Increasing the complex intersections functioning efficiency by restriction of left-turn traffic flows

Abstract

Providing rapid and safe traffic in cities requires the use of a set of planning and organizational measures. While the implementation of architectural-planning measures requires, except for significant investments, a quite long period, organizational measures can lead to a temporary but relatively rapid effect. For this purpose, an analysis of traffic flow metrics on the approaches to the intersection, traffic light cycle, and the traffic phasing is carried out. Conducted research indicates that left-turn flows cause significant delays and reduce traffic safety at the intersection. Therefore, increasing the efficiency of the crossroads needs redevelopment measures by restriction of the left-turn flows on the main road, change of the traffic flows phasing and optimizing the traffic light cycle. In the presence of adjacent intersections, the scheme of left turn realization is developed. The simulation of intersection functioning in existing conditions and under the change of left-turn flows movement organization is carried out in the PTV Vissim software environment. It is established that restriction of the left-turn flows at the controlled intersection allows to optimize the traffic light cycle and equip it so that the average delay for traffic flows will decrease in comparison with the current state.