Determination of priority stream volumes for capacity calculation of minor traffic streams for intersections with bending right-of-way

Abstract

Abstract In Slovakia, unsignalized intersections with bending right-of-way (major street not leading straight, but bending) are a common part of the road network. Their specific mode of right-of-way results in different priority ranks of traffic streams and more complicated traffic situation. The current regulations do not provide procedures to determine the capacity of this kind of intersections. There are needed modifications to determine a priority traffic volume due to a new hierarchy of traffic stream priorities. The priority stream volume, together with driver behavior characteristics, is an important input for calculation of minor stream potential capacity. It is determined for each minor traffic stream individually and presents the sum of the conflicting major stream volumes. However, in some cases also potential conflicting traffic streams, when they share a lane with conflicting traffic streams, are considered because they affect minor-stream drivers. Therefore, for the new calculation proposal of priority stream volumes, the influences of these potentially conflicting streams have to be determined. For this purpose, the traffic surveys at two four-leg intersections with bending right-of-way were done. According to survey results, the potential conflicting major streams and their impact to the minor-stream drivers are determined and the proposal of priority stream volumes is established and presented in this paper.