Evaluating the Performance of Right Turn Lanes at Signalized Intersection Using Traffic Simulation Model

The issue of traffic congestion at signalized intersections is a concern in transportation systems due to the growth of urban areas and increased vehicular transportation. To study the evolution of congestion and evaluate the traffic performance operation of signalized intersections under problematic congested and improved conditions, the microscopic simulation VISSIM software is utilized. The objectives of this paper are to evaluate operational techniques, build a simulation model, and produce a well-calibrated and validated model. The methodology procedure to evaluate the signalized intersection involves the application of a traffic simulation model to observe real-time delays and stopped vehicles. Using the VISSIM software Version 9 to create an intersection model and redesign geometry with an exclusive right turn to enhance the intersection functionality and reduce delay. Our research focused on the Al-Nakhala signalized intersection located in the southern part of Palestine urban street in Baghdad city. This intersection is one of the busiest along the corridor due to significant land-use changes in the study area, including residential, educational, or commercial areas generating daily pressure from additional trips and saturating the absorptive capacity of the intersections. The proposed scenario of an exclusive right- turn could reduce the queue length and vehicle delay at the signalized intersection, resulting in a more efficient traffic operation. As a result of the reduction in vehicle delay, the Level of service (LOS) for the north, west, and east approaches improved from F to D. However, there was only a slight improvement for the south approach, with the LOS changing from E to F. Nonetheless, there was a noticeable reduction in queue length and vehicle delay ranging from 25% to 50%.