Estimating Utilization Factor of Left Turn Lane for Through Traffic, Intersection Capacity, and Optimum Signal Timings

직진교통의 좌회전차선 이용률 추정과 교차로용량 및 최적신호등시간 산정

Intersection control has dual-purposes; increasing capacity and reducing delay. The primary concern of efficient intersection control under oversaturated condition as in Korea is to increase capacity. Prevailing intersection operation technique permits thru traffic to utilize left turn lane, because the intersection without left turn pocket has left turn signal interval. In this situation, it seems not to be valid to calculate capacity, delay, and signal timings by conventional methods. By critical lane technique, capacity increases as cycle length increases. However, when thru traffic utilize LT lane, the capacity varies according to LT volume, LT interval as well as cycle length, which implies that specific cycle length and LT interval exist to maximize capacity for given LT volume. The study is designed is designed to calculate utilization factors of LT lane for thru traffic and capacities, and identify signal timings to yield maximum capacity. The experimental design involved has 3 variables; 1)LT volumes at each approach(20-300 vph), 2)cycle lengths (60-220 sec), and 3)LT intervals(2.6-42 sec) for one scenario of isolated intersection crossing two 6-lanes streets. For LT volume of 50-150 vph, capacity calculated by using the utilization factor is about 25% higher than that by critical lane method. The range of optimum cycle length to yield maximum capapcity for LT volume less than 120 vph is 140-180 sec, and increases as LT volume increases. The optimum LT interval to yield maximum capacity is longer than the intrval necessary to accommodate LT volume at saturation flow rate.