Dimensioning of signalized intersections in realistic urban environment

Abstract

It is very complex to assure the dynamics of traffic networkin urban environment because of the intensity of traffic flowsand the limited space in the urban area. Signalized intersectionsare undoubtedly very important and frequent element inroad traffic network in urban regions, which greatly influencesthe traffic flow dynamics on each section as in the whole trafficnetwork. The time (delay) a vehicle needs to drive through anintersection directly influences the travel comfort, fuel consumption,traffic pollution and so on. There are many methodsfor dimensioning signalized intersections in the world literature.One of the most applied methods is the HIGHWAY CAPACI1YMANUAL (HCM) 2000 which is based on competentinput traffic flows and other characteristics of traffic signalregulations. The intention of this paper is to establish whetherwe can use the HCM 2000 method directly in the Slovenian realenvironment. Based on the established methodology of researchand limited number of delay measurement in real environmentintersections, there have been some deviations. Thecompletion of the level of service criterion for signalized intersectionshas been proposed, with the intention for more suitabilityestimation in the realistic environment. Zagotoviti dinamiÄno odvijanje prometa na urbanem cestnem omreÅ¾ju je vsled intenzitete prometnih tokov in omejenega prostora v mestih zelo kompleksno. KriÅ¾iÅ¡Äa s svetlobno signalnimi napravami so nedvomno pomemben dejavnik, ki pogojuje funkcionalnost omreÅ¾ja. Äas, ki ga vozilo potrebuje za prevoz kriÅ¾iÅ¡Äa neposredno vpliva na udobnost potovanja, porabo goriva in poslediÄno na onesnaÅ¾evanje okolja. V svetovni literaturi je zaslediti dosti metod za dimenzioniranje semaforiziranih kriÅ¾iÅ¡Ä. Ena najpogostejÅ¡e uporabljenih metod je HCM 2000, ki temelji na merodajnih vhodnih prometnih tokovih ter drugih znaÄilnosti tovrstnih prometnih ureditev. Namen Älanka je preveriti, ali je moÄ predlagano metodo direktno uporabiti v slovenskem realnem okolju. Na osnovi vzpostavljene metodologije raziskovanja in omejenemu Å¡tevilu meritev zamud vsled signalnih naprav v kriÅ¾iÅ¡Äu, so bila ugotovljena doloÄena odstopanja. Predlagane so dopolnitve kriterija za doloÄitev nivoja usluge za kriÅ¾iÅ¡Äa s svetlobno signalnimi napravami, ki ustrezneje opredeljujejo dejansko stanje v realnem prometnem prostoru.