E l ti f I t t d Pl t P i it dEvaluation of Integrated Platoon-Priority and Advance Warning Flasher System at High Speed

IntersectionsIntersections

Dr. Henry LiuSundeep Bhimireddy

Department of Civil EngineeringUniversity of Minnesota, Twin Cities

S t 9th 2008Sept. 9th, 2008

Advanced Transportation Technologies Seminar SeriesAdvanced Transportation Technologies Seminar SeriesIntelligent Transportation Systems Institute

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Extension ClockMin Green Clock0

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Decision/Dilemma Zones• Decision Zones arise due to variation in drivers’ behavior • Some researchers (Bonneson et al., 1994; Zegeer, 1977)

have defined the decision zones as that area of thehave defined the decision zones as that area of the approach between a point where 90 percent of the drivers will stop on yellow and a point where 90 percent of the drivers will godrivers will go

Decision Zone

90% Probability of Stopping90% Probability of going

Dilemma Zone Protection

• Two common methods of providing dilemma/decision zone protection– Dilemma zone detectors

• Multiple detectors are placed on the intersection approach such that the signals are able to extend the green and prevent the onset of yellow while the vehicles are in their dilemma zone.

– Advance warning flashers (AWF)• AWF, located upstream of intersection, start flashing prior p g p

to the signal turning yellow. This additional information provided to the drivers reduces the variability in their behaviorbehavior.

Dilemma-zone Protection

Source: MnDOT MUTCD

Drawback of Current Signal Control of High Speed Intersections

• Current signal system setup lacks the ability to provide platoon progression at isolated intersections having major and minor streets

Current MnDOT Advance Warning Flasher (AWF) System

850 ft

Gap Out

~ 850 ft.

Actuated Portion

Fixed Overlap Portion (7 ~ 8 sec)Gap Out

Trailing OverlapArterial Signal Indication

Warning Beacons FlashingIndicationAWFlasher

Research Questions to Be Answered

• How can we provide signal priority to a vehicle platoon th t i th ti l ffi i ?so that we can improve the operational efficiency?

• How can we operate the advance warning flasher• How can we operate the advance warning flasher intelligently so that it can provide advance warning when necessary at the same time minimize the delay on y ythe minor approach?

Typical Layout for High Speed Rural Intersections with 65mph Speed Limit65mph Speed Limit

Dilemma Zone Detectors

315 ft.625 ft.

850 ft.

Integrated Platoon-Priority and AWF System Objectivesj

• Provide platoon detection and progression

• Reduce stops, delay and fuel consumptionp , y p

• Provide advance warning of end of green phase

• Enhance dilemma-zone protection

• Improve operational efficiency and intersection safetyp p y y

Proposed System Layout (65 mph)

Dilemma Zone DetectorsDilemma Zone Detectors

315 ft.625 ft.

Advance Detectors≈ 1000 ft. -1500 ft.

850 ft.

Platoon-Priority System (Chaudhary et al., 2003)

• Platoon Identification Stage

• In real-time, the algorithm keeps track of the last group of ‘n’ consecutive vehicles that passed through advance detectorsthrough advance detectors• Speed• Departure time at advance detector• Estimated arrival time at stop bar• Estimated arrival time at stop bar

• If the estimated cumulative headway of the detected platoon at the stop bar is less than thedetected platoon at the stop bar is less than the user specified threshold, algorithm schedules a low-priority preemption.

• Algorithm switches to Platoon Extension Mode.

Platoon-Priority System (Cont’d)

• Platoon Extension Stage• Platoon Extension Stage

• Now the algorithm evaluates each additional detected hi l d i if i i f h i lvehicle to determine if it is a part of the previously

detected platoon

• If the detected vehicle’s estimated headway at stop bar is less than the user specified threshold, algorithm extends the preemption termination by an appropriateextends the preemption termination by an appropriate amount of time

Advance Warning Flasher System (Messer et al., 2003)

– Uses advance detectors to acquire future information about approaching vehicles

( , )

– Uses current signal controller status information and the future vehicle arrival information to predict end of green in advance ( ≈ 3 to 8 seconds, depending on advance detector location), p g )

– Once the system predicts the end-of-green, it turns on Advance Warning Flashers

– If there are going to be any vehicles in dilemma zone during the– If there are going to be any vehicles in dilemma zone during the predicted end-of-green time, the system places a hold for an appropriate amount of time to allow the vehicles to clear their respective dilemma zonesrespective dilemma zones

– AWF watch dog task monitors gap-out timers of detectors and max-out timers to prevent any unexpected gap outs

System Hardware

Si l

NIDAQ I/O CardIndustrial PCDetector and Signal Status

Signaland

AWF Status

Detector Status

Cabinet

Detector Inputs, Signal Status

Controller Over-ride Inputs

Controller Over-ride Inputs

Signal Status

Traffic Controller

Cabinet-in-the-Loop Architecture

Vi i T ffi Si l ti S ftVissim Traffic Simulation SoftwareNIDAQ I/O Card

NIDAQ I/O CardIndustrial PCDetector and Signal Status

Signaland

AWF Status

Detector Status

Cabinet

Detector Inputs Signal Status

Controller Over-ride Inputs

Controller Over-ride Inputs

g

Traffic Controller

Integrated System Flow Chart

Start

Controller Status Data Acquirer

Timer Advance Detection

Data AcquirerModule

AWF Watch Dog Task

Data Acquirer

AWF End-of-Green Predict Task

DZP Module

H ld C ll

Predict Task

DZP Module

Platoon –PriorityHold Call Manager

Platoon –Priority Scheduler

TSP Call ManagerTSP Call Manager

Stop

Key Concepts

Controller Status Data Acquirer• Gets the current signal and detector status from the g

controller via cabinet back panel• Uses digital data acquisition card to facilitate

comm nication bet een comp ter and cabinet back panelcommunication between computer and cabinet back panel• The signal status information is deduced from Phase Green

