VISSIM Microsimulation Analysis of Truck Signal Priority

Freight transportation is an important element supporting the Canadian economy. For example, the Region of Peel in Ontario generates more than 48% of all industrial and commercial taxes from transportation and logistics industries. These goods are transported by approximately 68,000 trucks in the region every day. It is estimated that these truck trips will grow by 71% from the years 2016 to 2026. However, the economic benefits are offset by additional traffic congestion and environmental costs due to harmful emissions. In 2015, the transportation sector trailed closely behind the oil and gas sector as the largest producer of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at 24% and 27% of the total national emissions, respectively. Truck signal priority (TkSP) can be considered one viable technological option to help improve truck mobility and reduce vehicular pollution without major capital investments. In addition, there is recent evidence that TkSP can provide this performance improvement without substantially reducing passenger vehicle mobility in certain circumstances. The TkSP approach achieves more efficient truck movements by reducing the number of stops and overall traffic congestion. Similar to transit signal priority, strategies can include early green lights, green light extensions, and additional signal phases such as protected left turns. The strategies are employed using actuated detectors to identify approaching trucks at the intersection. These detectors are installed at an optimal distance to provide enough time for the truck to benefit from the adjusted signal timing. As a result, the signal timing allows a greater number of truck to pass the intersection without stopping. The signal priority strategies are tested using PTV Vissim software to create microsimulations at several intersections in the Region of Peel. The performance of each intersection is evaluated using selected measures of effectiveness and sensitivity analyses to identify the most appropriate situations for TkSP.