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APPENDIX G DESCRIPTION OF SOFTWARE FOR IMPLEMENTATION AND TESTING OF THE PROPOSED ANALYTICAL MODEL The procedure for modeling traffic-actuated control developed under NIP Project 3-48 contains a number of analytically complex and iterative steps that do not lend themselves to manual computa- tions. Therefore an analysis program called ACT3-48 was developed in this study as a too! to provide for demonstration and testing ofthe model. This program is used by itselfto analyze isolated traff~c-actuated operation. For coordinated operation involving traffic-actuated controllers on an arsenal street, a separate program caned NONACT was developed to execute the ACT3-~S program iteratively to force the timing plan to converge to a background cycle length. Both programs were developed with no user interface. All of the required input data are obtained Tom an existing general purpose intersection data entry and editing program called WHICH. This program was chosen because it offered the filll capability for entry and editing of the operating param- eters for traffic-actuated control. It was also developed using the same programming language tools as the Highway Capacity Software TICS). This will greatly facilitate the integration of the proposed mode! into the HCS. AD ofthe software required for the analysis oftraffic-actuated control with the NCHRP Project 3-48 mode! is included on a disk that accompanies this paper. The purpose of the paper is to descnbe the software and to provide instructions for its use. This matenal is intended for the use of the NCHRP 348 Project Panel. A version of the WHICH program is included, courtesy of McTrans, for data entry arid program execution. Reviewers should note that WHICH is an existing software integrator and not a product ofthis project. SOFTWARE INSTALLATION It is intended that this software will eventually be installed as a part ofthe HCS. For testing purposes, a batch file called INSTALL.BAT has been provided on the disk. This file will create a directory called C:\RW~CH and then install all ofthe necessary files from the installation disk in drive A:. The installation instructions are as follows: I. Insert the installation disk in your A: drive. 2. From the MS-DOS prompt, enter A:INSTALI.. That's it. The files will be copied and the WATCH program will then run. The use of the default installation procedure is highly recommended. If you must install these pro- grams on another drive (say, D:), or from another drive (say, B:) then you must change the Appendix G: Page 1
~nstaDation batch file yourself. You must also change the WHICH program options described later to specify the location of files. PROGRAM EXECUTION The program will run when it is installed. Subsequently, you may run it from the DOS prompt by logging into the \RW~CH directory and entering WHICH. A greeting screen is displayed first, followed by the main menu screen, with a familiar pull-down menu that looks like this: ~ WHICH - RWH1CHEx me. Filo ~ ~E] . be,,' ~ ,',- t1 Bed, ~, I ' _ ~.~ I ' ~- ~. ~_ I Load HE3-NS HE3-Eld 1~1 |~i ESERRCH VERSION: The Hizard of Helpfu} Intersection Control Hints 1 1/29/95 ? ? ? ? The WHTClI program is described in detail in its own documentation. This appendix will provide only a minimal ctescr~pt~on with sufficient detail to execute the ACT3-48 and NONACT programs. There are three "hot" keys that provide extensive help. F1 Displays a brief help message on the chosen subject, usually a menu choice or a specific field on a data entry screen. F2 Displays a more general help message about the currently active screen. F3 Displays a list of hot keys that are currently active. One data set called DEMO is included on the disk. This data set should be loaded now from the LOAD choice on the ME pud-down menu. DEMO will be presented as the only choice available. After you save any data of your own, the list of available choices will grow. Appendix G: Page 2
