No description available.

No description available.

Recent advances in the optimization of fixed time traffic signals have demonstrated a move towards the use of genetic algorithm optimization with traffic network performance evaluated via stochastic microscopic simulation models. This dissertation examines methods for improved optimization. Several modified versions of the genetic algorithm and alternative genetic operators were evaluated on test networks. A traffic simulation model was developed for assessment purposes. Application of the CHC search algorithm with real crossover and mutation operators were found to offer improved optimization efficiency over the standard genetic algorithm with binary genetic operators. Computing resources are best utilized by using a single replication of the traffic simulation model with common random numbers for fitness evaluations. Combining the improvements, delay reductions between 13%-32% were obtained over the standard approaches. A coding scheme allowing for complete optimization of signal phasing is proposed and a statistical model for comparing genetic algorithm optimization efficiency on stochastic functions is also introduced. Alternative delay measurements, amendments to genetic operators and modifications to the CHC algorithm are also suggested.

abstract: ABSTRACT This study examines the methodology for converting protected, permissive, and protected/permissive left-turn operation to flashing yellow arrow left-turn operation. This study addresses construction-related considerations, including negative offsets, lateral traffic signal head position, left-turn accident rates, crash modification factors and crash reductions factors. A total of 85 intersections in Glendale, Arizona were chosen for this study. These intersections included 45 “arterial to arterial” intersections (a major road intersecting with a major road) and 40 “arterial to collector” intersections (a major road intersecting with a minor road). This thesis is a clinical study of the field conversion to flashing yellow arrow traffic signals and is not a study of the merits of flashing yellow arrow operation. This study included six categories: 1. High accident intersections (for inclusion in Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funding); 2. Signal head modifications only; 3. Signal head replacement with median modifications; 4. Signal head and mast arm replacement; 5. Signal head, signal pole and mast arm replacement; and 6. Intersections where flashing yellow arrow operation is not recommended. Compliance with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) played a large part in determining conversion costs because the standard for lateral position of the left-turn traffic signal greatly influenced the construction effort. Additionally, the left-turning vehicle’s sight distance factored into cost considerations. It’s important for agencies to utilize this study to understand all of the financial commitments and construction requirements for conversion to flashing yellow arrow operation, and ultimately to appreciate that the process is not purely a matter of swapping traffic signal heads. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Civil Engineering 2016

When a traffic signals malfunction monitoring unit detects a problem with a traffic signal such as the simultaneous display of green indications to conflicting movements or loss of power to some signal heads, the signal is automatically placed into flash mode as a safety precaution. Signals can have either red/red malfunction flash mode or yellow/red malfunction flash mode, and the mode cannot change by time of day or day of week. This study analyzed traffic operation at 34 instances of yellow/red malfunction flash and 9 instances of red/red malfunction flash in the Atlanta, Georgia area. Many of these instances were during high volume periods. A high level of driver confusion exists at malfunction flash intersections. The rate at which through major street drivers (i.e. those facing a flashing yellow signal) stopped exceeded 75 percent at some yellow/red flash intersections. This creates a safety hazard for other major street drivers who are not expecting vehicles to stop, and for minor street drivers who cannot tell what type of control is being presented to cross traffic or do not understand that vehicles are not required to stop when approaching a flashing yellow indication. Furthermore, high stopping rates at a flashing yellow signal eliminate many of the operational benefits that yellow/red flash is assumed to have over red/red flash. Based on the findings of this study, the use of red/red flash should be the primary flash mode and possibly used exclusively. Requiring all vehicles to stop will improve safety conditions and not have large operational impacts at intersections where a majority of major street vehicles are already stopping at a flashing yellow signal. Yellow/red flash may be an acceptable malfunction flash mode at the intersection of a very large street and a very small street, but additional measures would be required at these intersections to address potential driver confusion.

