Adding transit signal priority with dedicated bus lanes or queue jump lanes to additional intersections can yield 5 to 8 percent multiplier effect benefit.

Investigating the effect of adding transit signal priority with dedicated bus lanes or queue jump lanes to additional intersections.

Date Posted
02/06/2018
Identifier
2018-B01242
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Does Combining Transit Signal Priority with Dedicated Bus Lanes or Queue Jump Lanes at Multiple Intersections Create Multiplier Effects?

Summary Information

This research investigates whether providing transit signal priority with dedicated bus lanes (TSPwDBL) or transit signal priority with queue jump lanes (TSPwQJL) at multiple intersections creates a multiplier effect on public transport benefits. A multiplier effect exists if the benefit from providing priority together at multiple intersections is greater than the sum of benefits from providing priority separately at each of those individual intersections.



Methodology



A hypothetical arterial similar to typical suburban arterials in Melbourne, Australia is used to test simulations of different scenarios. Each scenario associated with TSPwQJL is evaluated for three arterial traffic demand levels, equivalent to volume-to-capacity (V/C) ratios of 0.5, 0.7, and 0.9 in the base scenario. Each scenario associated with TSPwDBL is tested under two arterial traffic demand levels, equivalent to V/C ratios of 0.5 and 0.7 in the base scenario. Overall, two priority measures, various demand levels, and two offset settings led to a total of 316 simulation experiments. Further sensitivity tests are also provided, such as tests of variance in bus dwell time, bus headway, bus occupancy, link length, signal cycle length, and westbound bus coordination (WBC) offsets that minimize westbound bus delay in the base scenario with a V/C ratio of 0.9.

Findings

The simulation results reveal that providing TSPwDBL or TSPwQJL at multiple intersections may create a multiplier effect on one-directional bus delay savings, particularly when signal offsets provide bus progression for that direction. The multiplier effect may result in a 5 to 8 percent increase in bus delay savings for each additional intersection with TSPwDBL or TSPwQJL.

Goal Areas
Results Type
Deployment Locations