Explainable Boosting Machine-Based Analysis of Delay at Signalized Intersections
Öz
Urban traffic signal control plays an important role in improving operational efficiency and reducing unnecessary delays in transportation networks. However, capturing the complex nonlinear relationships between traffic demand and signal timing parameters remains a major challenge under varying operating conditions. This study proposes an explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) framework for traffic signal delay analysis using scenario-driven operational data from a three-leg signalized intersection. An Explainable Boosting Machine (EBM) was developed to model the relationships between cycle time, phase split, arrival flow, and intersection delay, and was comparatively evaluated against Random Forest (RF) and XGBoost models using 5-fold cross-validation. The EBM model achieved high predictive performance (R2 = 0.89, RMSE = 1.94), while simultaneously providing transparent interpretation of variable effects through global importance analysis, shape functions, and pairwise interactions. The results indicate that cycle time and phase allocation are among the key factors influencing delay formation, with nonlinear interaction patterns observed under different traffic demand conditions. An interaction was observed between cycle length and Phase C allocation (north approach turning phase), suggesting a condition-dependent relationship with delay. Comparative analyses further demonstrated a general consistency between EBM and benchmark ensemble models in identifying influential operational variables. The proposed framework provides predictive capability and interpretable insights that may support data-driven traffic signal analysis and operational decision-making.
Anahtar Kelimeler
- signalized intersection
- control delay
- explainable boosting machine
- data-driven modeling
- predictive modeling
Destekleyen Kurum
Etik Beyan
Teşekkür
Kaynakça
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Ayrıntılar
Birincil Dil
İngilizce
Konular
İnşaat Mühendisliğinde Sayısal Modelleme
Bölüm
Araştırma Makalesi
Yazarlar
Ruti Politi
*
0000-0001-7851-2506
Türkiye
Yayımlanma Tarihi
7 Ağustos 2026
Gönderilme Tarihi
1 Şubat 2026
Kabul Tarihi
14 Temmuz 2026
Yayımlandığı Sayı
Yıl 2026 Cilt: 17 Sayı: 2