The speed control effect of highway tunnel sidewall markings based on color and temporal frequency

The low‐luminance monotonous environment in the middle section of highway tunnels offers few reference points and is prone to cause severe visual illusion. Thus, drivers tend to underestimate their driving speed, which can induce speeding behaviors that result in rear‐end collisions. Therefore, discovering low‐cost methods of traffic engineering that reduce this visual illusion and ensure a steady driving speed is an important challenge for current highway tunnel operations. This study analyzes the effects of sidewall markings in typical highway tunnels, specifically observing how their colors and temporal frequencies affect the driver's speed perception in a low‐luminance condition. A three‐dimensional model of the middle section of highway tunnels was built in a driving simulator. Psychophysical tests of speed perception were carried out by the method of limits. The precision of the simulation model was then checked by comparing the results to field test data. The simulation tests studied the stimulus of subjectively equal speed and reaction time in relation to sidewall markings in different colors (red–white combined, yellow–white combined, and blue–white combined). Furthermore, based on the optimal color, the effects of sidewall marking with different temporal frequencies (0.4, 0.8, 1.2, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, and 32 Hz) on the speed perception of drivers were also analyzed. The test results reveal that the color and temporal frequency of sidewall marking have a significant impact on the driver's stimulus of subjectively equal speed and reaction time. The subjects have the highest speed overestimation and an easy speed judgment with the red–white combined sidewall marking. Within the temporal frequency range of 4.45–7.01 Hz, the subjects have a certain degree of speed overestimation (less than 20%), and the speed perception is sensitive to the temporal frequency changes. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modeling traffic operation at signalized intersections without explicit left‐turn yielding rules with an enhanced cell transmission model

This paper presents an enhanced cell transmission model (CTM) to capture traffic operation at signalized intersections without explicit permissive left‐turn yielding rules (i.e. aggressive permissive left‐turn maneuvers may not necessarily yield to opposing through traffic), which can be widely observed in many developing countries. Different from previous studies that focus on traffic dynamics on approaching links, this study contributes to modeling traffic operations within the intersection. A novel cell transmission framework with various types of virtual cells is proposed to model the dynamics of traffic movements from approach to exit. The unique phenomenon of competitive occupying of the conflict point between the left turn and opposing through movements is modeled. The cell state indicating its blockage is proposed to capture the dynamic queue formulation and dissipation and to evaluate the operational traffic performance at the intersection. Field validation results show that the proposed model can capture the operation of traffic at signalized intersections without explicit permissive left‐turn yielding rules with significantly higher level of accuracy than traditional traffic flow models. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modification of the Highway Capacity Manual two‐lane highway analysis procedure for Spanish conditions

The US Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) methodology is used in Spain to evaluate traffic operation and quality of service. The effect of passing manoeuvre on two‐lane highway operational performance is considered through adjustment factors to average travel speeds and percent time spent following. The procedure is largely based on simulations in TWOPAS and passing behaviours observed during US calibrations in the 1970s. It is not clear whether US driving behaviour and vehicles' performance are comparable with Spanish conditions. The objective of this research is to adapt the HCM 2010 methodology to Spanish driver behaviour, for base conditions (i.e. no passing restrictions). To do so, TWOPAS was calibrated and validated based on current Spanish passing field data. The calibration used a genetic algorithm. The case study included an ideal two‐lane highway with varying directional traffic flow rate, directional split and percentage of trucks. The updated methodology for base conditions is simpler than the current HCM 2010 and does not rely on interpolation from tables. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

快速公交系统站台停靠时间模型研究

快速公交系统停靠站台停车延误是影响快速公交运行车速的关键因素之一,因此构建快速公交系统站台停靠时间模型是提升快速公交服务水平的基础理论研究。本文选取盐城BRT-1号线的起始站、中途站、客流离散站等三类站点为研究对象,综合运用数理统计法与数据挖掘法,构建快速公交系统站台停靠时间模型,并对该模型的合理性进行了检验。研究表明:盐城市BRT-1号线三类站台的快速公交车辆停靠时间与上下车乘客人数呈线性关系,即快速公交车辆停靠时间与上下车乘客人数的检验参数R2均大于0.8。     

