Coordination and real time optimization of signal timing plans for urban traffic control

An effective method to improve traffic flow in urban areas is synchronizing the traffic signals at the coordinated intersections. This paper focuses on the problem of synchronization of subsequent intersections in a signalized urban area. Adopting an optimization model proposed in literature, the paper investigates the determination of the offset between two signals, i.e., the time displacements of green splits along a movement direction. On the basis of traffic observations, appropriate selection of offset in two coordinated intersections located in an urban area is performed under different congestion scenarios. Results show the efficiency of the proposed method to allow uninterrupted flow of traffic.