Combined Traffic Signal Control and Traffic Assignment : Algorithms, Implementation and Numerical Results

Traffic signal setting policies and traffic assignment procedures are mutually dependent. The combined signal control and traffic assignment problem deals with this interaction. With the total travel time minimization objective, gradient based local search methods are implemented. Deterministic user equilibrium is the selected user route choice rule, Webster's delay curve is the link performance function, and green time per cycle ratios are decision variables. Three implemented solution codes resulting in six variations include intersections operating under multiphase operation with overlapping traffic movements. For reference, the iterative approach is also coded and all codes are tested in four example networks at five demand levels. The results show the numerical gradient estimation procedure performs best although the simplified local searches show reducing the large network computational burden. Demand level as well as network size affects the relative performance of the local and iterative approaches. As demand level becomes higher, (1) in the small network, the local search tends to outperform the iterative search and (2) in the large network, vice versa.