The DEMO file contuse data Dom Hypothetical Example #3 of the HCM Chapter 9 sample problem collection. This is a good choice for general analysis because the left turn volumes are in the range that wid allow the intersection to Unction either with or without protected leD turns. Thus, a wide range of operating conditions mav be examined including simple and compound protection leading and lagging leR turns, etc. ~ - - - r ~ -_ _ ~ To examine the data In the DEMO file, choose the EDGE pud-down menu. This will give you access to several screens for data entry and editing. Note that WATCH is a general program for entering signalized intersection data, and not all information is used by the NCHRP 3-48 program. The MOVEMENT data screen looks like this: ~ ~m - ~ r Nan ~ ha ~ a HE3-NS ~ HE3-EW NORTHBOUND L T SOUTHBOUND L T R EASTBOUND L r R it _ C WESTBOUND L T Uolueo # Lanes PHF Fre. Turns Add Uol ~3 ~3 t~Tolo] 133 Eta my _ Bum - - ~ 382 Ems - 3 E ~ - 1 1 ~3 L Ideal Sat Lane Width Sat Flow Owl @ - Hin Time storage Sight Dist This allows you to enter and edit data such as volume, number of lanes, etc. that is specific to each movement. Adjustments to volume and saturation How rates are made automatically when you press the F9 key. Whenever you make any changes to the data on this screen, it is necessary to perform these adjustment computations. Note that the minimum phase time for each movement (green plus intergreen time) is entered here. This information wall be used to determine the minimum value of initial interval that must be set on the controller. Appendix G: Page 3
The CONTROL PARAMETER screen looks like this: ~ WHICH - RWHI~= ~E3 1 Signalized Intoreaction Control Parameters 11 l Signal Control Decisions NG SB EB Exclusive Left-Turn Lane Y Y N N Left-Turn Treatment [81 [01 [a] lo] Load or Lag [01 [81 18] [at Ouerlap Allowed (YIN) [~1 t:1 Timing Plan: North-South East-Neet Phase Code ~ ] ~ 1 ~ ] ~ 1 ~ ~ ~ ] TimQ (SAC) t ~ ] [ ~ 1 t ~ ] 1 ~ ] ~ ~ ] 1 ~ ] Total '''. CYC1Q Range: Hin [ ~ 1 Hex 1 ~ ] Red Time ~ 1 Controller Type (P,S,~) 13] Lost Time [~to~ol] Stop Penalty [ ~ 1 Target u/c [903] The phasing decisions are made here, including type of led turn protection and phasing treatment. These decisions are translated into specific phase codes for purposes of running SOAP, DCS, etc. Press F9 to create the phase codes. Other control decisions including minimum and maximum cycle length, controller type, lost time, etc. are also made on this screen. Appendix G: Page 4
The MISCELLANEOUS data screen is used pr~manly for entering the traffic-actuated control parameter settings. It looks like this: WHICH - RWHICH~ ~E]E3 - Misce1 lanocus Data _ _ ma_ Traffic Actuated Controller Settings ~ __ Fi 1Q Name Em. ACT] ~ NEMA or 170 Controller (N. 1 ) 1 ] __ Gap Reduct ion h1othod ( I, L, N) ~ 1 __ Podestrian Phasing (Y. N) l _ flax Groan or Extension (G. E) 1 1 __ Single or Dual Entry (S,D) l l ~ | Ph | Initial | Reduce Gap | Max | Node | Set- | Len | Intergreen | Carry | l | Add Max | By/O~9r To | | t1XRNP | back | | Yel Red | ouar | __ 18 3.8 28 N 36 3.8 1.13 2 ~_ ~1 1~1 ~- 1 @) __ 10 3.8 2C N 30 3.8 1.0 4 ~_ ~13 - 1 I: ~3 @ __ 10 3.O 2C N 30 3.8 1.C 6. ~[11 _ ~1 m ~3 ~ __ 10 3.O 28 N 3C 3.8 1.Q 8. ~ at _ ~ Emil m ~ ~3 ~ ~ This screen was originally designed for preparing data sets for NETSIM. Most of the data entered on this screen are used by the NCHRP 3-48 analytical models. The following exceptions apply: · NEMA control is assumed. There is very little difference between NEMA and Type 170 control from NETSIM's perspective, and these differences are beyond the level of detail in the analytical model. · Maximum green, as opposed to maximum extension, is always used. · Dual entry is always assumed in the eight phase concurrent timing. · The detector carryover (delay and extension of calIs) feature is not implemented. To save time, these parameters are saved in a file called STANDARD.ACT. If you are preparing your own data sets, this screen wig be empty at first. If you want to load the standard data, just enter STANDARD in the file name field and press F8. If you want to change the default settings, enter any file name in the file name field and press F7. Remember, the list of active Unction keys for any screen may be displayed by pressing F3. Appendfuc G: Page 5
