Abstract
The movement of the light rail vehicles (LRVs) is highly interrupted at level crossings during peak hour times, especially when the intersections are not regulated by a coordinated signal system. Traffic modelling ensures better understanding and interpretation of complex traffic interactions. This study is aimed at modelling light rail transit (LRT) system operational characteristics at level crossings in Addis Ababa City using VISSIM software. The studied scenarios at Sebategna (All Way Stop Controlled, AWSC) and CMC (Roundabout) level crossings are the baseline without LRT scenario, the actual scenario with collected LRV headways, twice arrival frequency scenario, signalized actual LRV arrival, and signalized twice actual LRV arrival. The relative comparisons among the tested scenarios depicted that significant travel time savings can be achieved in some approaches if more green time is offered to nonconflicting phases during a light rail crossing. Overall, the average additional delays at level crossings increase from the base scenario with increasing light rail crossing frequencies, and delay at the level crossing is the second important variable that contributes to the variability of train travel time at peak hours. If it is a must for an intersection to have a rail road to pass through the median, different options should be verified based on the trade-off between the operational cost of the level crossing and the cost incurred if it is grade separated.
Highlights
Access to employment, education, entertainment, health care, and other services are possible because of the integrated urban transport system
For CMC level crossing 93% of the vehicle and for Sebategna level crossing 87% are composed of these vehicles; as a result, the speed represents most part of the vehicle classes. e compared average speed variation of field data and VISSIM output based on the speed validation criteria are under 10% (Figure 5), which shows the model is acceptable representation of the real traffic behaviour
To obtain a baseline average total delay, each of the intersections in this paper was checked without Light rail transit (LRT) crossings
Summary
Education, entertainment, health care, and other services are possible because of the integrated urban transport system. Integrating LRT systems in existing road corridors has the benefit of plummeting the demand for private vehicles, increasing the safety of train users, reducing pollution of air, waiting time, travel cost, and time of train users. It may induce additional delays on vehicles, pedestrians, and other public transport users due to the interval at the crossway and at-grade crossings, and mobility preemption. The conclusions section summarizes the brief discussion of the implications of the results and suggests potential study directions for transit networks
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