On Organization of Reverse Traffic on Main Streets of the Cities

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The increase in the number of road transport in the cities leads to the filling of transport space, an increase in the density of traffic flows, the emergence of queues of cars before crossing the road network and congestion. Decrease in the speed of traffic flows resulting from an increase in traffic intensity is the cause of increased emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere and a source of deterioration in the psychophysical state of drivers. Such factors contribute to the occurrence of road accidents and, as a result, traffic collapse. The residential area of large cities and settlements, built up taking into account the norms of 100 and more years ago, does not allow the reconstruction of the existing street and road network. There is no possibility of increasing the throughput of main streets and using parallel streets as service-drives.The authors of the article examined the state of traffic flows on the main street (Moskovsky Avenue) in the urban district of the city of Voronezh. The purpose of the survey was to develop further recommendations for ensuring the throughput of the road network in large cities by introducing reverse traffic. To achieve this goal, the method of field observations was used. Traffic counts were carried out on the road and the junctions. We determined traffic intensity and composition of the traffic flow, took data on the operation of traffic lights at intersections, determined the reasons for the formation of a queue and the number of vehicles standing in the queue, monitored compliance with the requirements of the RF Road Traffic Rules by traffic participants.Field observations of the movement of traffic flows showed that in the morning rush hours, road transport is directed to the central part of the city, where a large number of shops, shopping centers, catering facilities and office buildings are located. Through the central part of the city, there is an entrance to the Chernavsky Bridge and the dam, the right-bank embankment of the Voronezh reservoir and exits to the North and Vogresovsky Bridge, through which the vehicle moves to the left-bank part of the city with industrial zones located there. In the evening, the situation becomes exactly the opposite; people go home after work to bedroom suburbs or out of town. It is not difficult to understand that with such daily transport correspondence, the streets and roads of the city are unevenly loaded. In the morning rush hours, queues and congestion are formed in one direction; in the opposite direction one or even two lanes are underused. In the evening rush hours, the direction of traffic on the street and road network of the city acquires the opposite character.To ensure the safety of entering and leaving a street or road with reverse traffic, the authors have proposed a traffic light design. The traffic light consists of a square-shaped base, one of the diagonals of which is located vertically. Sections of emitters are located at the tops of a square and are made in the form of directional arrows of the same shape and size, in which red and green LEDs are installed in a checkerboard pattern. Arrow-pointer of the forward direction is located at the top of the square, the opposite direction - at the bottom of the square, directions to the right and left - respectively, at the side vertices of the square. The section of yellow glow color is made in the form of a circle and is located on the base of the square in the center between the sections of the direction arrows. Above the upper half of the base there is a sun visor made in the form of a double-slope roof.