Comparing Actuated and Bid-based Control Strategies

Abstract

In this paper we explore some fundamental differences between control strategies modeled based on economic theory principles as opposed to more traditional control theory principles. More specifically, we explored differences between our bid-based control model and various actuated control models. The comparisons include situations where maximum greens are imposed in actuated control, and situations where they are not. To incorporate these ideas, two bid-based (b1, and b2)and four actuated (a1, a2, a3, and a4) control options are considered. Simulation experiments have been conducted to test these ideas for an intersection with two one-way, onelane approaches, one eastbound and one northbound. Here are some of the inferences that can be drawn: 1) with actuated control, vehicles on the NB approach, with the larger volumes, always experience higher delays than the EB approach, while the differences between the NB and EB approaches are less significant for bid-based control; 2) Actuated control scenarios where maximum green are imposed (a2, a4) produced lower delay distributions than the scenarios where they are not imposed (a1, a3); 3) it is possible to find a combination of max-greens for a given flow condition that allow the actuated controller to match the performance (at least in terms of delays) of bid-based control; 4)bid-based control produced cycle length distributions that are smaller than those produced by various actuated control models; 5)Actuated control scenarios where maximum green are imposed (a2, a4) produced lower cycle length distributions than the scenarios where they are not imposed (a1, a3).