Quality of traffic performance assessment for priority type intersection with non-stationary traffic flow demands

Non-stationary traffic processes on controlled by traffic signs priority type intersections generate variable traffic conditions. Random traffic data can cause inaccurate or even incorrect assessment of an intersection performance. The paper presents the results of traffic performance analyses on a priority type intersection based on several realizations of real demand processes (time series of traffic flows). It has been demonstrated that key to intersection efficiency assessment is characteristics is traffic variability and its formal description and method of analysis. While commonly used in practice, the simplified analysis of intersection capacity and traffic performance in a peak quarter of an hour does not take account of the actual hourly traffic variability. If suitable capacity reserves (X <= 0.70) are made at the design stage, the negative effects of demand variability and the uncertainty of predicted traffic volumes may well be reduced. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.