Evaluation of the operational behavior of a cloverleaf applying smart traffic lights with the ramp metering methodology

Abstract

Cloverleafs are infrastructures designed to improve vehicular traffic and safety at intersections. However, problems in its operational behavior can be identified, especially in the loops that converge with the main roads. This is due to the disorderly entry of vehicles, the formation of queues, and the increased probability of collisions. Taking these problems into account, the present investigation proposes a smart traffic lights system with the ramp metering methodology based on the ALINEA algorithm, to evaluate the performance of cloverleaf-like road intersections. The evaluation was carried out in an uneven exchange partial cloverleaf-type of three loops and four direct branches, located in the city of Lima. The evaluation results showed a maximum improvement of 15.8% in average speed, as well as a reduction in average travel time per vehicle of up to 19.1% and an increase in vehicle flow of 30 Veh / h. From these results it is shown that the improvement of these parameters causes a synergy that optimizes the total operation of the cloverleaf.