Development and Evaluation of a Fuzzy Logic Control Approach for Pedestrian Crossing

Traffic signal control for pedestrian crossing is an effective measure to improve safety and efficiency of pedestrian crossing. Fuzzy logic is known to be suited for dealing with a complex optimization problem, as pedestrian crossing control, with many objectives, many constrains, unclear input information, and vague decision criteria. In this study, a new fuzzy logic is introduced for controlling the timing of a pedestrian crossing signal. The controller is designed to emulate the decision process of an experienced crossing traffic policeman. The criteria for evaluation are delays to pedestrians and gap of vehicles. The fuzzy logic controller finds a compromise between two conflicting objectives: minimization of pedestrian delay and minimization of vehicular delay and stops. A high-performance microscopic traffic simulation program, VISSIM, is adopted to evaluate the new fuzzy logic. The results showed that the performance of fuzzy control is better than existing actuated control and fixed-time control especially under the condition of high pedestrian volume that is common in China.