Transit-Based Emergency Evacuation with Transit Signal Priority in Sudden-Onset Disaster

Abstract

This study presents methods of transit signal priority without transit-only lanes for a transit-based emergency evacuation in a sudden-onset disaster. Arterial priority signal coordination is optimized when a traffic signal control system provides priority signals for transit vehicles along an evacuation route. Transit signal priority is determined by “transit vehicle arrival time estimation,” “queuing vehicle dissipation time estimation,” “traffic signal status estimation,” “transit signal optimization,” and “arterial traffic signal coordination for transit vehicle in evacuation route.” It takes advantage of the large capacities of transit vehicles, reduces the evacuation time, and evacuates as many evacuees as possible. The proposed methods were tested on a simulation platform with Paramics V6.0. To evaluate and compare the performance of transit signal priority, three scenarios were simulated in the simulator. The results indicate that the methods of this study can reduce the travel times of transit vehicles along an evacuation route by 13% and 10%, improve the standard deviation of travel time by 16% and 46%, and decrease the average person delay at a signalized intersection by 22% and 17% when the traffic flow saturation along an evacuation route is0.8<V/C≤1.0andV/C>1.0, respectively.

Simulation Optimization of Discrete Logistics Processes: A Case Study on Logistics of an E-Commerce Enterprise in Shanghai

“…The bus signal priority dominated by four factors which could evacuate personnel and lessen time as much as possible. Paramics is utilized to simulate this method which is better than the other methods [11]. Thies et al studied the effects of resources sharing on potential savings in logistics industry through a model of discrete instances and the resource utilization in installation stage of offshore wind energy generator based on Agent.…”