Effect of Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon Signal on Operational Performance Measures at the Mid-block Location and Adjacent Signalized Intersection

Abstract

Pedestrian hybrid beacon (PHB) signals, formerly known as High-intensity Activated crossWalK (HAWK) signals, are used at mid-block crosswalk locations to assist pedestrians safely cross high traffic volume/high-speed/multi-lane roads. The PHB signals help decrease pedestrian crashes and increase their safety. However, interrupting the flow of traffic and bringing vehicles to a complete stop at mid-block crosswalk locations could increase delay and reduce operational performance, in particular, along coordinated signal corridors. The reduction in the operational performance may extend to downstream and upstream intersections, making it overall operationally ineffective. This study focuses on evaluating the effect of PHB signals on operational performance measures at the mid-block crosswalk location as well as the adjacent signalized intersection. VISSIM traffic microsimulation software was used to compute the delay and maximum queue length at three different PHB signal locations and their adjacent signalized intersections in Charlotte, North Carolina. The effect of an increase in pedestrian volume and traffic volume on delay and maximum queue length at each PHB signal location and adjacent signalized intersection was studied. Further, the effect of the distance between a PHB signal location and the nearest signalized intersection on delay and maximum queue length was also studied. The findings indicate that a PHB signal location nearer to a signalized intersection has a significant effect on delay and maximum queue length at the signalized intersection. As the distance of the PHB signal location from the signalized intersection increases, delay decreases. Further, an increase in the pedestrian volume and traffic volume will increase delay and maximum queue length at the PHB signal location and adjacent signalized intersection only up to some extent.