Dynamic Traffic Control System for Over-Saturated Traffic: Comparison of Adaptive Control Strategies

This study developed a dynamic traffic control system designated as Dynamic Intersection Signal Control Optimization (DISCO). DISCO considers the entire Fundamental Diagram of traffic flow, which is essential for controlling congested and transient traffic. As a dynamic model, DISCO works with time-variant traffic patterns and derives dynamic adaptive timing plans. In this study, we applied DISCO to a congested network in Hong Kong and compared the performance of various control strategies enabled by DISCO. The results showed that DISCO outperformed the existing plans by more than 50% in terms of overall delay reduction. Moreover, DISCO performed best under the most flexible control scheme of "variable green — no cycle" strategy. DISCO shows promise as a new approach for demand-responsive traffic control.