Network-based traffic managementat Kerten Areain Surakarta (Case study: Manahan-Purwosari-Kerten-UNIBA-Jongke intersections)

Abstract

Motorcycles and private cars are still very dominant in many road segments around the city of Surakarta. Until now, the growth of the number of private vehicles is not balanced by an increase in the road network. Although public transportation exists, but it existence (in term of both quantity and quality) is still not able to attract private vehicle users switch to use public transport. This condition leads to Dishub Surakarta, as the representative of Surakarta Local Government, to resolve the problem of congestion in Surakarta. For example, Dishub changed the direction of traffic flow on Teuku Umar Street and Dr. SoeharsoStreet from two-way traffic to one-way traffic. Hopefully, the change management does not make worse traffic performance on A. Yani Street and Adi Sucipto Street. Besides these two locations, some sections of the road network in Surakarta have been identified congested during peak hours, such as Manahan, Kerten and Purwosari Intersections. Therefore, this study is conducted with the aim to evaluate the performance of the road network in Kerten Area, alongside Manahan, Purwosari, Kerten, UNIBA and Jongke Intersections. The parameter used to evaluate the performance is degree of saturation of each segment and each intersection and then comparing with the whole road network. Main data used is traffic flow data obtained through the traffic counting survey during two hours of peak hours in the morning and afternoon peak. The method used to analyze the performance is Indonesian Highway Capacity Manual (MKJI) 1997. Based on the results of the analysis, it can be concluded that the characteristics of the road network are very varied (either on geometric condition or traffic condition). The proportion of traffic flow in each direction of two-way road is not equal, as well as the position of peak hour. However, in this study the peak hour is referred to the time period that has the highest total volume. It was occured at 06.30 – 07.30 around 12057.2 pcu/hour. Other results showed that nearly all intersections have degree of saturation more than 0.75. This result indicates that the traffic flow conditions are unstable or nearly stalled. In other words, the levels of service on road network along Kerten Area locations are in poor condition.