Evaluation of Adaptive Traffic Signal Control to Improve Pedestrian–Vehicle Interaction at Urban Intersections

Abstract

Urban intersections located near areas with high pedestrian activity often experience elevated traffic demand and significant delays between pedestrians and vehicles, increasing accident risk and travel times. In this context, this study evaluates the effectiveness of an adaptive traffic signal system in reducing pedestrian–vehicle interaction conflicts, considering both formal crossings at intersections and informal pedestrian crossings or non-conventional desire lines located outside designated crosswalks. Three cases were modeled using VISSIM software: (1) Case 1, representing the intersection under existing conditions, with its current geometry and conventional signal control; (2) Case 2, similar to the first, incorporating a geometric redesign and a reorganization of pedestrian and vehicular flows, including bus stop relocation and pedestrian channelization; and (3) Case 3, which maintains the geometric adjustments from Case 2 and introduces an adaptive signal control system with dynamic phase timings based on real-time user demand. The results indicate that Case 1 exhibits the highest levels of delay and conflicts. In Case 2, the geometric redesign reduces conflicts by approximately 40%, but increases vehicular delay by about 25%. Finally, Case 3 achieves a cumulative reduction of nearly 47% in vehicular delay and improves pedestrian flow conditions, demonstrating that adaptive traffic signal control enhances both vehicular mobility and pedestrian safety at formal and informal crossing locations.