Optimizing Pedestrian Operations within Combined Alternate Direction Lane Assignment Reservation-Based Intersection Control

The Combined Alternate-Direction Lane Assignment and Reservation-Based Intersection Control (CADLARIC) concept is a novel approach designed to optimize urban traffic flow by managing directionally unrestricted traffic to improve efficiency while reducing the number of conflicts. It leverages connected and automated vehicles to distribute conflicts and allows vehicles to use opposite-direction lanes, minimizing turn-related conflicts. A main feature of this concept allows vehicles to utilize lanes typically reserved for the opposite direction, thus minimizing conflicts primarily for left- and right-turning vehicles. While previous research focused on vehicular flows, this study incorporates pedestrian accommodation and evaluates the balance between pedestrian and vehicle service. However, prioritizing pedestrians too highly disrupts this balance in autonomous intersections. To better evaluate the multimodal capabilities of CADLARIC, this study extends its functionality to identify an optimal balance between pedestrian and vehicle service. The results show that, under low pedestrian and vehicle demands, pedestrian control variables have a minimal impact due to limited interactions. However, with higher demands, frequent interactions between vehicles and pedestrians enable the identification of an optimal point that balances service for both modes, improving overall system performance.