This thesis investigates the important potential of Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) onmobility and society. C-ITS appears as a promising solution to reinvent transportation and become avital part of the ever-evolving environment as developments in technology continue to change the world.The goal of this study is to investigate how C-ITS can enhance and promote various forms of mobility.It additionally investigates at how C-ITS applications and policy objectives interact, highlighting C-ITS’contribution to the development of a sustainable society.A thorough examination of the current literature, case studies, and pertinent policies was conductedin order to analyse the possible advantages and difficulties related to C-ITS in detail. In order toprovide seamless communication and interaction between C-ITS systems and other devices, the researchemphasizes the importance of early integration and adoption of C-ITS as a solution. It also emphasizesthe need for standardization, interoperability, and collaborative efforts among stakeholders.Findings demonstrate that C-ITS has the capacity to support policies aimed at improving transportationsystems and mobility in the cities. C-ITS usage has enormous potential for influencing society andmobility. C-ITS reduces accidents while enhancing road safety through real-time communication. Byenhancing traffic flow and promoting alternative modes of transportation, it supports environmentalsustainability. It also has secondary effects such as reducing pollutants and improving air andnoise quality. Through the integration of numerous mobility choices and the provision of real-timeinformation, C-ITS improves accessibility. For implementation to be successful, privacy and securityissues as well as economic reasons must be taken into consideration. To solve the issues posed byconcerns about data privacy, security, and economic factors, however, strong policies, legislation,and safe data processing techniques are needed. C-ITS has the potential to help create a future oftransportation that is safer, more environmentally friendly, and more effective.In the concluding part, the paper suggests numerous possibilities for C-ITS research going forward.It advises combining policies and guiding documents to offer a clearer strategy for utilizing C-ITSsuccessfully. Additionally, creating more complex mathematical models that include equations can helpus comprehend the importance of the variables better. Iterative procedures integrated into detailedmodels allow for the comparison of many scenarios, addressing the various desires of stakeholders andexperts. Additionally, combining C-ITS with Vehicle-to-Everything (VoT) systems offer a chance toinvestigate the real advantages and make it simpler to make comparisons with other variables. Furtherresearch should be carried out on the likelihood of developing an automated mobility system.

The purpose of this thesis is to explore how the installations of traffic signals affect crash experience at intersections, to identify those factors which help predict crashes after a signal is installed, and to develop a crash prediction model. It is the intent of this thesis to supplement the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices Signal Warrant procedure and aid the traffic engineer in the signal installation decision making process. Crash data, as well as operational and geometric factors were examined for 32 state road intersections in the northeast Florida area before and after signal installation. Signal warrant studies were used as sources for traffic volumes, geometric information and crash history, before signal installation. The Florida Department of Transportation's Crash Analysis Reporting System (CARS) was used to gather crash data for the time period after signal installation. On average, the 32 intersections experienced a 12% increase in the total number of crashes and a 26% reduction in crash rate after signals were installed. The change in the number of crashes was not significant, but the rate change was significant with 90% confidence. Angle crash frequency dropped by 60% and the angle crash rate dropped by 66%, both are significant. Left-turn crashes dropped by 8% and their rate by 16%, although neither was significant. Rear-end crashes increased by 86% and the rear-end crash rate decreased by 5%. Neither of these changes was statistically significant. When crash severity was examined, it was found that the number of injury crashes increased by 64.8% and the rate by only 0.02%. Neither change was significant. Both the number of fatal crashes and the rate decreased by 100% and were significant. Property Damage Only (PDO) crashes increased by 96%, after signalization, but this change was not significant. The PDO rate, however, decreased by 46.5% and is significant. Operational factors such as AADT, turning movement counts, and speed limits; and geometric factors such as medians, turn lanes and numbers of lanes were considered to determine their effect on crashes at signalized intersections. Smaller roads, with low AADT, fewer lanes, and a rural character were found to benefit from signalization more than busier urbanized roads, in terms of crash rate reduction. The AADT, roadway cross section, number of lanes, medians, speed limit and left turn volume were all found to be important factors influencing crash rates. This thesis recommends: 1) the use of crash prediction models to supplement the MUTCD Crash Warrant, 2) the addition of a left-turn warrant to the MUTCD signal warranting procedure, and 3) development of an intersection database containing crash data as well as operational and geometric information to aid in future research.

Traffic signals typically produce vehicle stops and thus increase vehicle fuel consumption levels. Vehicle stops produced by traffic signals, decrease vehicle fuel economy on arterial roads making it significantly lower than that on freeways. Eco-Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control (Eco-CACC) systems can improve vehicle fuel efficiency by receiving Signal Phasing and Timing (SPaT) data form downstream signalized intersections via vehicle-to-infrastructure communication. The algorithm that was developed in an earlier study provides advisory speed recommendations to drivers to reduce vehicle fuel consumption levels in the vicinity of traffic signalized intersections. The research presented in this thesis enhances the algorithm by adding a queue length estimation component and incorporates the algorithm in the INTEGRATION microscopic traffic simulation software to test the system under varying conditions. The enhanced Eco-CACC algorithm is then tested in a simulation environment considering different levels of connected vehicle (CV) market penetration levels. The simulation analysis demonstrates that the algorithm is able to reduce the vehicle fuel consumption level by as high as 40%. Moreover, the overall benefits of the proposed algorithm is evaluated for different intersection configurations and CV market penetration rates (MPRs). The results demonstrate that for single lane approaches, the algorithm can reduce the overall fuel consumption levels and that higher MPRs result in larger savings. While for multilane approaches, lower MPRs produce negative impacts on fuel efficiency; only when MPRs are greater than 30%, can the algorithm work effectively in reducing fuel consumption levels. Subsequently a sensitivity analysis is conducted. The sensitivity analysis demonstrates that higher market penetration rates of Eco-CACC enabled vehicles can improve the environmental benefits of the algorithm, and the overall savings in fuel consumption are as high as 19% when all vehicles are equipped with the system. While, on multi-lane approaches, the algorithm has negative impacts on fuel consumption levels when the market penetration rate is lower than 30 percent. The analysis also indicates that the length of control segments, the SPaT plan, and the traffic demand levels affect the algorithm performance significantly. The study further demonstrates that the algorithm has negative impacts on fuel consumption levels when the network is over-saturated. / Master of Science

