Traffic impacts analysis of bus stops near signalized intersections based on an optimal velocity model

The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of the bus stop near the signalized intersection on the traffic flow from two aspects, traffic volume and delay. A modified Optimal Velocity model is established to analyze the dynamic traffic flow near a signalized intersection with curbside bus stops, and two cases including bus stops placed upstream and downstream the intersection are simulated to compare the impacts. The influencing factors, including the entering probability and the distance between a bus stop and its neighboring signalized intersection, are considered in this study. The simulation results indicate that the impact of the bus stop on the traffic flow is significant when entering probability is above the critical value, and gradually disappears as the distance increases. With respect to the volume, the downstream bus stop is greatly superior to the upstream one when the distance is less than 70 m, and slightly inferior to the upstream one when the distance ranges from 70 m to 200 m. With regard to the vehicle delay, the upstream bus stop is better than the downstream one. We hope these findings will be helpful to offer scientific guidance for the public transport planning and management.