Predicting queue variability to enable analysis of overload risk

ABSTRACT

Predicting the risk of traffic demands and delays exceeding critical limits at road junctions, airports, hospitals, etc., requires knowing how both mean and variance of queue size vary over time. Microscopic simulation can explore variability but is computationally demanding and gives only sample results. A computationally efficient approximation to the mean is used in many modelling tools, but only empirical extensions for variance in particular situations have been available. The paper derives theoretical formulae for time-dependent and equilibrium variance, believed to be novel and to apply generally to queues covered by the Pollaczek–Khinchin mean formula, and offering possible structural insights. These are applied in an extended approximation giving mutually consistent mean and variance estimates with improved accuracy. Tests on oversaturated peak demand cases are compared with Markov probabilistic simulation, demonstrating accuracy (R^2?>?0.99) for typical random, priority-like (M/M/1) and traffic-signal-like (M/D/1) queues. Implications for risk analysis, planning and policy are considered.     

Prediction of travel time variability for cost-benefit analysis

Unreliable travel times cause substantial costs to travelers. Nevertheless, they are often not taken into account in cost-benefit analyses (CBA), or only in very rough ways. This paper aims at providing simple rules to predict variability, based on travel time data from Dutch highways. Two different concepts of travel time variability are used, which differ in their assumptions on information availability to drivers. The first measure is based on the assumption that, for a given road link and given time of day, the expected travel time is constant across all working days (rough information: RI). In the second case, expected travel times are assumed to reflect day-specific factors such as weather conditions or weekdays (fine information: FI). For both definitions of variability, we find that the mean travel time is a good predictor. On average, longer delays are associated with higher variability. However, the derivative of variability with respect to delays is decreasing in delays. It can be shown that this result relates to differences in the relative shares of observed traffic ‘regimes’ (free-flow, congested, hyper-congested) in the mean delay. For most CBAs, no information on the relative shares of the traffic regimes is available. A non-linear model based on mean travel times can then be used as an approximation.     

Surface street traffic volume and single-family house price

This study investigates the relationship between surface street traffic volume and single-family house prices in a relatively small city in the US. Hedonic price models are estimated using data from 9670 transactions that occurred between January 1998 and March 2011. It is discovered that parcels fronting or adjacent to a high-traffic street sell, on average, at an 8.1% discount compared to similar parcels that are not so situated. Restricting the analysis to parcels on or adjacent to a high-traffic street, house price and traffic volume are found to be negatively related; a doubling of volume from any particular traffic count, ceteris paribus, reduces selling price by an average of 2.1%.     

Traffic noise abatement: How different pavements, vehicle speeds and traffic densities affect annoyance levels

In this paper, annoyance ratings from traffic noise recorded on cobblestones, dense asphalt, and open asphalt rubber pavements are assessed with regard to car speeds and traffic densities. It was found that cobblestones pavements are the most annoying; also while open asphalt rubber pavement imposes less annoyance than dense asphalt it is not significantly different. Higher car speeds always lead to greater annoyance, as does higher traffic densities. LAeq and LAmax correlate well with annoyance, but loudness is the best predictor. Roughness and sharpness exhibit inconsistent interactions.     

道路交通事故分析发展研究

近些年,我国交通事故量一直居高不下,而事故发生时车辆运行速度是分析事故原因、认定事故责任的重要内容,涉及保险理赔、法院审判等各个环节。目前分析事故原因,进行事故再现的主要途径是委托具有相关资质的事故鉴定机构进行速度重建,使用的方法主要有基于经验公式的事故重建、基于视频图像技术的事故重建、基于车载记录数据的事故重建和基于模拟软件的事故重建。文章主要介绍了交通事故分析的基本方法和发展方向。     

Identifying optimal data aggregation interval sizes for link and corridor travel time estimation and forecasting

With the recent increase in the deployment of ITS technologies in urban areas throughout the world, traffic management centers have the ability to obtain and archive large amounts of data on the traffic system. These data can be used to estimate current conditions and predict future conditions on the roadway network. A general solution methodology for identifying the optimal aggregation interval sizes for four scenarios is proposed in this article: (1) link travel time estimation, (2) corridor/route travel time estimation, (3) link travel time forecasting, and (4) corridor/route travel time forecasting. The methodology explicitly considers traffic dynamics and frequency of observations. A formulation based on mean square error (MSE) is developed for each of the scenarios and interpreted from a traffic flow perspective. The methodology for estimating the optimal aggregation size is based on (1) the tradeoff between the estimated mean square error of prediction and the variance of the predictor, (2) the differences between estimation and forecasting, and (3) the direct consideration of the correlation between link travel time for corridor/route estimation and forecasting. The proposed methods are demonstrated using travel time data from Houston, Texas, that were collected as part of the automatic vehicle identification (AVI) system of the Houston Transtar system. It was found that the optimal aggregation size is a function of the application and traffic condition.

A field evaluation case study of the environmental and energy impacts of traffic calming

This study quantifies the energy and environmental impact of a selection of traffic calming measures using a combination of second-by-second floating-car global positioning system data and microscopic energy and emission models. It finds that traffic calming may result in negative impacts on vehicle fuel consumption and emission rates if drivers exert aggressive acceleration levels to speed up to their journeys. Consequently by eliminating sharp acceleration maneuvers significant savings in vehicle fuel consumption and emission rates are achievable through driver education. The study also demonstrates that high emitting vehicles produce CO emissions that are up to 25 times higher than normal vehicle emission levels while low emitting vehicles produce emissions that are 15–35% of normal vehicles. The relative increases in vehicle fuel consumption and emission levels associated with the sample traffic calming measures are consistent and similar for normal, low, and high emitting vehicles.     

大型综合交通枢纽指路标志系统设置研究

城市大型综合交通枢纽由于其功能多样,辐射广泛,周边路网复杂,因此对其指路标志系统需要专门设计。文章以上海市虹桥综合交通枢纽指路标志系统为研究对象,从路网结构及交通流特性出发,将指路标志系统按出行者需求层次分为四级,并提出相应的指路标志设置原则及方法,供相关部门参考。     

广西南梧公路苍梧县林水段通行能力研究

文章对南梧公路苍梧县林水段通行能力和服务水平进行了研究和比较,介绍了通行能力计算公式和参数选取过程,论证了该路段的通行能力可以满足2020年前的交通需求,并提出了提高现有公路通行能力的方法和建议。     

桂林市老城区分流交通保护圈规划设计

文章基于桂林市老城区交通现状,分析了老城区交通存在的主要问题,提出了桂林市老城区分流交通保护圈规划的总体思路,并根据这一思路设计出具体的老城区分流交通保护圈规划方案,为桂林市老城区交通系统规划提供决策依据。