01658984

Component

Driver behavior within the dilemma zone can be a major safety concern at high-speed signalized intersections, especially for heavy trucks. The Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) developed and implemented an Actuated Advance Warning (AAW) dilemma zone protection system that has been documented as being effective at improving traffic safety at isolated signalized intersections. However, the system is yet to be used at signalized intersections operating in the coordinated mode. This study assessed the potential deployment of the AAW system on arterials where the signals are closely spaced and operate in a coordinated mode. Traffic microsimulation and surrogate safety analyses were used to assess the potential safety and operational benefits. The analysis on conflicts indicated that, on average, there were 30%, 7% and 30% reductions in the number of rear-end, lane change and crossing conflicts when the AAW system was used. In terms of the relative productivity of the system – the number of vehicles that were processed during a specified analysis period revealed that there were generally more vehicles processed when the AAW system was not in place. Also, the overall link travel times were slightly higher when the system was in place. The results of this analysis can be a useful guide to state Departments of Transportation and other agencies as they consider potential AAW deployments.

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AHB50 Standing Committee on Traffic Control Devices.

18-02755

English

18p

2018

Transportation Research Board 97th Annual Meeting

Digital/other

Figures; Maps; References (37) ; Tables

Actuated traffic signal controllers; Arterial highways; Dilemma zone; Signalized intersections; Traffic actuated controllers; Traffic conflicts; Travel time

Nebraska

Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2018 Paper #18-02755

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Jan 8 2018 10:40AM