Optimizing Multi-Lane Intersection Performance in Mixed Autonomy Environments

Abstract: One of the main challenges in managing traffic at multilane intersections is ensuring smooth coordination between human-driven vehicles (HDVs) and connected autonomous vehicles (CAVs). This paper presents a novel traffic signal control framework that combines Graph Attention Networks (GAT) with Soft Actor-Critic (SAC) reinforcement learning to address this challenge. GATs are used to model the dynamic graph- structured nature of traffic flow to capture spatial and temporal dependencies between lanes and signal phases. The proposed SAC is a robust off-policy reinforcement learning algorithm that enables adaptive signal control through entropy-optimized decision making. This design allows the system to coordinate the signal timing and vehicle movement simultaneously with objectives focused on minimizing travel time, enhancing performance, ensuring safety, and improving fairness between HDVs and CAVs. The model is evaluated using a SUMO-based simulation of a four-way intersection and incorporating different traffic densities and CAV penetration rates. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the GAT-SAC approach by achieving a 24.1% reduction in average delay and up to 29.2% fewer traffic violations compared to traditional methods. Additionally, the fairness ratio between HDVs and CAVs improved to 1.59, indicating more equitable treatment across vehicle types. These findings suggest that the GAT-SAC framework holds significant promise for real-world deployment in mixed-autonomy traffic systems.