Study on Geometric Factors Influencing Saturation Flow Rate at Signalized Intersections under Heterogeneous Traffic Conditions

Abstract

The main objective of intersection design is to facilitate the convenience, comfort, and safety of people traversing the intersection by enhancing the efficient movement of road users. The intersections on urban roads in India generally cater to heterogeneous motorized traffic, along with slow-moving traffic including pedestrians. It is therefore necessary to consider saturation flow for mixed traffic conditions to evaluate the overall operation of signalized intersections. A proper traffic model must consider varying characteristics of all the road users to effectively design and efficiently manage signalized intersections. This paper presents the results of the study on analyses of saturation flow rate conducted at signalized intersections with mixed traffic conditions in the city of Bangalore, India. Studies were carried out at 15 signalized intersections in the city of Bangalore with varying geometric factors such as width of road (w), gradient of the road (g), and turning radius (r) for right turning vehicles. Saturation flow rate computed as per Highway Capacity manual (HCM: 2000), Indonesian highway capacity manual (IHCM), and IRC SP: 41-1994 was compared with the field observations. The geometric factors, which affect the saturation flow, have been considered in this study and accordingly a new model has been proposed for determining saturation flow. It has been shown that by the introduction of the suggested adjustment factors in this paper, the saturation flow rate can give better picture of the field conditions, especially under heterogeneous traffic conditions of an urban area.