Identifying the Influence Area of Urban Signalized, All-Way Stop-Controlled, and Roundabout Intersections for All Movement Types

Abstract

The influence area of an intersection is the region where it affects both upstream and downstream traffic flow. Traffic flow may be influenced by factors such as queue formation, maneuvering, and drivers’ perception of required actions in response to surrounding stimuli. Understanding the boundaries of the influence area is crucial, because it can improve traffic operations, enhance safety analysis, and support data-driven design and control strategies for various types of intersections. This study aims to identify the influence area of different intersection types by incorporating the perception-reaction decision distance (PRD), and maneuver and queue-storage distance (MQD), as the primary contributing factors to its extent. The intersections examined in this analysis include a signalized intersection, a three-leg all-way stop-controlled (AWSC) intersection, and a three-leg single-lane roundabout intersection. The analysis addresses not only through movements but also all turning movements. The PRD calculation uses reaction time data to determine the influence an intersection exerts on a driver’s overall reaction. The MQD identification process involves measuring observed speed variations along vehicle trajectories. These two components together define the study’s identified influence area. High-resolution vehicle trajectory data (HRVTD) were employed to ensure accurate capture of vehicle behaviors within the influence area for each intersection type. The more detailed segment of data, with a temporal granularity of 3 s, provided a penetration rate of 2%–3% when compared with annual average daily traffic (AADT). The results underscore the importance of considering all movement types. Additionally, the PRD can account for up to 30.58% of the total influence distance at intersections, highlighting its critical role in defining the influence area of intersections.