Curb Lane Research Articles

A new curb lane monitoring and illegal parking impact estimation approach based on queueing theory and computer vision for cameras with low resolution and low frame rate

The rapid development of the internet of things (IoT), sensing technologies, and machine learning and deep learning techniques, along with the growing variety and volume of data, have yielded new perspectives on how novel technologies can be applied to obtain new sources of curb data to achieve cost-effective curb management. This study presents a new computer vision–based data acquisition and analytics approach for curb lane monitoring and illegal parking impact assessment. The proposed “rank, detect, and quantify impacts” system consists of three main modules: 1) hotspot identification based on rankings generated by local spatial autocorrelation analysis, 2) curb lane occupancy estimation leveraging traffic cameras and computer vision techniques, and 3) illegal parking traffic impact quantification using an M/M/∞ queueing model. To demonstrate the feasibility and validity of the proposed approach, it was tested and empirically validated using field data collected from three case study sites in Midtown Manhattan, New York City (NYC)—one of the most complex urban transportation networks in the world. Different types of curb lane occupancy, including parking and bus lanes, and different frequencies of illegal parking (high, moderate, low) were investigated. The proposed method was proven to be effective even for low resolution and discontinuous video feeds obtained from publicly available traffic cameras. All three case study sites achieved good detection accuracy (86% to 96%) for parking and bus lane occupancy, and acceptable precision and recall in detecting illegal parking events. The queueing model was also proven to effectively quantify link travel time with the appearance of illegal parking events of different frequencies. The proposed “rank, detect, and quantify impacts” system is friendly for large-scale real-time implementation and is highly scalable to help evaluate the impact of other modes such as bike or mobility-on-demand (MOD) services. It can also be easily adopted by other cities to provide transportation agencies with effective data collection and innovative curb space management strategies.

Using multinomial regression to explore the spatial factors affecting left-turn oncoming accidents involving motorcycles

Objective In mixed traffic with a high proportion of motorcycles, accidents involving motorcycles usually account for the highest percentage of total accidents and are thus important. Because the motorcycle can easily weave around within the traffic flow, leading to traffic conflicts and accidents, this research analyzed left-turn oncoming collisions at intersections and explored the impacts of crossing positions of the motorcycles and opposite left-turn cars on accident risk. Furthermore, based on the analysis results, possible ways to prevent crashes are proposed. Methods We collected accident videos to develop an image dataset to explore the spatial factors affecting left-turn accidents by multinomial regression model (MNL). In addition, to collect samples without incidents as the reference category of the MNL, this research used post encroachment time analysis to screen the samples of general traffic flow. Finally, elasticity analysis was employed to explore the influences of the spatial factors on incident risk probability. Results The results showed that the accident risk was significantly affected by the cross-section locations of the left-turn vehicles and motorcycles during the passing process. intersection. Conclusions When a straight motorcycle travels in the curb lane or an opposite left-turn car does not turn with an appropriate turning trajectory, the risk of a left-turn oncoming collision will increase. Therefore, even if a straight motorcycle has the right-of-way, the operator should choose an appropriate cross-section position and avoid riding to the right of a car when passing through an intersection.

Curbspace Management Challenges and Opportunities from Public and Private Sector Perspectives

With rapid growth in on-demand delivery, ridehailing, and shared mobility use, cities are observing dramatic increases in demand for curbspace. In response, cities and private companies have proposed a diverse range of structural, policy and technology solutions to manage the curb lane more efficiently. Through structured interviews with public agency and private company staff and a review of existing pilot project evaluations and curb management guidelines, this study surveys contemporary approaches to curbspace management in 14 U.S. cities and documents the challenges and opportunities associated with them. A total of 17 public agencies (including public works departments, transportation agencies, and metropolitan planning organizations) in every census region of the U.S.A., and 10 technology companies were interviewed. The results show that the top curb management concerns among public officials are enforcement and communication, data collection and management, and interagency coordination. Interviewees reported success with policies such as allocating zones for passenger pick-ups and drop-offs, incentives for off-peak delivery, and requiring data sharing in exchange for reservable or additional curb spaces. Technology company representatives discussed new tools and technologies for curb management, including smart parking reservation systems, occupancy sensors and cameras, and automated enforcement. Both public and private sector staff expressed a desire for citywide policy goals around curb management, more consistent curb regulations across jurisdictions, and a common data standard for encoding curb information.

