Comparison of Traffic Flow Characteristics and Environmental Impacts Between a Cross Intersection and a Roundabout Intersection: A VISSIM Simulation-based Approach

Abstract

Urban areas face numerous challenges due to high population density and traffic congestion.  Countless man-hours are lost on the roads due to traffic congestion which eventually leads to reduced efficiency or even failure of the whole transportation system. Without proper planning for the future, this congestion problem will only increase. In this paper, an attempt has been made to compare the traffic flow characteristics and environmental impacts in two types of intersections: Cross and Roundabout. Bijoy Sarani intersection has been used for the case study which is notoriously known for its traffic congestion and delay issues. After developing the microscopic simulation model in PTV VISSIM software through calibration and validation procedures, the intersections were compared regarding delay times, emissions, and fuel consumption. The study suggests that a roundabout intersection with a 2-phase control system exhibits substantial improvements over the traditional 4-phase cross intersection. The findings of this paper will provide valuable insight to traffic engineers and transportation planners about the selection of intersections and management strategies in densely populated urban cities