Identifying traffic control mechanism to improve the level of service and resilience in road networks based on topological credentials

• Road network topology analysis was used to identify critical intersections. • Fully weighted topological credentials facilitate optimal intersection identification for effective outcomes. • Targeted actuated RBC traffic signals improved LOS, total travel time, and delay. • A hybrid strategy (actuated RBC + roundabout) further enhanced LOS and reduced travel time/delay. Addressing urban traffic congestion often involves a debate between new infrastructure components and optimizing existing resources. While improving key intersections is a common optimization strategy, it can reduce network redundancy, increasing vulnerability to gridlock during natural disasters. Current research on advanced traffic controllers has shown limited effectiveness in such disruptive scenarios, largely because it overlooks the network’s topological structure. This paper presents a novel traffic control methodology that integrates network topology with targeted signal control strategies, including roundabouts, to improve overall performance and resilience. The approach first identifies critical intersections based on topological credentials and then applies a sequence of interventions, specifically, upgrading fixed-time controllers to actuated ring barrier controllers (RBCs) and strategically converting intersections to roundabouts. A simulation-based approach is utilized to apply this methodology in a real network (Boise, Idaho road network) under both normal and disaster related disrupted conditions. Under normal conditions, a hybrid strategy (three roundabouts, five actuated RBCs) yielded the greatest benefits, reducing network travel time by 7.8 % and delay by 8.8 %. Crucially, under disrupted conditions where network performance dropped, our intervention strategy enhanced network robustness and improved overall performance to a level nearly 7 % above the original, non-disrupted baseline. This study demonstrates that integrating topological analysis with intersection interventions can significantly improve both daily traffic efficiency and critical disaster resilience.