Verification of Puffin Modelling Using VISSIM

Puffin crossing is the most recent signalised crossings in UK. The operation of Puffin signal control is mainly based on traffic condition hence could impose longer waiting time on pedestrian. Therefore there is a need to review on the operation of the signal control strategy of Puffin crossings to make it more pedestrian responsive without imposing significant delay to other road users. Research to date has shown that VISSIM model is more suitable for the evaluation of signal control improvement. The latest signal controlled pedestrian crossing facility, the Puffin, has been modelled and tested in VISSIM micro-simulation model. The objective of this study is to verify the Puffin coding using VISSIM microsimulation software. It is to ensure that the Puffin signal control in VISSIM is working as in a real traffic condition. For this purpose a suitable mid-block section was selected at Market Street, United Kingdom. Pedestrians characteristics, vehicular characteristics, geometric layout of the site were retrieved from video recording. All these characteristics were coded in Puffin model using VISSIM micro-simulation. The results proved that the Puffin model in VISSIM is able to reproduce site representative condition. The findings in this study are significant in the whole modelling process.