Capacity of Limited-Priority Merge

Abstract

Unsignalized intersections are the most common intersection type. They can have high cost implications for the community. A new development often has an unsignalized intersection for ingress and egress, and the basis for deciding whether an upgraded intersection is needed is based on the performance of that intersection. The concept of limited priority, in which the major-stream drivers slow and allow minor-stream drivers to enter in front of them if the average delay to the major-stream vehicles is likely to be short, is addressed. Similar behavior could also be caused by minor-stream drivers forcing their way into a priority stream. This behavior leads to a more efficient performance of the merge. Relationships to predict the capacity and the maximum delay to major-stream vehicles when drivers exhibit this limited-priority behavior are developed. The implications of the capacity of this merge type are evaluated.