A Probability Model of Bicycles Crossing Vehicle-bicycle Separation Lines

Vehicle-bicycle separation lines are frequently used to isolate motor vehicles from bicycles on China's urban roads. Conflict between motor vehicles and bicycles exists in these road sections. It is regularly caused by bicycles crossing the vehicle-bicycle separation line onto the motor vehicle lane. Thus, it is imperative to research the probability of crossing travel of bicycles. First, two presumptions for bicycles to cross travel are stated. One is that bicycles need to cross the traffic marking; the other is that the space among the adjacent motor vehicle flows is available for bicycles to cross. With this observation, the probability of conflicts between motor vehicles and bicycles can be obtained as a product of their probabilities. Based on this probability, the result was summarized as follows: the probability for bicycles crossing the traffic marking obeys a negative exponential distribution, which is derived. The result was shown by theoretical analysis and was compared to actual survey data. The available probability for bicycles entering into motor vehicle flow was found by the use of a traffic survey. Therefore, a probability function was proposed with different spaces that led to a probability model for vehicle-bicycle conflicts. At last, using the survey data, the probability model proved to be correct.