Development of a VISSIM Simulation Model for U-Turns at Unsignalized Intersections
Publication: Journal of Transportation Engineering
Volume 138, Issue 11
Abstract
The simulation of U-turns is currently of great interest to many transportation professionals due to the widespread use of indirect driveway left-turn treatments. In this study, a procedure was proposed to help transportation professionals model U-turn movements at unsignalized intersections with nontraversable median cross sections in the traffic simulation program VISSIM. The behavioral features of U-turning drivers, such as the priority rule, lane selection, and turning speed of U-turns, were determined using data collected from 13 different locations. A procedure based on a genetic algorithm was proposed to calibrate and validate the VISSIM simulation model. The simulation results of the calibrated VISSIM model were compared to field measured capacity and to the capacity estimated using gap acceptance models developed in previous studies. The calibrated VISSIM simulation model yields mean absolute percent errors of 17.6 and 20.7% for four-lane and six-lane streets, respectively. The results show that VISSIM provides reasonable capacity estimates for U-turns at unsignalized intersections with raised median cross sections, after crucial parameters are properly defined and calibrated.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
This research was jointly sponsored by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 505908050) and the National High-tech R&D Program of China (Grant No. 2011AA110303-03). The authors also would like to thank the graduate research assistant at the School of Transportation at the Southeast University for their assistance in field data collection.
References
Aleksandar, S., and Peter, T. M. (2008). “Split-cycle offset optimization technique and coordinated actuated traffic control evaluated through microsimulation.”, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC.
Bared, J., and Kaisar, E. I. (2002). “Median U-turn design as an alternative treatment for left turns at signalized intersections.” J. ITE, 72(2), 50–54.
Beasley, D., Bull, D. R., and Martin, R. R. (1993). “An overview of genetic algorithms. Part I. Fundamentals.” Univ. Comput., 15(2), 58–69.
Goldberg, D. E. (1989). Genetic algorithms in search, optimization, and machine learning, Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA.
Halim, C., and Michael, G. H. B. (2005). “Genetic algorithm solution for the stochastic equilibrium transportation networks under congestion.” Transp. Res. Part B, 39(2), 169–185.
Harders, J. (1968). “The capacity of unsignalized urban intersections.” Schriftenreihe Strassenbau Strassenverkehrstechnik, 76.
Hummer, E. J., and Boone, J. (1997). “Travel efficiency of unconventional suburban arterial intersection designs.”, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC.
Kyte, M., Clemow, C., Mahfood, N., Lall, B. K., and Khisty, C. J. (1992). “Capacity and delay characteristics of two-way stop-controlled intersections.”, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC.
Liu, P., Lu, J., and Cao, B. (2009). “Capacity of U-turns at median openings on six-lane streets.”, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC.
Liu, P., Lu, J., Hu, F., and Sokolow, G. (2008a). “Capacity of U-turn movement at median openings on multilane highways.” J. Transp. Eng., 134(4), 147–154.
Liu, P., Pan, T., Lu, J., and Cao, B. (2008b). “Estimating capacity of U-turns at unsignalized intersections: The conflicting traffic volume, the impedance effects, and the left-turn lane capacity.”, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC.
Liu, P., Wang, X., Lu, J., and Sokolow, G. (2007). “Headway acceptance characteristics of U-turning vehicles on 4-lane divided roadways.”, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC.
Transportation Research Board (TRB). (2010). Highway capacity manual, National Council, Washington, DC.
Topp, A., and Hummer, J. E. (2005). “Comparison of two median U-turn design alternatives using microscopic simulation.” Proc., 3rd Int. Symp. on Highway Geometric Design, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC.
VISSIM 4.0 [Computer software]. Planung Transport Verkehr AG (PTV), Karlsruhe, Germany.
Yang, X. K., and Zhou, H. G. (2004). “CORSIM-based simulation approach to evaluation of direct left turn versus right turn plus U-turn from driveways.” J. Transp. Eng., 130(1), 68–75.
Yimin, T., and Steven, I. C. (2008). “Scheduling work zones for highway maintenance projects: Considering a discrete time-cost relation.”, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
© 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 7, 2011
Accepted: Apr 25, 2012
Published online: Apr 28, 2012
Published in print: Nov 1, 2012
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.