A capacity maximization scheme for intersection management with automated vehicles

With the advent of connected and automated vehicle technology, in this paper, we propose an innovative intersection operation scheme named as MCross: Maximum Capacity inteRsection Operation Scheme with Signals. This new scheme maximizes intersection capacity by utilizing all lanes of a road simultaneously. Lane assignment and green durations are dynamically optimized by solving a multi-objective mixed-integer non-linear programming problem. The demand conditions under which full capacity can be achieved in MCross are derived analytically. Numerical examples show that MCross can almost double the intersection capacity (increase by as high as 99.51% in comparison to that in conventional signal operation scheme).     

高速路网不停车收费车道优化布设方法

合理设置高速公路收费站ETC (Electronic Toll Collection)车道数量，对高速公路通行效率至关重要。针对目前路网中ETC与MTC (Manual Toll Collection)车辆混行的情况，考虑ETC的普及率，结合多用户路网均衡模型和排队论方法，建立基于双层规划模型的高速路网ETC车道优化布设方法。上层模型以车辆总通行时间最小为目标，优化设置进出收费站的ETC车道数量；下层模型为多用户路网均衡模型，反映ETC和MTC车辆的路径和收费车道选择行为。下层模型通过设计收费站的等价拓扑结构，表征收费站的车道使用规则及车辆的收费车道选择行为，并采用排队论方法估计ETC和MTC车道的收费排队时间。根据模型的特点设计了基于主动集的启发式算法，利用参数二进制与拉格朗日函数法确定迭代下降方向，解决了下降方向与步长难以计算的问题；通过内嵌优化函数的方式，保证在主动集转化过程中上层约束均不会失效，且避免了迭代过程中的模型解退化问题。基于上海市绕城高速进行实证分析，结果表明：随着ETC普及率的提升，收费排队时长按照负指数趋势下降；与按比例布设ETC车道的方法相比，所提方法最高可降低57.4%的收费排队时间，且该方法可以避免ETC车道布设过多对于MTC车道通行能力挤压造成的负面效果。研究成果可以有效指导高速路网ETC车道的布设，提高路网通行效率。     

A proposed vision and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication-based vehicle positioning approach

It is essential to obtain accurate location of vehicles for new applications of Intelligent Transportation Systems. To remedy the defects of present Global Positioning System and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V-I) positioning technology, a new positioning approach based on vision and V-I communication is proposed. This approach aims at lane-level positioning with lower cost than conventional ones. In this approach, the position of the vehicle is represented by its lateral position (the lane number) and longitudinal position (the distance from entrance of the road) in a course coordinate system along the road; the specific lane the vehicle is occupying (the lane number) can be judged using the information of lane lines detected by vision systems; then the distance to the vehicle is obtained by a Road Side Unit (RSU) during the V-I communication; and the longitudinal position is calculated. The error of the approach on typical operating conditions is analyzed, indicating that the new approach can achieve the accuracy of less than 0.31 m for straight road and 0.58 m for typical arc road with ultra-wideband communication and ranging technologies and rational arrangement of RSUs. The feasibility of this approach is presented.     

Effectiveness of travel time reliability indicators in the light of the assessment of dynamic managed lane strategy

ABSTRACT

The aim of traffic management is to ensure a high quality of service for a maximum number of users by decreasing congestion and increasing safety. Uncertainty of travel times decreases the quality of service and leads end users to modify their plans regardless of the average travel time. Indicators describing travel time reliability are being developed and should be used in the future both for the optimization and for the assessment of active traffic management operations. This article discusses the efficiency of certain reliability indicators in an ex-post assessment of a traffic management strategy. Ex-post assessment is based on an observational before–after study. As some factors other than the studied management strategy may intervene between the two periods, and as most reliability indicators require knowledge of the full travel time distribution and not only its average, a methodology is developed for the identification of the impact of these exogenous factors on the whole distribution. Many reliability indicators are split into different parts allowing the identification of the part due to the management strategy impact. The methodology is tested numerically on a managed lane operation consisting of Hard Shoulder Running (HSR) at rush hour on a section of a French motorway. The variation of some reliability indicators appears misleading, whereas the splitting of the indicators increases our understanding of the strategy and highlights its impact. The paper gives the reliability assessment of the HSR field test and discusses different reliability indicators to identify their potential performances and shortcomings.     

