Improving Throughput Using Traffic Signalization Based on Critical Queuing and Addition of Superstreets

Abstract

Traffic congestion not only reduces the quality of life of daily commuters but also contributes huge economic losses. According to the JICA, the economic cost of transportation in Metro Manila has risen to Php3.5 billion a day and that the situation could get worse if interventions will not be made. This study aims to improve traffic flow through a signalized intersection using an agent-based modeling approach. Using the concept of critical utilization in queuing theory, a linear regression was used to calculate the traffic light green times given the varying occupancy levels of the four legs of the intersection. We observed that the throughput increased without significantly penalizing the average speed and waiting time of vehicles in the system. Moreover, by having a permissive right turn traffic, we also showed that adding superstreets could significantly improve traffic flow, increasing the number of vehicles that can pass through the intersection, avoiding unnecessary waiting at red light.