Traffic Behavior on One-Way Signalized Arterials

A study was conducted to investigate platoon movements on urban arterials and to relate variation in platoon behavior to variation in signal control and to signal spacing. This objective is accomplished in the form of determining platoon characteristics for traffic traveling on signalized urban arterials and developing a mathematical model to simulate the behavior of a group of vehicles as it passes through a series of signalized intersections. A helicopter-mounted aerial camera was used to collect continuous spacing and velocity data as traffic platoons traveled through a series of signalized intersections on one-way urban arterials. Regression equations are developed for relating mean travel time and the standard deviation of travel time to signal spacing at a given volume level. A mathematical model is developed to generate queue and delay statistics for any combination of signal spacings and signal offsets.