Pedestrian Timing Alternatives and Impacts on Coordinated Signal Systems Under Split-Phasing Operations

Abstract

Split phasing can sometimes be more efficient in serving vehicular traffic under certain geometric and traffic flow conditions, such as the case in which a high volume of left-turning traffic is served from a sharedlane configuration. However, pedestrian crossing-time requirements can have a significant impact on intersection operations, especially in coordinated signal systems. Various alternatives for providing pedestrian timings under split-phasing operations are presented. The advantages and disadvantages, implementation strategies, and potential impact on intersection operations, especially on coordinated signal systems, are addressed with regard to each timing alternative. Further, the concept of the two-stage crossing design and the use of an exclusive pedestrian phase under split-phasing operations are investigated. The proposed model can be used to determine when exclusive pedestrian phasing can actually improve operational efficiency.