A Modified Pressure Model for Max-Pressure Traffic Signal Control

In this paper, we advance the state-of-the-art of Max-Pressure traffic signal control by considering modeling aspect of enhancing the calculation of pressure function. First, we stress out that the conventional pressure model does not consider the distribution of the vehicles between the lanes, and it over-calculates the pressure function when multiplying with the saturation flow of the movement. We conducted a thorough analysis of the existing pressure calculation model. The model's inability to distribute pressure equitably could skew the controller's policy optimization, potentially leading to unfair decisions. Second, the impact of introduced modification is investigated through simulation case studies. The results indicate that the Max-Pressure control policy has been significantly improved. This underlines the importance of accurately characterizing the parameters within the Max-Pressure controller, which is crucial for improved outcomes and more effective decision-making processes.