A novel control scheme for traffic circle

The efficiency of a traffic circle depends on the control scheme for operation. Traditional schemes have respective weaknesses and may suffer from severe inefficiency under some circumstances. In this paper, we propose a novel control scheme, Switching Priority Scheme, to take the advantages of the traditional schemes and to overcome their deficiencies. The scheme layout and strategy for signal arrangement is described in detail. A simulation model is proposed to evaluate each scheme. Experimental results show that our scheme takes drivers the least average waiting time while ensuring feasible traffic flow capability for the traffic circle, especially when the incoming flow rate is above 40% saturated.