On and Ring Status Bit pin terminals in the cabinetg p

Advance Detection Data Acquirerq• Acquires vehicle detection time and speed from advance

detectorsP di hi l b d l h• Predicts vehicle type based on length

Key Concepts

• Controller Manipulation• Early Green

• The system issues a TSP call for an early green• TSP settings are set such that the priority phases get green

immediately (subject to minimum green constraint)I di t l ft tti l TSP ll i d• Immediately after getting an early green, TSP call is removed, and a phase hold is applied for the remaining scheduled time

• Green Extension

• Phase hold is used

• Constraints

• Phase hold is not placed beyond Max timer expiration• Once an early green is granted, the system is locked from issuing

another until all the non-priority phases are served once

Key Concepts

Equivalent Time-based Dilemma Zones

• A research study conducted by Zimmerman (2007) concluded that trucks get benefited by an additional 1.5 seconds dilemma-zone protection over cars as they requireseconds dilemma-zone protection over cars as they require longer stopping distance.

Scenario where Platoon Priority and AWF system is used

Scenario• Isolated signal control, g ,• High speed approaches,• Experience significant number of platoons from

upstream intersection

TH 55 &&

TH 149

TH 55&&

Argenta Trail

Vissim Model

TH 55&

Argenta Trail

AWFs

Advance Detectors

L l

TH 55 

Local Detectors

&TH 149

Speed Data Statistics

Trunk Highway 55 (Speed Limit: 65mph)

# of ObsMean  

St DevMin. Max.   

# of Obs.(mph)

St. Dev.(mph)       (mph)

138 61 3.84 50 72

Speed Data Statistics

Argenta Trail (Speed Limit: 45 mph)

Mean Min Max# of Obs.

Mean  (mph)

St. Dev.Min.(mph)      

Max.   (mph)

110 40 4.04 26 52

Volume Data – PM Peak Hour

Priority PhaseConcurrent 

Priority Phase

416868

Non‐priority PhasesPhases

Cabinet-in-the-Loop Hardware

Pictures

Results

Platoon-Priority System Performance

Phase Normal Advance Detector Locations1000 ft 1250 ft 1500 ft

Delay Stops Delay Stops Delay Stops Delay StopsPriority 23.2 53.7 12.1 21.9 12.6 23.0 12.4 23.8

1000 ft. 1250 ft. 1500 ft.

Concurrent 9.9 27.8 11.1 32.0 9.9 27.8 10.4 30.0Non-Priority 32.1 82.4 33.3 83.7 33.3 84.7 35.7 86.9

Total 24.6 61.3 21.1 50.4 21.2 50.9 22.1 52.1 Delay (s/veh) Stops (%)

Results

Advance Warning Flasher System PerformanceAdvance Warning Flasher System Performance

Phase Normal Advance Detector LocationsTrailingPhase

Delay Stops Delay Stops Delay Stops Delay Stops Delay StopsPriority 23.2 53.7 23.8 50.7 21.9 48.9 21.9 46.8 20.9 49.3

1500 ft.Normal Advance Detector LocationsTrailing

1000 ft. 1250 ft.Overlap

Concurrent 9.9 27.8 11.3 31.0 9.6 27.9 10.4 28.8 9.9 28.8Non-Priority 32.1 82.4 35.7 87.3 33.4 83.0 32.9 84.5 32.4 83.7

Total 24.6 61.3 26.6 62.8 24.8 60.2 24.8 60.4 23.9 60.5D l ( / h) S (%) Delay (s/veh) Stops (%)

Results

Integrated System Performance

Phase Trailing Advance Detector LocationsOverlap 1000 ft. 1250 ft. 1500 ft.

Delay Stops Delay Stops Delay Stops Delay StopsPriority 23.8 50.7 12.4 23.8 11.7 20.9 11.7 20.2

Concurrent 11.3 31.0 9.6 27.0 9.9 28.3 10.4 30.1

Overlap

Non-Priority 35.7 87.3 35.3 85.2 35.3 85.7 36.2 85.4Total 26.6 62.8 21.8 50.8 21.6 50.2 22.3 50.6

Delay (s/veh) Stops (%)y ( ) p ( )

Results

Advance Warning Time Histograms (Integrated System)

Conclusions

• Platoon-priority signal control strategy provided system optimal performance at intersections with batch arrivals

• For the 65 mph approach speed, advance detection at 1250 feet provided optimal performance F th 65 h h d d d d t ti t 1250• For the 65 mph approach speed and advance detection at 1250 ft., the system provided ≈7 seconds advance warning time at the end of green

• For the priority approach, 50 percent reduction in delays and stops were observedO ll i t ti d l d t d d b 20• Overall intersection delay and stops were reduced by 20 percent

Thank You

henryliu@umn.edu612 625 6347612-625-6347