Dynamic Lane Configuration Treatment at Signalized Intersections in Bangkok, Thailand

• Authored by:  Vasin Kiattikomol
• Event:  2016 International Conference S. Africa

Dynamic Lane Configuration Treatment at Signalized Intersections in Bangkok, Thailand – Vasin Kiattikomol, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Thailand        
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Managing traffic congestion at highly congested urban intersections has been known very challenging. In Bangkok, Thailand, where the driving-on-the-left-side-of-the-road applies, right-turn traffic is typically considered the most critical movement at intersections. Various countermeasures have been used depending on the local traffic and physical conditions. A dynamic lane configuration is among the many options that has been implemented at major intersections in Bangkok where additional right-turn lane is required during the peak hours. The dynamic lane treatment converts one through lane to a right-turn lane which results in either dual- or triple-turn lanes configuration. The operational performance and requirements of the dynamic lane application have not been known to a large degree. The aim of this study is to evaluate operational effects of the dynamic lane treatment at signalized intersections under various conditions through a simulation approach. VISSIM simulation model was used to assess performance measures in terms of the overall travel delay and the maximum queue length. Local traffic data and the intersection profile were collected at the intersection of Suk Sawat Road and Pracha Uthit Road located in suburban area of Bangkok. The analysis results suggest that the fully functioned dynamic lane application could reduce the overall intersection delay and the maximum queue length for the applied direction by up to 27.1% and 59%, respectively. In addition, it is found that a lane management for the receiving leg was the key success for the dynamic lane operations. In this study, the auxiliary lane was used to smooth out the transition between the three right-turn lanes and the two receiving lanes during the lane conversion. The known operational effects from this study can put forward recommendations for effectively implementing dynamic lane configuration as an alternative treatment at signalized intersections.