Perception of Waiting Time at Signalized Intersections

Introduction Perceived waiting time (PWT) at signalized intersections differs from the real value of waiting time (WT), and varies with signal design. The onerousness of delay depends on the conditions under which it is experienced. Using weighted travel time may contribute to optimal signal control if its use can improve upon assuming that all time is weighted equally by users. This research explores the perception of waiting time at signalized intersections based on the results of an online survey, which directly collected the perceived waiting time and the user ratings of the signal designs of each intersection on an arterial including 3 intersections. Statistically analyzing the survey data suggests the perception of waiting time is a function of the real time; and a quadratic model better can describes relationship. The survey also indicates that there exists a tradeoff between the total waiting time and the individual waiting time of each intersection. It turns out that drivers prefer to split the total waiting time at different intersections at the price of a longer total wait if the difference of the total waiting time of two signal designs is within 30 seconds. The survey data shows that the perceived waiting time, instead of the real waiting time, better explains how users will rate the individual signal designs for both intersections and arterials including multiple intersections.