Estimating control delays at signalised intersections using low-resolution transit bus-based global positioning system data

Intersection control delay is one of the most important performance indicators for evaluating the traffic level of service and intersection capacities. In current traffic data detection infrastructure, control delay is not directly measurable. Although video-based detection approaches have been applied, their detection accuracy and reliability are constrained by application conditions and detection environments. Manual control delay data collection is labour-intensive, tedious, and time-consuming. High-resolution global positioning system (GPS) data provide an effective means of estimating control delays at intersections, but computationally intensive algorithms and hardware support are needed to handle a large network and impede their wide applications. In this study, a computationally cost-effective control delay estimation algorithm is developed based on low-resolution GPS-based transit bus trajectory data. Transit bus travelling behaviour is formulated to facilitate delay estimation. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is examined and verified by the field data and the results indicate that the proposed algorithm provides accurate and reliable control delay estimation at intersections under various conditions.