TOPIC

Effective green time and optimum cycle time

of traffic signal, average vehicle delay at
signalized intersection, traffic signal
coordination and linkage
 Effective green time
Effective green time is the actual time available for the
vehicles to cross the intersection. It is the sum of actual
green time (Gi) plus the yellow minus the applicable lost
times. This lost time is the sum of start-up lost time (l1)
and clearance lost time (l2) denoted as tL

gi = Gi+ Yi − tL
 Lost time
Starting lost time: the time interval between the
commencement of green and the commencement of
effective green.

End lost time: the time interval between the termination of

effective green and the termination of the amber period
EXAMPLE
• Let the cycle time of an intersection is 60 seconds, the
green time for a phase is 27 seconds, and the
corresponding yellow time is 4 seconds. If the saturation
headway is 2.4 seconds per vehicle, and the start-up lost
time is 3 seconds per phase, find the capacity of the
movement per lane?
effective green time, gi = Gi+ Yi − tL = gi = 27+4-3 = 28
seconds.
Cycle & Cycle length

• Cycle: A signal cycle is one complete rotation through all

of the indications provided.

• Cycle length is the time in seconds that it takes a signal

to complete one full cycle of indications. It indicates the
time interval between the starting of of green for one
approach till the next time the green starts. It is denoted
by C.
Optimum Cycle Time for an Intersection (Co)
• The O.C.T. depends on traffic conditions.
The cycle time is longer when the
intersection is heavily trafficked
• Degree of trafficking
How to determine the optimum cycle
time (Co)?
• The Road Research Technical Paper 39 showed that the optimum
cycle time (Co) can be determined by an empirical equation at a
sufficient degree of approximation.

• Where: L is the total lost time per cycle. Y is the sum of the
maximum y value for all phases comprising the cycle as explained
above.
Calculating the optimum cycle time step by step