TRAFFIC S

SIGNAL
GOURAB SAHA
Asst. Professor
School of Civil Engineering
Lovely Professional
University
Introductio
n
Traffic signals are used for controlling
streams of vehicular & pedestrian traffic
in a systematic way.
Traffic lights, also known as traffic
signals are signaling devices positioned
at road intersections, pedestrian
crossings and other locations to control
competing flows of traffic. Traffic lights
were first installed in 1868 in London
and are now used all over the world.
Why Traffic
Signals?
• Conflicting traffic movements, make roadway
intersections unsafe for vehicles and
pedestrians.

• Intersections are a major source of crashes and

vehicle delay (as vehicles yield to avoid conflicts with
other vehicles).
Signalised
Intersection
ADVANTAGES OF
TRAFFIC
• They can provide for an orderly
SIGNALS
movement of traffic.
• Increase the traffic handling capacity
of the intersection.
• They can reduce the frequency of
certain types of accidents.
• They can be coordinated to provide for
continuous movement of traffic at a
definite speed along a given route.
• They can be used to interrupt heavy
traffic at intervals to permit other traffic-
vehicular or pedestrian-to cross.
• Traffic signals dispense with police
control & thus can be economical.
DISADVANTAGES
• Excessive delay to vehicles may be caused.
• Unwarranted signal installation tend to encourage
the disobedience of the signal indications
• Drivers may use less adequate & less safe routes to
avoid delays at signals.
• Accident frequency may increase
• When installations break down, total confusion and
difficulties arise.
SIGNAL
INDICATIONS
The types, meaning and sequence of
signal indications vary in different
countries.
1. BRITISH PRACTICE:-
2. AMERICAN PRACTICE
3. INDIAN PRACTICE
 SIGNAL
FACE
• The minimum number of lenses in
signal face is three- red, amber and
green, and
the maximum number in American practice
is five.
DEFINITIONS AND
NOTATIONS
Cycle:
A signal cycle is one complete rotation through all of the
indications provided.

Cycle Cycle length is the time in seconds that it takes

signal
length: a full cycle of indications. It indicates the time
to complete one
interval between the starting of of green for one approach till the
next time the green starts. It is denoted by C.
Cycle length (C ) = Green time + Amber time + Red time + Amber
time
Phase:
Phase is defined as the sequence of conditions applied to one or more
streams of traffic which, during the cycle, receive simultaneous
identical signal indication. It allows a set of movements to flow and
safely halt the flow before the phase of another set of movements
start.

Lost time:
It indicates the time during which the intersection is not effectively
utilized for any movement. For example, when the signal for an
approach turns from red to green, the driver of the vehicle which is
in the front of the queue, will take some time to perceive the signal
(usually called as reaction time) and some time will be lost here
before he moves.
The lost time L can be understood
with the fol owing diagram
STARTING DELAY
DISCHARGE
RATE OF

EFFECTIVE GREEN
AMBER
PERIOD
The amber interval is a transition interval between termination of
related green movement & exhibition of a red indication
(“Clearance amber”) or b/w termination of a red indication &
commencement of related green movement (“Initial Amber”). As
per IRC guidelines, amber time is 2 sec
Ambe
r:
There are two types of ambers –
1) Initial interval ( R to G)
2) clearance interval ( G to R)

Clearance amber is also called the yellow time which

comes in between the green and red signal indications for a signal
phase.
Initial amber is called the yellow time which comes in
between the red and green signal indication for a signal phase.
 Types of
signal
 Fixed time signals are those in which the cycle lengths
are predetermined and of fixed duration.
 Vehicle actuated signals are those in which the green
periods vary and are related to the actual demands made
by traffic.
 Semi-vehicle actuated signals are those in which the right of
way rests with the main road & detectors are located only
on side roads.
Sr. TYPE ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
N
o
1 Fixed time • Simple in construction • Inflexible
• Relatively inexpensive •Require careful
•Most successfully used in setting.
linked systems