Applying Machine Learning to Develop Lane Control Principles for Mixed Traffic

The mixed traffic environment often has high accident rates. Therefore, many motorcycle-related traffic improvements or control methods are employed in countries with mixed traffic, including slow-traffic lanes, motorcycle two-stage left turn areas, and motorcycle waiting zones. In Taiwan, motorcycles can ride in only the two outermost lanes, including the curb lane and a mixed traffic lane. This study analyzed the new motorcycle-riding space control policy on 27 major arterial roads containing 248 road segments in Taipei by analyzing before-and-after accident data from the years 2012–2018. In this study, the equivalent-property-damage-only (EPDO) method was used to evaluate the severity of crashes before and after the cancelation of the third lane prohibition of motorcycles (TLPM) policy. After EPDO analysis, the random forest analysis method was used to screen the crucial factors in accidents for specific road segments. Finally, a classification and regression tree (CART) was created to predict the accident improvement effects of the road segments with discontinued TLPM in different situations. Furthermore, to provide practical applications, this study integrated the CART results and the needs of traffic authorities to determine four rules for canceling TLPM. In the future, on the accident-prone road segment with TLPM, the inspection of the four rules can provide the authority to decide whether to cancel TLPM to improve the accident or not.

Evaluating pedestrian perceptions of street design with a 3D stated preference survey

In many places, streets are still primarily designed for the convenience of motorists, considering mobility function as the principal design goal. There is a scarcity of empirical evidence on the relationship between the design of a street and how it is experienced by pedestrians who use it. This work focuses on quantifying pedestrians’ perception of walkability through a stated preference survey using a dynamic 3D representation of various street designs in Toronto, Canada. The stated preference scenarios are generated through a rule-based 3D environment (Esri’s CityEngine) and animated using a gaming engine (Unity). A random sample of 600 Torontonians is used for the empirical investigation by estimating a mixed multinomial logit model. The results indicate that there is a high preference for (i) streets that include transit lanes as opposed to car-exclusive lanes, (ii) the presence of trees on the sidewalk, and (iii) two-way cycle paths on the curb lane. Furthermore, pedestrians are willing to trade sidewalk width for the presence of trees and outdoor dining. The survey’s innovative presentation mode and its findings can contribute to the development of much-needed evidence-based design tools to assess the trade-offs required between the many possible uses of roadway space, while focusing on the overlooked role of the pedestrian experience.

Developing Capacity Reduction Factors for Curbside Bus Stops Under Heterogeneous Traffic Conditions

Traffic characteristics of a roadway are significantly influenced by bus stops, and it becomes more chaotic when a separate bus bay is not provided and the bus has to be stopped in the curb lane. The present study analyzes the effect of such bus stops on the midblock capacity of urban arterials under heterogeneous traffic conditions. Field data have been collected at six sections of six-lane divided urban arterial roads; out of that, three sections have not marked with bus stop and referred to as base sections, whereas the other three have designated bus stops and denoted as friction sections. A set of simultaneous equations are established using speed and flow data to estimate the midblock capacity of urban roads and found to be 6000 PCU/h for one direction of flow. Further, a set of simultaneous equations are developed between the speed of a vehicle type and the densities of all categories of vehicles with densities of stopped buses in their individual terms. These equations are solved for any number of stopping buses at a fixed proportion of vehicles in the traffic stream for different traffic volume levels and thus get the capacity curves. It has been found that the capacity of urban arterials is reduced by 6.6–28.3% when the frequency of stopping buses is as low as 20 bus/h to as high as 120 bus/h, respectively. The study outcomes are useful for designing bus stops and at the same time estimating the capacity of such sections in order to reduce the congestion on the urban roadway network.

Bicycle Level of Service Model for the Cycloruta, Bogota, Colombia

Abstract Segment videos were produced at different peaks to reflect different sampling criteria like land use characteristics, trails, Ciclocarrils and Ciclovia. Each segment was filmed for 20–40 seconds during bicycle rides at a speed of about 5km/h with a camera strapped, at an angle of 45 degrees, on the head. Curb lane variables such as bicycle pathway widths, curb lane motorised volume (veh/h) and vehicle speed (km/h), bicycle volume on segment, and median width were recorded in addition to secondary data. About 1,360 ratings were acquired from study participants and used in the estimation process. Ordered probability models were used to estimate random parameters of cyclists LOS perception to account for unobserved heterogeneity for all respondents. The deviance (1.085) and Pearson Chi-Square (2.309) with 1,635 degree of freedom at 0.05 level of significance shows that our model provides a better fit of the data. The study observed that BLOS was strongly influenced by side path separation, vehicle speed, motorised traffic volume and conflicts with pedestrians. However, many other factors were found to have high probabilities to influence level of service with unit change. They include bicycle lane width, wide outside lane, pavement conditions, trees and benches, daylight, gender and experience of cyclist. The impact of the variety of observed factors affecting bicyclists reveal the nature and character of urban transportation in Bogota which suggests a range of important trade-offs in further planning and management of the Cicloruta bicycle paths.

