PLATOON MOVEMENT OF TRAFFIC FROM AN ISOLATED SIGNALIZED INTERSECTION

THE PAPER DISCUSSES AN INVESTIGATION OF THE EXTENT TO WHICH MOTOR VEHICLES REMAIN BUNCHED TOGETHER WHEN TRAVELING FREELY DOWN A SEMI-EXPRESSWAY TYPE OF FACILITY AFTER HAVING BEEN FORMED INTO PLATOONS BY AN ISOLATED SIGNALIZED INTERSECTION. OBSERVATIONS OF SPACE-TIME DATA WERE MADE AT FIVE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS DOWNSTREAM FROM A SIGNALIZED INTERSECTION AT DISTANCES UP TO 0.65 MI. THE SUBSEQUENT ANALYSIS SHOWS THAT A DEFINITE PATTERN OF VEHICLE PERFORMANCE PREVAILS, AND A METHOD IS SUGGESTED FOR COORDINATING THE TIMING OF A SECOND TRAFFIC SIGNAL, PLACED AT ANY DISTANCE UP TO 0.65 MI, TO AFFORD LESS DELAY TO THE TRAFFIC STREAM THAN IF THE SIGNAL WERE ALLOWED TO OPERATE IN SOME ENTIRELY RANDOM MANNER. /AUTHOR/