Traffic Signal Timing Optimization at Urban Intersections Based on Differential Evolution Algorithm

With the acceleration of urbanization in China, urban road construction has gradually lagged behind, unable to meet the increasing transportation demand. To alleviate the problem of over-saturation at intersections, this paper proposes an optimization model for intersection signal timing based on the average vehicle delay cost, average vehicle stops, and overall traffic throughput as optimization objectives. A multi-objective nonlinear function model is established for intersection signal timing, and the Differential Evolution (DE) algorithm is employed for initialization, mutation, crossover, and selection operations to iteratively optimize each individual, aiming to find the optimal signal timing strategy. The results show that the DE algorithm, by optimizing green light durations, phase combinations, and flow balancing, reduces average delays to 27.16~35.67 seconds, average stops to 0.70, and improves intersection throughput, effectively alleviating traffic congestion at intersections.