Analysis of Maneuver Time due to On-street Parking Near Signalized Intersections

Abstract

The present study analyzes the variation in maneuver time of different vehicle types during on-street parking near signalized intersections with mixed traffic conditions. Traffic engineers frequently overlook this type of maneuver and their impact on a signalized intersection's performance while designing and assessing one. In this study, different type of vehicles, such as car, Two-Wheeler (TW), Autorickshaw (Auto), and Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV), are identified as parked vehicles near an intersection. Data on parking and maneuver time have been gathered from multiple Indian states. In this study, LCVs have the longest average maneuver time (MT) of 12.81 seconds (sec), followed by cars (10.25 sec), auto (7.58 sec), and TW (5.01 sec). According to these observations, maneuvering time (MT) for various types of vehicles operating in mixed traffic conditions vary considerably (5 to 13 sec). Further, the study analyzes vehicle MT among different vehicle classes and different intersections with parking maneuvers in the vicinity. The maneuver time (i.e., the time for which a parking vehicle blocks the traffic) observed in the present study is less than half of the benchmark values typically cited in capacity analysis guidelines. Notably, those conventional benchmarks are often applied uniformly, without differentiation across vehicle categories, approach volumes, or traffic composition. The outcomes of the current study will be useful for transportation planners to evaluate the performance of signalized intersections considering the effect of parking in the vicinity.