Investigation of Self-Organizing Traffic Signal Control with Graphical Signal Performance Measures

• Published in: Transportation research record Vol. 2620; no. 1; pp. 69 - 82
• Main Authors: Day, Christopher M., Bullock, Darcy M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 2017
• ISSN: 0361-1981; 2169-4052
• DOI: 10.3141/2620-07

Adaptive signal control is the subject of an increasing amount of research, development, and implementation. Most existing adaptive control systems achieve coordination by applying system control as a constraining layer on top of local control. Some researchers have suggested that, with the right local control logic, coordination might be achieved as a dynamically emergent phenomenon without the need for a management layer. This paper describes how the potential of a self-organizing signal control algorithm was explored with various performance measures. First, the initially reported algorithm performance was reproduced in an idealized environment; next, the algorithm was applied in a realistic road network to compare its performance with that of actuated coordinated control, with and without pedestrian phases. Comparisons were made under (a) the same base volumes used to design the actuated coordinated timing plan and (b) variant volumes. Self-organizing control was found to be more flexible than coordinated control and induced a performance trade-off between movement types. Delay reductions of 38% to 56% were observed in an environment with no pedestrian phase. However, with pedestrian phases in recall, self-organizing control performed worse (39% increase in delay) under base volumes and achieved a weak benefit (6% reduction in delay) under variant volumes. Because of the large total delay reductions in some scenarios, the results show promise for future development.