Impact of connected and autonomous vehicles on the capacity of signalized intersections – Microsimulation of an intersection in Munich

Abstract

In recent years, there have been several studies about the impact of connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) on
the capacity of street networks. However, most studies consider a purely automated traffic on freeways where
neither human drivers nor pedestrians or bicyclists are present. With the introduction of CAVs into the urban road
environment, the effect of CAVs on inner-city traffic becomes more and more important. This paper focuses on
the impact that an increasing share of CAVs with a harmonized driving behaviour will have on the capacity of
signalized urban intersections. We do not only consider the scenario with pure automated traffic, but analyse
several scenarios with mixed traffic, where an increasing number of CAVs shares the road with human drivers as
well as other road users. The effects are assessed by simulating a representative signalized intersection in central
Munich, Germany, using real data considering the geometry of the intersection, the signal control and the traffic
volume. Our study shows that average waiting times at the intersection can decrease significantly.