Potential of Internet street-view images for measuring tree sizes in roadside forests

Tree size censusing is essential for evaluations of trees and forests, but traditional field surveys are both time- and labor-intensive. Here, we discuss the use of panoramic 360-degree street views available on the Internet for censusing of roadside trees in urban regions. Use of scale-independent, fixed-sized street objects as recalibrating meters in tandem with imagery software enabled street-view images to be used effectively in the remote measurement of diameter at breast height (DBH), tree height, underbranch height, and canopy projection size. Comparison of four independent meters determined that stem limewhite-related meters (used for tree disease and bark-freeze injury control; usually 1.3 in height throughout China) had greater precision than road curb height, lane width, and traffic line width meters. The limewhite meter’s precision was slightly lower than those of the meters in combination (i.e., when at least three of the abovementioned meters were used for the same tree measurement), but no statistically significant differences were detected between the limewhite and combined meters (p > 0.05). In contrast, the road curb height, traffic line width, and lane width meters all had significantly lower precision. The highest levels of precision were 92%, 87%, and 80% for DBH, height (tree height and underbranch height), and tree canopy size measurements, respectively. Empirical recalibration of the image-based measurements did not improve data precision with reference to field surveys (p > 0.05). Moreover, similar results were obtained regardless of individual users, and repeatability for DBH measurements (r2 > 0.92), and maximum differences among individual users were 0.6–1.9 cm for DBH (averaged at 22 cm) and 8–50 cm for underbranch height (mean value at 8 m). Labor costs and time needed for this approach were one-thirtieth to one-tenth those required for field surveys. Thus, the use of street-view images represents a more resourceful approach to assess forest ecological services.

Modeling the effect of bus stops on capacity of curb lane

With the increase of buses and bus lines, a negative effect on road section capacity is made by the prolonged delay and queuing time at bus stops. However, existing methods of measuring the negative effect pay little attention to different bus stop types in the curb lanes. This paper uses Gap theory and Queuing theory to build models for effect-time and potential capacity in different conditions, including curbside bus stops, bus bays with overflow and bus bays without overflow. In order to make the effect-time models accurate and reliable, two types of probabilities are introduced. One is the probability that the dwell time is less than the headway of curb lane at curbside bus stops; the other is the overflow probability at bus bays. Based on the fundamental road capacity model and effect-time models, potential capacity models of curb lane are designed. The new models are calibrated by the survey data from Changchun City, and verified by the simulation software of VISSIM. Furthermore, with different arrival rates of vehicles, the setting conditions of bus stops are researched. Results show that the potential capacity models have high precision. They can offer a reference for recognizing the effect of bus stops on the capacity of curb lane, which can provide a basis for planning, design and management of urban roads and bus stops.

A study of at-fault older drivers in light-vehicle crashes in Singapore

A number of studies on motor vehicle crashes have suggested that older drivers are more likely to be at-fault compared to younger drivers. The objective of this paper is to identify factors that contribute to older drivers (aged 65 and above) being at fault in light vehicle crashes in Singapore. Based on 3 years of crash data, the calibrated binary logit model shows that older drivers are more likely to be at fault during peak periods and festive seasons between November to February, as well as at gore areas of expressways, intersections. Curb lanes of multi-lane roads and single-lane roads are also found to increase the odds of older drivers being at fault. Furthermore, older drivers appear to have more problems on roads with wet surfaces and speed limits of 60 km/h and 70 km/h. In the light of an aging population in Singapore, it is imperative that more targeted countermeasures be taken from multiple perspectives to lower such risks.

Improper Stopping of Buses at Curbside Bus Stops: Reasons and Implications

Although curbside bus stops facilitate the boarding and alighting of buses, they create temporary bottlenecks by reducing vehicular speed and roadway capacity. Further, they cause substantial delays to other vehicles and force them to change lanes. This problem is more severe in developing countries like India, where bus drivers often face difficulties in stopping buses closer to their designated bus stops. In this study, the reasons for the improper stopping of buses and their implications are elaborately discussed by analysing traffic data at two urban arterial sections in New Delhi, India. Both the sections have bus stopping areas marked and no on-street parking is allowed in the curb lane. The reasons for improper stopping include passengers waiting for the bus on the roadway instead of using the bus stop platform, insufficient bus handling capacity of bus stops, standing vehicles in the curb lane (especially auto-rickshaws), etc. Due to the improper stopping of buses, forced lane changes increased and traffic stream speed decreased. Moreover, improper stopping resulted in vehicles queuing behind stopped buses and overtaking buses through the gap between the bus stop and the stopped bus. Such vehicles pose serious safety concerns to the boarding and alighting passengers. This aspect has also been discussed. The current study will be helpful to policy makers, particularly in developing countries in making suitable changes in the regulatory system and bus stop design to reduce the events of improper bus stopping.

