Hybrid Model-Based Framework for Real-Time Adaptive Traffic Signal Control

Real-time traffic signal control represents a key challenge in modern intelligent transportation systems, particularly under highly variable traffic flows and the presence of priority vehicles. This study proposes a hybrid framework for adaptive signal plan control at a signalized intersection. The framework integrates deep learning-based traffic prediction, surrogate-based performance evaluation, and reinforcement learning-based adaptive control. Short-term traffic flow is predicted using recurrent neural networks, providing anticipatory information for traffic control decisions. Based on predicted flows and generated candidate signal plans, a machine learning surrogate model enables fast estimation of key performance indicators, including average vehicle delay and queue length. Adaptive control is implemented using the Proximal Policy Optimization algorithm within the SUMO environment via TraCI, which enables real-time fine-tuning of signal phases. A dedicated priority and stability module ensures effective emergency vehicle preemption and adaptive public transport priority while preserving intersection stability. Simulation results show that the proposed framework reduces average vehicle delay by up to 35% compared with FT and by up to 15% compared with standalone RL, while also improving traffic flow efficiency and priority vehicle performance.