Signal Coordination in Transportation Engineering by Using Microsimulation Tool

Abstract

The growing advancement in the features of microsimulation models has encouraged their use in transportation engineering and planning. Traffic simulation models are a practical approach to analyse traffic operations. Traffic simulation models allow visualizing the existing or future traffic conditions and test strategies that would be difficult or impossible in roadway conditions. They also used to evaluate corridor improvement measures. The main objective of this study is to make improvements in the study corridor such that traffic congestion is relieved. The study aims to evaluate the present traffic conditions in the study corridor by using the microsimulation tool VISSIM. Data collection was done in the planning area which was used as input for the software. The corridor was first evaluated based on the present traffic conditions. After proper calibration, by considering average travel time as the calibrating parameter, the corridor was evaluated again by coordinating the signals along the corridor. Three different signal plans were done for signal coordination. The evaluation was done in terms of queue length, travel time and delay at intersections. All the three signal plans showed better results as compared to the present field condition.