How to decide the interconnection of isolated traffic signals

Abstract

Increasing traffic congestion along major urban signalized intersections demands the efficient operation and utilization of arterial facilities. Improvement on traffic flow and reduction in vehicular delays may be realized by interconnecting individually isolated intersections into a coordinated signal system, or by adding an adjacent signal into an existing coordinated system. This paper illustrates the development of interconnection warrants for isolated traffic signals by using both simulation study and field data validation.Simplified procedures were developed to evaluate the need to interconnect signalized intersections based on both simulation and field studies. Field data from several Texas cities were used to compare the results from the TRANSYT-7F and PASSER II computer programs. These programs were applied to address the effects of progression on changes in travel time and travel volume. Detailed field studies were performed at six (6) intersections under isolated-actuated, fixed-time coordination and traffic responsive operations on NASA 1 Road in front of the LBJ NASA Space Center, Houston, Texas.