Neste trabalho são enfocados três aspectos relacionados com a operação de semáforos: gestão técnica, percepção do desempenho e duração dos tempos. No tocante à gestão técnica, é discutida sua importância em ser realizada de maneira adequada e é investigada a situação das cidades do país em relação à questão. A conclusão é que a situação da gestão semafórica nas cidades do país mostra-se bastante precária, com exceção de algumas grandes cidades. Com relação à percepção do desempenho das interseções semaforizadas, é pesquisada a percepção de motoristas do país quanto ao nível de serviço em semáforos isolados e em grupo de semáforos próximos dispostos ao longo de uma via, considerando os dois parâmetros determinantes da qualidade da operação: a demora e o número de paradas; e analisados os resultados obtidos à luz dos padrões estabelecidos no HCM-2000 e no HCM-1985. A conclusão é que os motoristas brasileiros se mostram mais tolerantes em relação a valores do HCM-2000. No que tange ao aspecto duração dos tempos, são investigadas as razões das programações de tempo empíricas utilizadas na prática, terem alguns resultados satisfatórios. São ainda apresentadas regras simples para a programação de tempos que permitam operar os semáforos com um desempenho aceitável quando não se dispõe de dados e/ou de conhecimento técnico adequado. / This work emphasizes three aspects related to traffic signals operation: technical management, perception of performance and signal timing. About technical management, it discusses the importance of a good management and evaluates the situation around the country. The conclusion is that management of traffic signals at brazilian cities is poor, with some exceptions at large cities. In relation to perception of performance, it researches country drivers perceptions related to level of service at single signalized intersections and group of signalized intersections, considering two parameters that determinate the quality of operation: delay and the number of stops; the results were analyzed and compared with the standard values of HCM-2000 and HCM-1985. It was found that brazilian drivers have more tolerance to the standard values of HCM-2000. About the signal timing, there were investigated the reasons of why empirical techniques used in practice at signalized intersections had some satisfactory results. In addition, it presents simple rules for timing traffic signals that will due an acceptable performance when the city does not have enough data, resources or specific technical knowledge.

Neste trabalho são enfocados três aspectos relacionados com a operação de semáforos: gestão técnica, percepção do desempenho e duração dos tempos. No tocante à gestão técnica, é discutida sua importância em ser realizada de maneira adequada e é investigada a situação das cidades do país em relação à questão. A conclusão é que a situação da gestão semafórica nas cidades do país mostra-se bastante precária, com exceção de algumas grandes cidades. Com relação à percepção do desempenho das interseções semaforizadas, é pesquisada a percepção de motoristas do país quanto ao nível de serviço em semáforos isolados e em grupo de semáforos próximos dispostos ao longo de uma via, considerando os dois parâmetros determinantes da qualidade da operação: a demora e o número de paradas; e analisados os resultados obtidos à luz dos padrões estabelecidos no HCM-2000 e no HCM-1985. A conclusão é que os motoristas brasileiros se mostram mais tolerantes em relação a valores do HCM-2000. No que tange ao aspecto duração dos tempos, são investigadas as razões das programações de tempo empíricas utilizadas na prática, terem alguns resultados satisfatórios. São ainda apresentadas regras simples para a programação de tempos que permitam operar os semáforos com um desempenho aceitável quando não se dispõe de dados e/ou de conhecimento técnico adequado. / This work emphasizes three aspects related to traffic signals operation: technical management, perception of performance and signal timing. About technical management, it discusses the importance of a good management and evaluates the situation around the country. The conclusion is that management of traffic signals at brazilian cities is poor, with some exceptions at large cities. In relation to perception of performance, it researches country drivers perceptions related to level of service at single signalized intersections and group of signalized intersections, considering two parameters that determinate the quality of operation: delay and the number of stops; the results were analyzed and compared with the standard values of HCM-2000 and HCM-1985. It was found that brazilian drivers have more tolerance to the standard values of HCM-2000. About the signal timing, there were investigated the reasons of why empirical techniques used in practice at signalized intersections had some satisfactory results. In addition, it presents simple rules for timing traffic signals that will due an acceptable performance when the city does not have enough data, resources or specific technical knowledge.