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1 30-03-2018
Outline
General Concepts
Conflict Points
Types of Control
Signal Timing Design
Freeway Ramp Control
Summary
All printed tables and figures in this presentation come from the textbook: Garber, N. J., and L. A. Hoel, Traffic
2 and Highway Engineering, 4th edition, Brooks/Cole Publishing, USA. 30-03-2018
General Concepts
An intersection is an area shared by two or more roads
allow the change of route directions
an area of decision for all drivers
Classified as grade-separated or at-grade
Purpose of control is to assign the right of way to drivers
reduce delays and crashes and increase capacity
Control achieved by using traffic signals, signs, or pavement
markings that regulate, guide, warn, and/or channel traffic
Complex areas need proper design of the traffic-control system
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General Concepts
Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) recommends:
Design: designed with a combination of size, colour, and shape
to convey a message and command the respect and attention
Placement: location within the cone of vision of the viewer and
the gives adequate response time when driving at normal speed
Operation: ensures the fulfilment of traffic requirements in a
consistent and uniform way
Maintenance: regularly maintained to ensure sustained
legibility
Uniformity: facilitate the recognition and understanding of
devices; similar devices should be used at locations with similar
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traffic and geometric characteristics
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General Concepts
Avoid using control devices
that conflict with one another
at the same location
Control devices aid each other
in transmitting the required
message
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Conflict Points
Conflicts occur when traffic streams
moving in different directions interfere
with each other
Merging
Diverging
Crossing
32 conflict points at an unsignalized 4-
legged intersection
# of conflict points depends on the #
of approaches, turning movements, and
the type of traffic control at the
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intersection
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Conflict Points
Primary objective in the design of a traffic-control system is to
reduce the number of significant conflict points
Design includes:
Identify type of conflict, the number of vehicles in each
conflicting stream, and the speeds of the vehicles in those
streams
Crossing conflicts have the most severe effect on traffic flow and
should be reduced to a minimum whenever possible.
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Types of Control
Several methods available:
signs
pavement markings
traffic signals
Choice depends on the geometry, traffic volumes, and location
Guidelines given in the form of warrants
USA: MUTCD
For Signs: IRC: 67-2001
For Pavement Markings: IRC: 35-1997
For Signals: IRC: 93-1985
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Signal Timing Design
Warrants help decide whether a traffic signal should be used at
an intersection
Efficient operation of the signal requires proper timing of the
different colour indications
Controller: the “brain” that changes the signal indications
Cabinet: roadside box hosting the controller
Signal head: signal indications for traffic control
Cycle (cycle length): time in seconds required for one
complete sequence of signal indications
Phase (signal phase): part of a cycle allocated to a stream of
traffic or a combination of two or more streams of traffic
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Signal Timing Design
Interval: part of the cycle length during which signal indications
do not change
Offset: time lapse in seconds or the percentage of the cycle
length between the beginning of a green phase at an intersection
and the beginning of a corresponding green phase at the next
intersection.
Change and clearance interval: total length of time in seconds
of the yellow and all-red signal indications.
All-red interval: display time of a red indication for all
approaches
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Signal Timing Design
Design hourly volume (DHV): Peak hour volume / PHF
Lane group: consists of one or more lanes on an approach and
have the same green phase
Critical lane group: lane group that requires the longest green
time in a phase
Saturation flow rate: The flow rate in veh/h that the lane group
can carry if it has the green indication continuously, (g/C = 1)
Depends on the ideal saturation flow ≈ 1900 vph
Corrected for various parameters
Highway Capacity Manual gives guidelines
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Signal Timing Design
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Signal Timing Objective
Reduce:
average delay of all vehicles
probability of crashes
Achieved by minimizing the
possible conflict points
Assign the right of way to
different traffic streams at
different times
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Signal Timing Objective
Delay reduction vs. Safety
Engineering judgement required
Two-phase system whenever
possible
shortest practical cycle
length
Complex intersections may need
a multiphase (three or more
phases) system
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Yellow Phase
Alert motorists of impending red
Yellow phase should ensure an approaching vehicle to either stop
safely or proceed through the intersection without speeding
Bad design can lead to dilemma zone
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Yellow Phase
𝑊+𝐿 𝑢0
𝜏𝑚𝑖𝑛 =𝛿+ +
𝑢0 2(𝑎 ± 𝐺𝑔)
Generally, 𝜏𝑚𝑖𝑛 ≈ 3 − 5 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑠
For longer yellow intervals, use an all-red phase
Example:
Determine the minimum yellow interval at an intersection whose
width is 15 m if the maximum allowable speed on the 3%
upgrade approach road is 45 km/h. Assume average length of
vehicle is 4 m.
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Cycle Length: Webster’s Method
Cycle Length:
Peak hour vs. non-peak hours
Webster’s method and HCM method
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Webster’s Method: Lost time
𝑙𝑖 = 𝐺𝑎𝑖 + 𝜏𝑖 − 𝐺𝑒𝑖
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Webster’s Method: Green time
Minimum green: Generally cross street width/pedestrian
speed (ped. Speed generally 1.4 m/s)
HCM gives:
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Webster’s Method: Recipe
Find the number of phases (generally given otherwise use
engineering judgement)
Calculate yellow time for each phase
Calculate the total lost time, L (generally, (3.5 sec + all-red
time)/phase)
Calculate Y values for each lane group and find the critical Y for
each phase
Determine optimal cycle length
Calculate total effective green time and effective green time
per phase
Calculate actual green time per phase 30-03-2018
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Webster’s Method: Example
For an intersection with two one-way streets, calculate the signal
timings using webster’s method for the following data:
o N/S & E/W – 2 lanes each (one lane per movement)
o Saturation flow per lane = 2000 vph for thru and 1500 for
turn lanes
o Flow: NBT - 800 vph, NBR - 600 vph, EBT - 900 vph, and
EBL - 500 vph
o No all-red time
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