Transit Signal Priority Strategies Optimization at Intersections Considering the Capacity Drop Caused by Lane-Changing Behavior

Transit signal priority strategy has a positive effect on improving traffic efficiency and level of service in the urban area. This paper focuses on transit signal priority (TSP) optimization regarding the effect of capacity drop in lane-changing areas. A passenger-based TSP optimization method for minimizing the total passenger delay at the basic unit (defined as intersection and upstream bus stop) is developed, and capacity drop is calculated based on the VISSIM-based simulation platform. Then, the performance of proposed optimization model for decreasing passenger delay of an experimental segment along Longpan Boulevard in Nanjing, China is simulated by the VISSIM software platform. Compared with the traditional TSP scenario, the proposed optimization model considering the effect of capacity drop in lane-changing areas presents promising outcomes in the design of transit priority signal control regarding decreasing passenger delay for the urban transit system.