01592102

Component

Gap acceptance method is the most popular technique for the analysis of two-way stop controlled intersections. This technique assumes that major street traffic is uninterrupted and minor street drivers are consistent and homogeneous. The present study found a clear difference in the traffic characteristics of major street at the intersection and upstream of it. The inter-arrival time distribution of vehicles is significantly modified when the vehicles approached the intersection. This indicates that gaps in the major street traffic at the intersection are modified due to the forced entry of lower priority movements. It also results in reduction of speeds of major street vehicles when they approach the intersection area. This phenomenon was observed in the field and speeds of different categories of vehicles were significantly lower at the intersection than those at 100 m upstream of the intersection. Earlier studies show that the popular methods of critical gap estimation are not useful in mixed traffic conditions. Therefore, this study uses Occupancy Time method, which takes into account the manner in which a vehicle clears the intersection. Data were collected at five intersections located in semi-urban area in different part of India and analysed to estimate the critical gap for two categories of vehicles (motorized two-wheelers and cars) and two priority movements (right turn from major and minor) at these intersections. Critical gap values for a vehicle was found to vary from one intersection to another although they are similar in geometry. This is attributed to the proportion of large size vehicles in the conflicting traffic. A statistically strong relation is found between the critical gap of a vehicle type and the proportion of large size vehicles in the conflicting traffic.

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

01584066

16-1625

English

14p

2016

Transportation Research Board 95th Annual Meeting

Digital/other

Figures; References; Tables

Gap acceptance; Methodology; Vehicle mix

Stop controlled intersections

India

Data and Information Technology; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning; I73: Traffic Control

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2016 Paper #16-1625

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Jan 12 2016 4:42PM