Simulation of the Impact of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles at a Signalized Intersection

The primary objective of this study is to simulate the potential impacts connected autonomous vehicles (CAVs) may have on traffic flow and delay at a typical urban signalized intersection. Essentially, to use a microscopic traffic simulation software to test future CAV technology within a virtual environment, by examining different levels of CAVs with their associated behaviors across several scenarios to be simulated. This study is testing and simulating the impact of autonomous vehicles compared with conventional vehicles at the signalized intersection. Specifically, we are analyzing and comparing the operations of the signalized intersection when there are only conventional vehicles, conventional vehicles mixed with Autonomous vehicles, and when there are only Autonomous vehicles. Additionally, this study will show how Autonomous vehicles can improve and reduce traffic delay (congestion) by quantifying the extent the intersection can be improved. The most current PTV Vissim 11 software is being used for simulating different percentages of three different types of autonomous vehicles and conventional vehicles in the traffic stream at the intersection. There are three different levels of autonomous vehicles that are already installed in PTV Vissim 11, which are AV cautious, AV normal, and AV all-knowing. All these Autonomous vehicles are being tested in different scenarios in this study. Real data from an existing signalized intersection in the city of Dayton, Ohio are used in the PTV Vissim software simulation. The traffic count data being used in the Vissim network model are for morning and evening peak hours. Moreover, the existing signal timing data for the intersection are being used and signal timing was optimized using Synchro. The results attributes from Vissim outputs to be used to compare different scenarios are travel time, queue delay, queue length, stopped delay, and vehicle delay.https://ecommons.udayton.edu/stander_posters/2694/thumbnail.jp