Variable multi-path signal progression for arterial coordination considering queue clearance and spillback prevention

The current arterial signal coordination models only target through traffic, resulting in local traffic issues. To address these issues, two enhanced multi-path progression models are proposed in this study. The first model (M-1) treats each road segment as the basic coordination unit and relaxes the uniform bandwidth constraint in traditional models. Building on this, the second model (M-2) incorporates the impact of vehicle queues. The spatial-temporal evolution of the queueing process at a signalized arterial road is modeled. The queue clearance and queue length constraints are established to enhance the continuity of coordinated traffic-flows and prevent queue spillover. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed models effectively increase green bandwidth on critical paths. Simulation comparisons further show that, relative to BANDTOP and MULTIPATH, the models achieve lower average delays and fewer stops, with the advantages of M-2 being particularly significant under near-saturated traffic conditions.