Recently, a growing rate in powered two wheelers (PTWs) penetration to urban road networks has been observed with significant effects on traffic conditions. However, this increase is not consistent with either the research on the subject or the implementation of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) dedicated to congestion relief. First, we review the PTW research conducted with respect to the modeling parameters, data issues, and their effect on a multimodal environment. Then, a concise review on ITS services and applications emphasizing on cooperative driving for solving macroscopic traffic problems is conducted, followed by a PTW-oriented ITS review. Findings reveal that PTW-oriented ITS are mainly safety oriented, whereas similar systems for solving traffic issues have not yet been proposed. Other interesting aspects of PTW traffic integration to ITS are also discussed, such as the data acquisition and the manner new technologies may support the development of PTW-dedicated ITS research and applications for macroscopic traffic improvements through the optimization of vehicles' microscopic interactions.

Intelligent Transportation Systems and Powered Two Wheelers Traffic

The Highway Capacity Manual uses the arrival type (AT) as a mechanism to account for the quality of traffic signal coordination in the calculation of delay at a signalized intersection. Although there is much discussion in the literature regarding the accuracy and precision of this approach, the AT parameter provides a simple mechanism for grading the performance of traffic signal coordination. This paper describes data collection limitations of current traffic signal controllers and proposes a procedure where the AT parameter can be calculated by traffic signal controllers in real time. Given that the nation received a score of 61 out of a possible 100 points for coordinated systems on the National Traffic Signal Report Card, this method is particularly timely as it provides an easily obtainable quantitative measure of traffic signal coordination. Data from a coordinated system in Noblesville, Ind., is analyzed and presented in a format that can be used to assess arterial performance. Results from the te...

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Pilot Study on Real-Time Calculation of Arrival Type for Assessment of Arterial Performance

Object-oriented methodology for intersection simulation model under heterogeneous traffic conditions

The prevailing roadway and traffic conditions on expressways in India are vastly different when compared with the other roads in India and also, there is no perfect lane-discipline. The knowledge of roadway capacity is an important basic input required for planning, design, analysis, and operation of roadway systems. Hence, this work aims to model traffic flow on Indian urban expressways with specific reference to Delhi–Gurgaon expressway and estimate its capacity using the micro-simulation model using VISSIM 5·40. For this purpose, the field data collected on traffic-flow characteristics on expressways was used in calibration and validation of the simulation model. The validated simulation model was then used to develop fundamental traffic–flow relationships, namely, speed–flow, speed–area occupancy, and flow–area occupancy for the traffic-flow levels, starting from near-zero until the capacity of the facility. The capacity of an eight-lane divided urban expressway in level terrain with 14·0-m wide road ...

Methodology for simulating heterogeneous traffic on expressways in developing countries: a case study in India

Roads in developing countries carry mixed traffic with wide variations in static and dynamic characteristics of vehicles. The traffic flow is also generally devoid of lane discipline, with vehicles occupying any available road space ahead. In such a regime of traffic flow, the phenomena of merging of vehicles at intersections of two roads is complex, warranting further study. The merging maneuvers at T-intersections under congested traffic conditions were studied microscopically through video-recording. In congested situations, the merging vehicle attempts a complex merging maneuver to enter the main traffic stream. Two unique merging processes are commonly observed in mixed traffic: group and vehicle cover merging (these are generally not observed in countries such as US). The author is using these words first time in this study. These reflect the different types of driver behavior – merging in groups, and by taking cover of another vehicle. Probabilistic models for group and vehicle cover merging are developed that capture this unique merging behavior. Comprehensive microscopic data collection and extraction were carried out to study the merging process at T-intersection under congested conditions. Merging models were then estimated using maximum likelihood method with disaggregate data that was collected for a case study T-intersection in Chennai city, India. Such models can find applications in simulation of highly congested traffic flow in a realistic manner under mixed traffic conditions. They can also give insights on devising better traffic control measures at such intersections.

Study of unique merging behavior under mixed traffic conditions

The quality of progression of a road traffic stream is one of the critical characteristics that must be quantified for operational analysis of traffic signals, particularly on urban roads. The parameter that has been found to best describe this characteristic of traffic streams is the arrival type. Though precise quantification of arrival type has been found to be difficult, the platoon ratio is a useful measure for this purpose. Thus, the quality of arrival of a traffic stream can be assessed by knowing the corresponding value of the platoon ratio. Study of arrival type over a wide range of traffic characteristics warrants theoretical modeling of traffic flow. In the study reported, an attempt was made to model heterogeneous traffic flow using an innovative technique. The developed model was used to study the arrival type of traffic streams, queue accumulation, and queue dissipation on approaches to traffic signals. The dispersal pattern of traffic platoons after vehicles pass a traffic signal was studied in detail. The effect of variation in traffic composition on traffic platoons was also analyzed.

Shiraj Hussain Kashani

Papers

Modeling platoon dispersal pattern of heterogeneous road traffic