The capacity of two neighbour intersections considering the influence of the bus stop

In this paper, we use a two-lane CA model to investigate the effect of a bus stop between two neighbouring intersections on the capacity of the bus. Both the case of a bus stop with a special stopping lane and that of one without are considered. The capacity versus the distance L-B(L-D) between the stop and the upstream (downstream) intersection is studied, with respect to the entering probability P-e and the traffic light cycle T. It is found that a bus stop near an intersection can act as a bottleneck and cause a drop in the capacity when the L-B (or L-D) is below a critical point L-Bc1 (or L-Dc1). However, the situation when the stop is located near the downstream intersection is worse than that of the upstream one. Furthermore, the simulation results show that the negative effect varies with the increase of the cycle time T and the capacity can be maximized by adjusting T. Comparisons between the two cases suggest that the stopping lane can improve the capacity to some extent. These results mean T and the capacity can be exploited by changing the position of the bus stop or the cycle time, and adding a stopping lane if necessary. These findings may be useful in offering scientific guidance for the management and design of traffic networks. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.