Cost-effectiveness of reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from High-Speed Rail and urban transportation projects in California

A rising trend in state and federal transportation finance is to invest capital dollars into projects which reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, a key metric for comparing projects, the cost-effectiveness of GHG emissions reductions, is highly dependent on the cost-benefit methodology employed in the analysis. Our analysis comparing California High-Speed Rail and three urban transportation projects shows how four different accounting framings bring wide variations in cost per metric tonne of GHG emissions reduced. In our analysis, life-cycle GHG emissions are joined with full cost accounting to better understand the benefits of cap-and-trade investments. Considering only public subsidy for capital, none of the projects appear to be a cost-effective means to reduce GHG emissions (i.e., relative to the current price of GHG emissions in California’s cap-and-trade program at $12.21 per tonne). However, after adjusting for the change in private costs users incur when switching from the counterfactual mode (automobile or aircraft) to the mode enabled by the project, all investments appear to reduce GHG emissions at a net savings to the public. Policy and decision-makers who consider only the capital cost of new transportation projects can be expected to incorrectly assess alternatives and indirect benefits (i.e., how travelers adapt to the new mass transit alternative) should be included in decision-making processes.     

基于TruckSim的客车行驶安全因素研究

一些行驶的车辆在一些紧急情况下可能会因为驾驶员对路面情况判断失误而导致交通事故的发生,客车相对于一些小型车辆来说重心高,稳定性相对较低,在路面上行驶安全性也相对较低,可能会出现侧滑、甩尾现象。文章研究客车行驶的稳定性,通过TruckSim软件对客车进行建模仿真,得到客车在不同道路条件路面上行驶时的试验性能曲线,分析影响客车的安全因素,有助于帮助驾驶员在安全地行驶速度下运行,提高客车安全性。     

基于线性路径跟踪控制的换道避撞控制策略研究

为实现车辆自主避撞,改善道路交通安全状况,提出一种基于线性路径跟踪控制的换道避撞控制策略。为实时确定制动和换道时机,获取跟车状态下自车和前车车速、加速度、相对距离以及驾驶人制动反应时间计算制动安全距离和换道安全距离,并在此基础上分别引入制动危险系数B和换道危险系数S评估制动与换道风险,使得车辆发生追尾碰撞的危险程度和主动干预阈值更直观。根据车辆期望横向加速度和期望横向位移的变化特性,采用5次多项式法规划符合驾驶人换道避撞特性的避撞路径。为保证换道避撞过程中驾驶人的安全舒适,采用最大横向加速度约束换道避撞轨迹。为实现对换道避撞路径的线性跟踪控制,保证车辆的操纵稳定性和横摆稳定性,基于车辆稳态动力学模型建立前馈控制,结合线性反馈控制消除换道路径的位置和横摆角偏差,修正参考路径实现直车道场景追尾避撞控制。仿真和实车交叉验证试验表明：根据车辆期望横向加速度和期望横向位移建立的符合驾驶人换道避撞特性的五次多项式换道路径与驾驶人实际换道避撞路径基本吻合,结合碰撞时间和车间时距的制动避撞控制策略能够在保证车辆行驶安全舒适性的同时有效避免车辆追尾碰撞,减少交通事故的发生。     

武汉光谷国际网球中心与三环线衔接匝道研究

介绍了武汉市三环线武黄立交新增匝道的设计思路、方案调整及匝道车道数研究。通过分析新增匝道建设的主要受控因素,提出了三环线到达及驶离网球中心停车场不同路径的匝道方案,并从多方面对匝道方案进行综合比选。     

浅谈互通立交设计中减速车道及分流点的设计

就互通立交设计中关于减速车道的设计方法和分流点附近控制参数的选取进行探讨,并总结出设计中要特别注意的一些问题。     

Analyzing urban bus service reliability at the stop, route, and network levels

Improving the reliability of bus service has the potential to increase the attractiveness of public transit to current and prospective riders. An understanding of service reliability is necessary to develop strategies that help transit agencies provide better services. However, few studies have been conducted analyzing bus reliability in the metropolis of China. This paper presents an in-depth analysis of service reliability based on bus operational characteristics in Beijing. Three performance parameters, punctuality index based on routes (PIR), deviation index based on stops (DIS), and evenness index based on stops (EIS), are proposed for the evaluation of bus service reliability. Reliability involves routes, stops, punctuality, deviation, and evenness. The relationship among the three parameters is discussed using a numerical example. Subsequently, through a sampling survey of bus lines in Beijing, service reliability at the stop, route, and network levels are estimated. The effects of route length, headway, the distance from the stop to the origin terminal, and the use of exclusive bus lanes are also analyzed. The results indicate low service reliability for buses in Beijing and a high correlation between service reliability and route length, headway, distance from the stop to the origin terminal, and the provision of exclusive bus lanes.