D92 Civil Engineering in Transport ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE
© 2022 UNIVERSITY OF ZILINA COMMUNICATIONS 24 (2) D92-D104
MODIFICATION IN HCM DELAY MODEL FOR ROUNDABOUT
FOR MIXED TRAFFIC CONDITIONS - A PILOT STUDY
Asir Khan, Ashish Dhamaniya*, Shriniwas Arkatkar
Civil Engineering Department, Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology, Surat, India
*E-mail of corresponding author: adhamaniya@ced.svnit.ac.in
Resume
Roundabouts have proven to be an effective intersection design method
for smooth traffic flow movements and improved safety. Previous studies
show that VISSIM, commercial traffic simulation software, can be used
as a proficient tool for modeling and efficiently analyzing roundabouts.
This paper focuses on developing a methodology for modeling roundabouts
in India using VISSIM. Three typical roundabouts were chosen from
the northern part of India. Calibration and validation of the model were
performed to ensure the correctness of the model. The average delay and
volume to capacity ratio (v/c ratio) were compared for developing the level of
service (LOS) thresholds for Indian conditions. The thresholds are compared
with existing guidelines provided by the HCM 2010 and AUSTROADS. In
addition, the methodology for determining modification factors for applying
HCM 2010 delay model in Indian traffic conditions is defined.
Article info
Received 17 September 2021
Accepted 15 December 2021
Online 10 February 2022
Keywords:
roundabouts,
simulation modeling,
critical gap,
PCU,
delay,
level of service
Available online: https://doi.org/10.26552/com.C.2022.2.D92-D104
ISSN 1335-4205 (print version)
ISSN 2585-7878 (online version)
number of the standard roundabouts, which could help
in understanding and analyzing traffic behavior. Hence,
Simulation is widely acknowledged as one of the most
effective approaches for modelling the traffic flow in
heterogeneous conditions. The VISSIM is a widely used
micro-simulation software that helps to model various
roadway facilities. Since VISSIM imparts provision for
creating links without lane discipline, the developed
model can be admissible to represent Indian roadway
conditions.
Most discussions, related to roundabout or network
modelling, call attention to the need for addressing the
calibration and validation of roundabouts. Calibration
can be performed by changing the conflict areas or
priority rules, speed distribution and fine-tuning is
attained by changing driving behavior parameters [2].
The reliability of the model thus developed is examined
by validation of the results obtained from the model.
Validation can be done by considering microscopic and/
or macroscopic parameters. The model used in the
study has been validated using the microscopic and
macroscopic parameters of the traffic flow.
Performance evaluation is essential for the
effectiveness of a facility. Delay can be feasibly considered
as a critical performance measure of roundabouts. It is
the extra time spent by vehicles before clearing the
intersection. Delay results in the loss of time to the
vehicle’s occupants, increased fuel consumption and
additional air pollution [3-4]. This delay value considers
the extra time that an average vehicle encounters
1 Introduction
The presence of vehicles of various kinds with
significantly diverse physical and operational features
characterizes traffic in developing countries like India,
which is essentially random and haphazard. Apart from
that, moving vehicles might take up any convenient
lateral position on the road without any regard for
the lane discipline. The current state of traffic adds
to the safety concerns at intersections. A roundabout
may reduce delays and enable safer movements under
moderate traffic conditions as the traffic flow merges and
diverges at comparatively small angles and lower speeds
[1]. A higher degree of safety is achieved partially due
to a reduction in the speed of the vehicles entering
the roundabout. Typically, at signalized intersections,
vehicles waiting for the green light do not stop the
engine and hence, besides safety, roundabouts provide
an advantage of reduced pollution at intersections
since the waiting time is comparatively very small
for the entering vehicles. However, the movement of
traffic and vehicular interactions at the roundabout
has been a major concern to the researchers since the
parameters of the traffic flow have a major impact on
efficiency of any road facility. Hence, for planning safe
and efficient movements, understanding the operational
performance of roundabouts is essential. This warrants
the need for analyzing a multitude of roundabouts in
terms of geometric and traffic conditions. Developing
countries like India, face challenges due to inadequate