect of grades is on the operation of heavy vehicles only, and that it is the heavy vehicles that aect other vehicles Dr. Tom V. Mathew, IIT Bombay 3 April 2, 2012

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37. Capacity and LOS Analysis of a Signalized I/S

in the trac stream. At signalized intersections, the grade adjustment deals with the impact of an approach grade on the saturation headway at which the vehicles cross the stop line. Parking adjustment factor: The parking adjustment factor accounts for two deleterious eects on ow in a lane group containing a curb parking lane within 84 m of the stop line: (a) The existence of the parking lane creates additional side friction for vehicles in the adjacent lane, thereby aecting the saturation ow rate, and (b) Vehicles entering or leaving curb parking spaces within 84m of the stop line will disrupt ow in the adjacent lane, which will further aect the saturation ow. It is generally assumed that the primary eect of a parking lane is on ow in the immediately adjacent lane. If the number of lanes in the lane group is more than one, it is assumed that the adjustment factor for other lanes is 1.00. Local bus blockage adjustment factor: A general adjustment factor is prescribed for the majority of ordinary bus stop situations. The model assumes that the only lane aected by local buses is the left most lane. For general cases, there is no dierentiation between buses stopping in a travel lane and buses pulling into and out of a stop not in a travel lane. It is assumed that there is no eect on other lanes,i.e. the factor for other lanes is 1.00. Area type adjustment factor: Data collected for preparation of 1985 HCM suggest that saturation ow rates in CBDs tended to be 10% less than similar intersections in other parts of the urban and suburban area. The data were, however, not statistically conclusive and there is no algorithm for this adjustment as it depends only on the location of the signalized intersection. Left-turn adjustment factor: Left-turn vehicles, in general, conict with pedestrians using the adjacent crosswalk. Left-turns may be handled under seven dierent scenarios. 1. Exclusive LT lane with protected LT phase (no pedestrians) 2. Exclusive LT lane with permitted LT phase 3. Exclusive LT lane with protected + permitted LT phase 4. Shared LT lane with protected LT phase 5. Shared LT lane with permitted LT phase 6. Shared LT lane with protected +permitted LT phase 7. Single lane approach Dr. Tom V. Mathew, IIT Bombay 4 April 2, 2012

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37. Capacity and LOS Analysis of a Signalized I/S

Right-turn adjustment factor: There are six ways in which right-turns may be handled at a signalized intersection: 1. Exclusive RT lane with protected RT phasing 2. Exclusive RT lane with permitted RT phasing 3. Exclusive RT lane with compound RT phasing 4. Shared RT lane with protected phasing 5. Shared RT lane with permitted phasing 6. Shared RT lane with compound phasing Modelling permitted right turns: In modelling the permitted right turns it is necessary to take into consideration,subdividing of the green phase,average time to arrival of rst right turning vehicle in subject lane group,denoted by gf ,the average time for opposing standing queue clear the intersection from a multi lane approach,denoted as gq , estimation of proportion of right turning vehicles in right lane, denoted by PL . These parameters are to be estimated for various combinations of multilane and single-lane subject and opposing approaches. Modelling the right-turn adjustment factor for compound (protected/permitted) phasing: The most complicated right-turn case to be modelled is the combination of protected and permitted phasing. The factors that need to be considered are compound phasing in shared lane groups, compound phasing in exclusive right-turn lane groups, the right-turn adjustment factor for protected portion of compound right-turn phases,and the right-turn adjustment factor for the permitted portion of a compound right-turn phase. A variety of base cases can be referred to when dealing with the analysis of protected + permitted or permitted + protected signal phasing. In applying these procedures, manual computation becomes extremely dicult and the usage of software becomes the preferred way to implement these procedures. Capacity analysis module: Analysis of signalized intersection can be made through the capacity analysis module. Determining the v/s ratios, determining critical lane groups and the sum of critical lane v/s ratios, Dr. Tom V. Mathew, IIT Bombay 5 April 2, 2012

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37. Capacity and LOS Analysis of a Signalized I/S

determining lane group capacities and v/c ratios, modidfying signal timing based on v/s ratios are outcomes of the procedure involved in the capacity analysis module. Level of service module: This involves the estimation of average individual stopped delays for each lane group. These values may be aggregated to nd weighted average delays for each approach, and nally for the intersection as a whole. Once delays are determined, a level of service to each lane group can be designated and the intersection as a whole. ?

37.2

Acknowledgments

I wish to thank several of my students and sta of NPTEL for their contribution in this lecture.

Dr. Tom V. Mathew, IIT Bombay

April 2, 2012