Longitudinal Performance Assessment of Traffic Signal System Impacted by Long-Term Interstate Construction Diversion Using Connected Vehicle Data

Saldivar-Carranza, Enrique D.; Hunter, Margaret; Li, Howell; Mathew, Jijo; Bullock, Darcy M. · 2021 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.4236/jtts.2021.114040

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Summary

This study addresses the challenge of monitoring traffic signal performance on local arterials impacted by long-term interstate construction diversions. When major interchanges close, vehicles often divert to unofficial detour routes via personal navigation devices, causing significant congestion on local streets that lack sufficient sensing infrastructure for traditional performance monitoring. The authors aim to demonstrate that commercially available Connected Vehicle (CV) trajectory data can provide scalable, infrastructure-independent performance measures to help agencies identify degraded operations and prioritize tactical adjustments. The research focuses on a case study in Indianapolis, Indiana, following the May 15, 2021, closure of the I-65/70 interchange (North Split), which normally serves approximately 214,000 vehicles daily. The authors analyzed 13 intersections along West Street, a parallel arterial serving as an alternative route. Using private sector CV trajectory data from May 3 to July 16, 2021, the study processed over 130,000 vehicle trajectories and 2 million GPS points. The data, featuring a 3-second reporting interval and 1.5-meter positional accuracy, was used to calculate five key performance measures: volume, split failures, downstream blockage, arrivals on green, and travel times. The analysis compared performance metrics before and after the closure, with specific focus on the afternoon peak period (15:00–18:00). The results indicate a severe degradation in corridor performance following the closure. During the afternoon peak, sampled volumes increased by 455% for northbound traffic and 148% for southbound traffic. Consequently, median southbound travel times increased by 74%, rising from 5.4 to 8.5 minutes, while northbound median travel times rose by 19%. Operational metrics revealed a 3% increase in split failures, indicating signals operating at overcapacity, and a 10% increase in downstream blockage, suggesting queue spillback from downstream intersections. Additionally, arrivals on green decreased by 16%, highlighting a loss in signal coordination. The analysis identified Intersection 8 (West St @ Washington St) as a critical bottleneck causing upstream congestion through queue spillback. The study concludes that CV trajectory data offers a viable framework for assessing traffic signal performance at hundreds of locations without requiring on-site sensing equipment. This approach allows transportation agencies to detect specific operational failure modes, such as saturation or coordination issues, and identify critical intersections affecting the broader network. The findings provide a scalable method for agencies to make informed decisions regarding tactical retiming and long-term infrastructure investments in response to work zone diversions.

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• work zones