• Flexible & able to change • Expensive

2 Vehicle
Actuated automatically •Cannot provide
•Delay is held to a min & signal
max capacity is coordination
achieved.
3 Semi- Useful for junction of a Causes high accident
vehicle side street having low rates at times of
Actuated traffic volume with a main light traffic.
street having heavy flow.
 DETERMINATION OF OPTIMUM
CYCLE LENGTH & SIGNAL
SETTINGS
Determination of cycle time:
• Main consideration in selecting the cycle time should be
that the least delay is caused to the traffic passing through
the intersection.
• Proportion of time lost to the cycle time. i.e if the cycle time
is small, the proportion of the time lost to the cycle time
will be high, resulting in an inefficient signal operation and
lengthy delays.
• On the other hand if the cycle is large the proportion of time lost
to the cycle time will be small & the signal operation will be
more efficient.
• At the same time if the cycle time is too large then there is a
chance that a good portion of the green time will be used by
unsaturated traffic flow, which again leads to inefficiency
• For each traffic flow volume there is an optimum cycle time
which results in the min delay to the vehicles.
• As per IRC guidelines, amber times can be assumed 2 sec for
signal design
Optimum cycle
length
The following equation for the optimum cycle
time has been obtained:
C0 = 1.5 L + 5
seconds 1 – Y
Where,
C0=optimum cycle time
L = Total lost time per cycl
Y = y1+y2+……..+yn e
y1,y2…….are the max ratio of flow to
saturation flow for phases 1,2,
…..n
• The total lost time due to starting delays per cycle=nl, if there
are n phases in a cycle.
• Again ‘R’ the time during each cycle when all signals display red
signal also contributes to the total lost time.
• Therefore total lost time
L = nl + R
Y
value
• The value of Y is the sum of y values for each phase. Each
phase will handle one or more intersection, each approach
having its own traffic flow and saturation flow. For that the y
value for the phases may be taken as the highest ratio of
traffic flow to saturation flow
g1,g2,……...gn= Effective green times allotted to phases 1,2,
….n respectively
y1,y2,………yn= Max of y values
= Flow/Saturation flow
= q/ s
(for phases 1,2,….n respectively)
Saturation
Flow
• The optimum cycle time obtained from the equation may
be very short under light traffic conditions
• Saturation Flow- The method of measuring the saturation
flow is,
s = 525 w
PCU/hour s=saturation flow
w=width of
approach road in meters
Signal
design
Problem 1: A fixed time 2 phase signal is to be provided
at an intersection having a North-South and an East-
West road where only straight ahead traffic is
permitted. The design hour flows and the saturation
flow from the various arms are-
Nort Sout East
Design hour h 800 h West
flow Saturation 2400 400 750 600
flow 2000 3000 3000
Calculate the optimum cycle time and green time for
minimum overall delay. Total lost time= 8 sec. Draw time
diagram.
 WARRANTS FOR
SIGNALS
• Generally there is certain criteria for deciding for installation
of signals. Hence IRC has laid down the following warrants,
one or more of which must be met with before signals can
be installed:
• Warrant 1:MINIMUM VEHICULAR VOLUME-
The traffic volume on the major street & the high volume
minor street for each of any 8 hours of an average day
should be equal to the values as indicated
 MINIMUM VEHICULAR
VOLUME
No. of lanes on Veh. Per Veh. Per
each approach hour on hour on
Major street Minor street major minor
street street

1 1 650 200
2 or more 1 800 200
2 or more 2 or more 800 250
1 2 or more 650 250
Warrant
2• Interruption of continuous traffic:
The traffic volume on the major street & the higher
volume minor street for each of any 8 hours of an average
day should be equal to the values as indicated
Interruption of continuous
traffic
No. of lanes on Veh. Per Veh. Per
each approach hour on hour on
Major street Minor street major minor
street street

1 1 1000 100
2 or more 1 1200 100
2 or more 2 or more 1200 150
1 2 or more 1000 150
Warrant
3
◉ Minimum pedestrian volume:
For each of any 8 hours of an average day the following traffic
volume must exist:
i. On the major street, 600 or more vehicles per hour enter the
intersection(both approaches); or where there is a raised
median island 1.2m or more in width, 1000 or more vehicles
per hour(both direction) enter the intersection
ii. During the same 8 hrs as above, there are 150 or more
pedestrian per hr on the highest vol cross-walk crossing the
major street
WARRANT
4
◉ ACCIDENT EXPERIENCE:
The accident experience warrant is satisfied when:
i. Adequate trail of less restrictive remedies with satisfactory
observance and enforcement have failed to
reduce frequency.
accident the
ii. 5 or more accidents of types susceptible of corrections by
traffic signal control have occurred within a period of 12
months, each accident involving personal injury or property
damage to an apparent extent of Rs 2000 or more
iii. signal installation will not seriously disrupt traffic flow.
The
CO-ORDINATED CONTROL OF
SIGNALS
NEED FOR COORDINATED CONTROL:-
For signals that are closely spaced, it is necessary to
coordinate the green time so that vehicles may move
efficiently through the set of signals. In some cases, two
signals are so closely spaced that they should be considered
to be one signal. In other cases, the signals are so far apart
that they may be considered independently.
Objectives of signal co-ordination:
The coordination of signals is sought for with the
following objectives in view:
 To pass the max amount of traffic without enforced
halts.
 To have min overall delay to traffic streams, both in the
main & side roads
 To prevent the queue of vehicle at one intersection
from extending and reaching the next intersection.
Inter Green time: The time interval between the initiation of
green time at different phase of an intersection.

Offset time: The time interval between the initiation of green time
at the successive intersections on same phase.
 TYPES OF COORDINATED
SIGNAL SYSTEM
1. SIMULTANEOUS SYSTEM/ SYNCHRONISED SYSTEM
2. ALTERNATE SYSTEM/ LIMITED PROGRESSIVE
SYSTEM
3. SIMPLE PROGRESSIVE SYSTEM
4. FLEXIBLE PROGRESSIVE SYSTEM