DESIGN OF SIGNALS INCORPORATING NITW SATURATION FLOW CURVES

DESIGN OF SIGNALS INCORPORATING NITW SATURATION FLOW CURVES

ABSTRACT

The traffic on Indian roads is of heterogeneous nature. Different types of vehicles such as buses, cars, scooters, auto rickshaws, cycles etc, will ply in a cluster form. Static and dynamic characteristics such as size, shape, acceleration and deceleration characteristics etc have larger variation in mixed traffic conditions, which result in complex interaction between the vehicles. The approaches having higher composition of scooters, cycles, cycle rickshaws, etc, have found to give rise to higher saturation flow values owing to their small size, easy maneuverability. Saturation flow curves were developed for higher composition of 2/3 wheeler slow and fast moving vehicles by NIT-Warangal. In this study, a detailed field survey was conducted at an intersection in Warangal city where the traffic predominantly consists of 2/3 wheelers and the stopped delays for each leg of the intersection also measured. Later traffic signals are designed by both Webster and Webster using NIT-Warangal saturation flow curves. Delays were calculated for both the cases for different phase movements. Based on these results using HCM 2000 methodology the intersection level of service is evaluated by considering different phases. From the results it is observed that the phases designed using NIT-Warangal saturation cures are giving better results and there by providing better Level of Service than Webster method.