Traffic Optimization for Signalized Corridor (TOSCo) Applications Can Reduce Vehicle Stop Delays by Approximately 50 Percent in Large Metropolitan Areas Where V2I and V2V Technology Market Penetration Increases.

Simulation Model Evaluated Delay Reductions on the FM 1960 Corridor in Houston Using TOSCo Systems.

Date Posted
04/28/2023
Identifier
2023-B01741
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Traffic Optimization for Signalized Corridors (TOSCo) Phase 2 Modeling & Benefits Estimation Final Report – FM 1960

Summary Information

The Traffic Optimization for Signalized Corridors (TOSCo) system is a set of innovative applications that aim to enhance traffic flow and reduce vehicle emissions on signalized arterial roadways. It employs vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications with intersection geometry, signal phase, and timing and queue information to evaluate vehicle queues and cooperatively control the behavior of equipped vehicles approaching signalized intersections to minimize the likelihood of stopping and improve traffic efficiency. This study evaluated the mobility and environmental impacts of TOSCo on the FM 1960 corridor in Houston, Texas using a microscopic simulation model. The corridor was seven miles long and included 13 intersections.

METHODOLOGY

The study used an off-the-shelf traffic simulation software, and calibrated the model based on travel time data available through the National Performance Management Research Data Set (NPMRDS) analytics website. The study estimated the performance of TOSCo under different market penetration rates (MPR) in two different simulation environments. First, it analyzed various TOSCo settings in a single intersection model of one of the intersections along FM 1960. Next, the study adopted these settings when analyzing TOSCo using the simulation model of the whole corridor and compared these results with those ran by default TOSCo settings. The study used the following performance metrics at each intersection: (i) Total Delay per vehicle, (ii) Stop Delay per vehicle, (iii) Number of Stops per vehicle, (iv) Total Travel Time and (v) Fuel usage. The internal emissions model of the simulation software was used to calculate the fuel usage at each intersection. The study calculated the user costs which included travel time and fuel costs, by using the value of time parameters from the USDOT Value of Travel Time Guidance and the average fuel cost per gallon in Texas.

FINDINGS

  • TOSCo was able to achieve reductions in stop delay and the number of stops with both default and revised TOSCo settings. Stop delay decreased by around 50 percent across the corridor as TOSCo MPRs increased.
  • Under the default TOSCo settings, while fuel costs decreased from $2,769 in zero MPR to $2,412 in 100 percent MPR, total user costs remained nearly constant between the baseline ($6,156) and 100 percent MPR ($6,091) as travel time costs increased from $3,387 to $3,679 at zero to 100 percent MPR. This was, in part, due to an increase in stops observed by non-TOSCo vehicles in response to TOSCo behavior at low speeds. The study considered this behavior specific to the simulation and not a direct representation of observed driving behavior.
  • A similar pattern also presented for the revised setting of TOSCo. The revised TOSCo settings produced a decrease in total delay in both directions until MPRs reached 70 and 90 percent. Some intersections, especially the closely spaced ones, experienced increases in total delay at extreme MPRs.
  • Under the revised TOSCo settings, while fuel costs decreased from $2,769 (at zero MPR) to $2,512 (at 100 percent MPR) total user costs increased slightly between the baseline ($6,156) and 100 percent MPR ($6,420) as travel time costs increased from $3,387 to $3,908 from zero to 100 percent MPR.
     

Traffic Optimization for Signalized Corridors (TOSCo) Phase 2 Modeling & Benefits Estimation Final Report – FM 1960

Traffic Optimization for Signalized Corridors (TOSCo) Phase 2 Modeling & Benefits Estimation Final Report – FM 1960
Source Publication Date
06/30/2022
Author
Florence, D.; S. Ziyadidegan; X. Guo; K. Balke; S. Hussain; T. Naes; N. Probert; V. Kumar; T. Yumak; R. Deering; and R.Goudy
Publisher
Prepared by Crash Avoidance Metrics Partners for USDOT
Other Reference Number
Report No. FHWA-JPO-22-958
Results Type
Deployment Locations