Abstract
Bicycle traffic flow suffers from the impact of tracks at an intersection in which a modern streetcar route is laid. The primary objective of this study involves discussing the impacts of modern streetcar tracks on bicycling through an intersection and developing a quantitative approach to calculate bicycle delay. Field investigations are conducted at eight sites in Nanjing and Shenyang, China. The sites are related to five intersections. Two of the five intersections are designed with a central modern streetcar style of track. Other two intersections operate on a roadside style of track and the last intersection is without tracks. The impact of the differences in bicycle speed are tested at each site based on the observed data. The results show that modern streetcar tracks exert a significant influence on bicycle speed and bicycling behavior and lead to delay, discomfort and unsafe conditions. Furthermore, a model is proposed to predict bicycle delay caused by modern streetcar tracks. The proposed model achieved a relatively accurate prediction. The findings of this study help in adequately understanding the impacts of modern streetcar tracks on bicycling. The results also suggest that longer crossing times should be used in signal design for bicycling at an intersection in which a modern streetcar route is laid.
Highlights
Modern streetcars and bicycles are commonly recognized as transportation modes with low energy consumption, low air pollution and low road occupation
A delay prediction model was proposed to calculate the bicycle delay caused by modern streetcar tracks
1) Modern streetcar tracks have a significant effect on the bicycle speed at an intersection
Summary
Modern streetcars and bicycles are commonly recognized as transportation modes with low energy consumption, low air pollution and low road occupation. They are advocated globally and are characterized by significant progress, in China. The operating mileage of modern streetcars in China increased from 20.2 km in 2005 to 223.3 km in 2017, with an average annual growth rate of 16.9%. The number of bicycles reached 370 million [1]. Both streetcars and bicycles provide individuals with convenience, economic benefits and flexible mobility.
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