Improved Transit Signal Priority System for Networks with Nearside Bus Stops

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

2005

Subject Area

infrastructure - stop, infrastructure - bus/tram priority, infrastructure - bus/tram priority, ridership - commuting, policy - fares, mode - bus

Keywords

VISSIM (Computer model), Transit signal priority, Through highways, Thoroughfares, Thorofares, Signalized intersections, Signalised intersections, Regression analysis, Regression, Nearside (Bus stops), Main roads, Least squares method, Improvements, Houston (Texas), Dwell time, Bus transit operations, Bus priority, Boulevards, Arterial streets, Arterial highways, Algorithms

Abstract

Transit signal priority (TSP), which has been deployed in many cities in North America and Europe, is a traffic signal enhancement strategy that facilitates efficient movement of transit vehicles through signalized intersections. Most TSP systems, however, do not work well in transit networks with nearside bus stops because of the uncertainty in bus dwell time. Unfortunately, most bus stops on U.S. arterial roadways are nearside ones. In this research, weighted-least-squares regression modeling was used to estimate bus stop dwell time and, more important, the associated prediction interval. An improved TSP algorithm that explicitly considers the prediction interval was developed to reduce the negative impacts of nearside bus stops. The proposed TSP algorithm was tested on a VISSIM model of an urban arterial section of Bellaire Boulevard in Houston, Texas. In general, it was found that the proposed TSP algorithm was more effective than other algorithms because it improved bus operations without statistically significant impacts on signal operations.

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