Integrating public transit signal priority into max-pressure signal control: Methodology and simulation study on a downtown network

Authors

Te Xu
Simantra Barman
Michael W. Levin
Rongsheng Chen
Tianyi Li

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

2022

Subject Area

mode - bus, mode - bus rapid transit, infrastructure - bus/tram priority, infrastructure - traffic signals

Keywords

Max-pressure control, Maximum stability, Public transit, Bus rapid transit, Transit signal priority

Abstract

Max-pressure signal control has been analytically proven to maximize the network throughput and stabilize queue lengths whenever possible. Since there are many transit lines operating in the metropolis, the max-pressure signal control should be extended to multi-modal transportation systems to achieve more widespread usage. The standard max-pressure controller is more likely to actuate phases during high-demand approaches, which may end up ignoring the arrival of buses, especially in bus rapid transit. In this paper, we propose a novel max-pressure signal control that considers transit signal priority of bus rapid transit systems to achieve both maximum stability for private vehicles and reliable transit service. This study revises the original max-pressure control to include constraints that provide priority for buses. Furthermore, this policy is decentralized which means it only relies on it relies only on the local conditions of each intersection. We set the simulation on the real-world road network with bus rapid transit systems. Numerical results show that the max-pressure signal control which considers transit signal priority can still achieve maximum stability compared with other signal control integrated with transit signal priority. Furthermore, the max-pressure control reduces private vehicle travel time and bus travel time compared to the current signal control.

Rights

Permission to publish the abstract has been given by Elsevier, copyright remains with them.

Comments

Transportation Research Part C Home Page:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/0968090X

Recommended Citation

Xu, T., Barman, S., Levin, M.W., Chen, R., & Li, T. (2022). Integrating public transit signal priority into max-pressure signal control: Methodology and simulation study on a downtown network. Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies, Vol. 138, 103614.