Citation

Byrd MN, Stafford DB. Transp. Res. Rec. 1984; 956: 30-32.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1984, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences USA, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

A study was conducted to examine the operational characteristics of traffic controls at low-volume, low-speed intersections with unwarranted four-way stop sign control. The research involved the collection of traffic volume and delay data at eight selected four-way stop sign controlled intersections in three cities in northwestern South Carolina. These data and various unit delay values and unit cost factors were used to quantify the delays and road user costs experienced by motorists at these intersections. The delay and road user costs that would result from two-way stop sign control at the intersections were estimated based on field data collected at similar intersections and compared with the delay and road user costs associated with four-way stop sign control. This comparison of delay and road user costs showed that four-way stop sign control at the eight intersections selected for study caused 26,430 hr. of additional delay and $296,610 in additional road user costs annually. Four-way stop sign control produced an average of 3,300 hr. of additional delay per intersection and $37,080 per intersection in additional road user costs annually. Therefore, it was concluded that unless an accident problem susceptible to correction by four-way stop sign control exists, the unwarranted use of four-way stop sign control results in unnecessary delay and road user costs to the driving public and that the intersection traffic control should be changed to two-way sign control. Also, traffic engineers should resist efforts by the public to have four-way stop sign control installed at intersections where it is not warranted.

Language: en

Keywords

ROADS AND STREETS; DATA PROCESSING - Data Reduction and Analysis; STREET TRAFFIC CONTROL - Equipment