Foundation for Jointly Determining Passage Time and Detection Zone Length with Stop Bar Presence Detection

Abstract

The interrelationship between two traffic signal parameters—passage time and detection zone length—is explored. It is shown that both parameters must be selected jointly if an intersection is to function efficiently. Simulation data are used to show the effect of stochastic variation in headways and unoccupancy times as a queue moves through the intersection at the beginning of the green and that, because the data are stochastic, this problem is one of risk management. The data show that shorter passage times should be used as detection zone lengths increase. The data also show that commonly used values of passage time unnecessarily and inefficiently increase the length of the phase.