Short-term speed predictions exploiting big data on large urban road networks

Big data from floating cars supply a frequent, ubiquitous sampling of traffic conditions on the road network and provide great opportunities for enhanced short-term traffic predictions based on real-time information on the whole network. Two network-based machine learning models, a Bayesian network and a neural network, are formulated with a double star framework that reflects time and space correlation among traffic variables and because of its modular structure is suitable for an automatic implementation on large road networks. Among different mono-dimensional time-series models, a seasonal autoregressive moving average model (SARMA) is selected for comparison. The time-series model is also used in a hybrid modeling framework to provide the Bayesian network with an a priori estimation of the predicted speed, which is then corrected exploiting the information collected on other links. A large floating car data set on a sub-area of the road network of Rome is used for validation. To account for the variable accuracy of the speed estimated from floating car data, a new error indicator is introduced that relates accuracy of prediction to accuracy of measure. Validation results highlighted that the spatial architecture of the Bayesian network is advantageous in standard conditions, where a priori knowledge is more significant, while mono-dimensional time series revealed to be more valuable in the few cases of non-recurrent congestion conditions observed in the data set. The results obtained suggested introducing a supervisor framework that selects the most suitable prediction depending on the detected traffic regimes.     

Real time queue length estimation for signalized intersections using travel times from mobile sensors

We study how to estimate real time queue lengths at signalized intersections using intersection travel times collected from mobile traffic sensors. The estimation is based on the observation that critical pattern changes of intersection travel times or delays, such as the discontinuities (i.e., sudden and dramatic increases in travel times) and non-smoothness (i.e., changes of slopes of travel times), indicate signal timing or queue length changes. By detecting these critical points in intersection travel times or delays, the real time queue length can be re-constructed. We first introduce the concept of Queue Rear No-delay Arrival Time which is related to the non-smoothness of queuing delay patterns and queue length changes. We then show how measured intersection travel times from mobile sensors can be processed to generate sample vehicle queuing delays. Under the uniform arrival assumption, the queuing delays reduce linearly within a cycle. The delay pattern can be estimated by a linear fitting method using sample queuing delays. Queue Rear No-delay Arrival Time can then be obtained from the delay pattern, and be used to estimate the maximum and minimum queue lengths of a cycle, based on which the real-time queue length curve can also be constructed. The model and algorithm are tested in a field experiment and in simulation.     

城市交通系统通行性影响因素及计算理论

文章分析了震后城市交通系统通行性的影响因素,提出了包含路段单元通行概率、路段连通概率及路网连通概率的城市交通系统通行性计算理论,为城市路网的连通可靠性评价提供参考。     

Compromising system and user interests in shelter location and evacuation planning

Traffic management during an evacuation and the decision of where to locate the shelters are of critical importance to the performance of an evacuation plan. From the evacuation management authority’s point of view, the desirable goal is to minimize the total evacuation time by computing a system optimum (SO). However, evacuees may not be willing to take long routes enforced on them by a SO solution; but they may consent to taking routes with lengths not longer than the shortest path to the nearest shelter site by more than a tolerable factor. We develop a model that optimally locates shelters and assigns evacuees to the nearest shelter sites by assigning them to shortest paths, shortest and nearest with a given degree of tolerance, so that the total evacuation time is minimized. As the travel time on a road segment is often modeled as a nonlinear function of the flow on the segment, the resulting model is a nonlinear mixed integer programming model. We develop a solution method that can handle practical size problems using second order cone programming techniques. Using our model, we investigate the importance of the number and locations of shelter sites and the trade-off between efficiency and fairness.     

汽车灯丝的断裂形式及特征分析

文章结合汽车灯泡的特性,探讨灯丝在正常使用过程中和肇事碰撞时的断裂形式,并对灯丝的断裂特征和断裂原因进行分析,为交通管理部门进行相关的事故原因调查提供技术支持。     

Design and evaluation of a grade-separated intersection: a case study of the proposed Belgrade ‘Hipodrom’

This paper presents the evaluation results of three traffic solutions for the complex grade-separated intersection located in the old part of Belgrade at the junction with the new bridge over the Sava River. The corridor to which the intersection belongs together with the new river bridge are parts of a great urban artery called the Inner Half Semi-Ring Road (IHSRR). The traffic solutions that are evaluated are defined in the preliminary design phase, based on two opposed concepts: a complete grade separation of all intersection legs (the CPV alternative – ‘grade-separated’) and a grade separation designed to minimise construction costs (DMC 1 and 2 alternatives – ‘minimise cost’). The evaluation procedure is conducted in three steps: first, the score based on expert assessment of the functionality of the design solutions is determined; second, the alternatives are ranked according to the value of a set of state indicators obtained by micro-simulation using PTV–VISSIM 4.10; and third, the final score is obtained by multi-criteria evaluation using the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method. The results of the first evaluation step show a small advantage for DMC 2, a sub-alternative of the DMC 1 alternative. The results of the micro-simulation give advantage to the DMC 1 alternative. The multi-criteria evaluation provides a better ‘goodness factor’ for the CPV alternative against the DMC 1 alternative. At the same time, the least construction cost favours alternative DMC 1.