EXECUTING TILE MODELS The models are executed from the RUN pull-down menu which looks like this: 31 WHICH - RWHICHEX Run ~3~1= NCH~P249 HE3-NS ? ? ? _ ? ? ? ? ? HE3-EW Ri ~ All 11 ESEARCH VERSION: ', . ? ? ? ? ? `? ? ? L ~ 11 The ~Jizerd of Helpful Intersect ion Control Hints 1 1 /29/95 Note that many of the models are not accessible from this version of W~CH. You may execute SOAP to produce timing for either pretimed or actuated control. SOAP's actuated control computations are very similar to the HCM Chapter 9, Appendix II procedure. If you have a copy of the HCS, you may indicate its location in the PROGRAM OPTIONS screen to be descnbed later, and the INTERSECTION LOS menu choice will become active. The ACT3-4X program may be executed by choosing NCHRP348 from this menu. The program will execute and the output will be written to a file called RESULTS, which may be viewed by choosing RESULTS from the VIEW pull-down menu. While viewing the RESULTS file, you may mark sections of text and transfer them to the REPORT file by pressing F4. You may view the REPORT file, which wid contain the cumulative results of ad text blocks transferred from other files, by choosing REPORT from the PROJECT pull-down menu. The following steps are required to impose arterial coordination on the operation: I. Enter the nominal signal timing plan (phase times and cycle length) on the CONTROL PARAMETERS screen. This may be done manually, or by executing SOAP. The SOAP timing plan will automatically be transferred to the current data. 2. On the MISCELLANEOUS DATA screen, enter "C" in the "Mode" column for phases 2 and 6. These are considered to be the coordinated (i.e., non-actuated phases). Appendix G: Page 6
3. Choose COORD form the RUN pus-down menu. This will execute the NONACT program to arrive at an iterative solution to a signal timing plan that will impose the design cycle length and assign any extra time (following the normal termination of all actuated phases) to the coordinated phases. This is done by executing the ACT3-48 program iteratively as an embedded program until the timing plan converges to meet these requirements. The final solution wid be transferred to the RESULTS file for viewing. This file contains the output ofthe ACT3-48 program for the final iteration. Note that the delays indicated in this file are associated with isolated operation, and not coordinated operation. The computational procedures for coordinated delays (i.e., considering arrival type and platoon effects) are being developed by others under a separate research project. The results of that project will be incorporated into this program at a later time. CONFIGURING TTIE PROGRAM Most users will use the default program configuration. If the default configuration needs to be changed for any reason choose PROGRAM OPTIONS Dom the SELECT pull-down menu. The data entry screen looks like this: ~ ~1~ - wispy - FEZ -Options Agency 1~_ Location of Program and Data Files WHICH Program 1, ] WHICH Data [ g`~' ~ ~ ,; ,0 1 HCS Progra. w 1 1 1 NETSIN Progran ~1~ ~ ~1 SIDR'q Progra. ~[~. ~1 SIGNAL85 Progra. x[11 ~i] RAP Program [it ~I] THC Data 11: [~I':~:-'-£ ~ Accident Data 1 ] ~ Use '- to indicate that the program is not installed. System Configuration - - User Pgos Misc. Options Graphics Printer [D] 1 1] Lane Utilization Rdj? 12] Monochrome Override [I] 2 [] 1 _ ] Fi 1Q Hansoms 1 ~ ] 1 ] _ _ _ F1 for Help, F2 for Hobo Infornation, F3 for Key List - Appendix G: Page 7
If you have instated these files in a directory other than the clefault, then you must specifir their loca- tion (find path name) on this screen. For example, this would be necessary if the files were installed on the D: drive. If you have a copy of the current release of the HCS, you may specify its location (full path name) here. This win activate the INTERSECTION LOS choice on the RUN menu to provide access to the HCS. This is the only mode} that may be implemented on this screen. Specifying locations for the other models wid not activate them because the support files have not been included on the disk. CREATING YOUR OWN DATA TILES This program may be used to create your own data sets to examine the operation of the programs developed on this project. If you have no specific data of interest, you may wish to change some of the items In the sample data set provided. The mode} is fully implemented and should respond to any changes that you make. Appendix G: Page 8
