Continuum signalized junction model for dynamic traffic networks: offset,
spillback, and multiple signal phases
spillback, and multiple signal phases
File(s)Continuum_signal_final.pdf (1.13 MB)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Han, K
Gayah, V
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
This paper extends the continuum signalized intersection model exhaustively studied in Han et al. (2014) to more accurately account for three realistic complications: signal offsets, queue spillbacks, and complex signal phasing schemes. The model extensions are derived theoretically based on signal cycle, green split, and offset, and shown to approximate well traffic operations at signalized intersections treated using the traditional on-and-off model. We propose a gener- alized continuum signal model, which explicitly handles complex vehicle spillback patterns on signalized networks with provable error estimates. Under mild conditions, the errors are small and bounded by fixed values that do not grow with time. Overall, this represents a significant improvement over the original continuum model, which had errors that grew quickly with time in the presence of any queue spillbacks and did not explicitly derive errors for different offset cases. Thus, the new model is able to more accurately approximate traffic dynamics in large networks with multiple signals under more realistic conditions. We also qualitatively describe how this new model can be applied to several realistic intersection configurations that might be encoun- tered in typical urban networks. These include intersections with multiple entry and exit links, complex signal phasing, all-red times, and the presence of dedicated turning lanes. Numerical tests of the models show remarkable consistency with the on-and-off model, as expected from the theory, with the added benefit of significant computational savings and higher signal control resolution when using the continuum model.
Date Issued
2015-07-01
Date Acceptance
2015-03-09
Citation
Transportation Research Part B: Methodological: an international journal, 2015, 77 (1), pp.213-239
ISSN
0191-2615
Publisher
Elsevier
Start Page
213
End Page
239
Journal / Book Title
Transportation Research Part B: Methodological: an international journal
Volume
77
Issue
1
Copyright Statement
© 2015, Elsevier. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Identifier
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S019126151500048X
Subjects
traffic signal
continuum approximation
LWR model
offset
spillback
multiple stages
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2015-05-16