Bicycle Queue Dynamics: Influence of Queue Density and Merging Cyclists on Discharge Rate at an Intersection

In many countries, an increasing number of people are using the bicycle for urban trips. The increased bicycle flow sometimes creates local congestion at intersections and demands better bicycle traffic management. To provide policy
makers with models and advice on how to prevent congestion, an increased understanding of queue dynamics is required. This study analyzed the queue discharge process of cyclists at a controlled intersection, focusing on how
queue density and merging cyclists influence the discharge rate. A bicycle equivalent (BE) value was introduced to correct for the impact of merging cyclists from different directions, with respect to the impact of cyclists in the original queue. For an intersection in Delft, the Netherlands, the discharge rate was found to increase for increasing queue density. Furthermore, cyclists who merged by overtaking were found to contribute more to the discharge rate compared to cyclists that were standing in the original queue. Cyclists that merged from a direction perpendicular to the queuing direction were found to hinder the discharge process, decreasing the observed outflow rate. These insights
can be used as input for bicycle flow models to assess new plans for bicycle infrastructure and to develop measures to minimize delay at intersections.