Page 82 - Traffic Infra Tech

ITS

Smart Signal

Control Strategy

During the past two-three decades developed countries experienced major
technological developments in traffic control. Sadly, their established traffic
signal optimization proved ineffective and very expensive for changing the

infrastructure in developing countries. The big percentage of two and three-
wheelers and especially the non-lane based behaviour make the correct detection
of traffic demand with conventional loop or video sensors very difficult, if not
impossible. PTV Group chose to follow a three-fold approach with existing

infrastructure and heterogeneous traffic behaviour. 1. Using a video based
detection specifically tuned for non-lane based traffic 2. Ability to provide
intelligence to the existing signal controller and 3. Test and enhance signal
strategy using microsimulation before adapting signal time. Only after seeing

several results in microsimulation, PTV installed its system on ground in India’s
first planned city - Chandigarh using PTV Epics and PTV Balance. The Key
Performance indicators like traffic flow, travel time, queue length, number of stops,
speed and average delay have been compared with pre- and post-installation.

eveloping countries are way too far to PTV Epics
accept lane based traffic movement due
to too many transport system. Also, PTV EPICS (Entire Priority Intersection Control System)
developing countries have a lot of slow analyses traffic conditions locally and determines the
Dmoving vehicles. By keeping all the factors best control option to improve traffic operation on all
into consideration and keeping in line with the past approaches. The model-based control system decides in
development, PTV Epics was developed to address most seconds whether a phase should be omitted, shortened or
of the traffic related problems locally at the intersection lengthened, or if the phase sequence should be changed.
level, whereas PTV Balance looks for an area wide It estimates the traffic conditions for 100 seconds into
optimization to reduce traffic congestion on major streets future, based on real time detector data, current queue
for a non-lane and heterogeneous traffic. The detection length, and cyclic flow profile. Then it uses its internal
technology determines the total demand to the junction model to evaluate the different control options before
for optimizing traffic lights. We propose video based applying the best one. In this process, it takes all modes
detection technology which take into accounts all the of transport into account - from individual motorized
vehicle crossing the defined area across full width of an transport and pedestrians to prioritizing public transport.
approaching road. In operation, PTV Epics accesses the camera data for the

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