Study on the calculation models of bus delay at bays using queueing theory and Markov chain.

Traffic congestion at bus bays has decreased the service efficiency of public transit seriously in China, so it is crucial to systematically study its theory and methods. However, the existing studies lack theoretical model on computing efficiency. Therefore, the calculation models of bus delay at bays are studied. Firstly, the process that buses are delayed at bays is analyzed, and it was found that the delay can be divided into entering delay and exiting delay. Secondly, the queueing models of bus bays are formed, and the equilibrium distribution functions are proposed by applying the embedded Markov chain to the traditional model of queuing theory in the steady state; then the calculation models of entering delay are derived at bays. Thirdly, the exiting delay is studied by using the queueing theory and the gap acceptance theory. Finally, the proposed models are validated using field-measured data, and then the influencing factors are discussed. With these models the delay is easily assessed knowing the characteristics of the dwell time distribution and traffic volume at the curb lane in different locations and different periods. It can provide basis for the efficiency evaluation of bus bays.

Design of a Multi-Sensor Cooperation Travel Environment Perception System for Autonomous Vehicle

This paper describes the environment perception system designed for intelligent vehicle SmartV-II, which won the 2010 Future Challenge. This system utilizes the cooperation of multiple lasers and cameras to realize several necessary functions of autonomous navigation: road curb detection, lane detection and traffic sign recognition. Multiple single scan lasers are integrated to detect the road curb based on Z-variance method. Vision based lane detection is realized by two scans method combining with image model. Haar-like feature based method is applied for traffic sign detection and SURF matching method is used for sign classification. The results of experiments validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms and the whole system.

Feasibility of Converting Two-Way Left-Turn Lane into Bus Rapid Transit Lane

Although past research and experience have demonstrated the benefits of bus rapid transit (BRT) to the transportation system, implementation of BRT on congested local arterials having minimal or no rights-of-way remains a challenge. A feasible solution is to use the two-way left-turn lane (TWLTL) in the center of local streets for the purpose of BRT during peak hours. However, a TWLTL can be used in two ways for this purpose: directly as a median BRT lane and as a reversible general traffic lane (so that the curb lane is reserved for BRT). Without a clear understanding of the impacts of traffic characteristics, intersection layouts, and traffic signal control types on each of the alternatives, transit agencies usually have difficulty in determining the option that best serves transit vehicles and simultaneously minimizes impacts to the general traffic. This study evaluates the performance of a median BRT lane and a curb BRT lane and considers varying traffic conditions and physical configurations of the street and the intersections. The pros and cons of each alternative are also specified, in accordance with the simulation analysis.

Vehicle Composition and Lane Distribution in Multilane Highways in Indonesian Cities

Recently, vehicle composition in Indonesia was changing drastically. Worsening congestion, forced some travellers from all income levels to choose motorcycle and therefore motorcycle prercentage in vehicle composition became higher than default values in Indonesian Highway Capacity Manual (IHCM) 1997 as found in Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya and Mataram. In IHCM (1997) default values, the larger the city, the lower the motorcycle percentage in traffic. Recently, such pattern was no longer exist. At present paper, additional observation results in Medan and Makassar will be compared with the previous research. Change in vehicle composition will change the distribution of different types of vehicles accross lanes in multilane highways. Observations were made in four lanes-two ways and six lanes-two ways divided highways. It was in general found that in 24 hours observation, most light vehicles and heavy vehicles were using the median lane or middle lane, whilst most motorcycles were using the curb lane or middle lane.

Right-Angle Crash Vulnerability of Motorcycles at Signalized Intersections

Motorcycles are particularly vulnerable in right-angle crashes at signalized intersections. The objective of this study is to explore how variations in roadway characteristics, environmental factors, traffic factors, maneuver types, human factors, and driver demographics influence the right-angle crash vulnerability of motorcycles at intersections. The problem is modeled by using a mixed logit model with a binary choice category formulation to differentiate how an at-fault vehicle collides with a not-at-fault motorcycle in comparison with other collision types. The mixed logit formulation allows randomness in the parameters and hence takes into account the underlying heterogeneities potentially inherent in driver behavior and other unobserved variables. A likelihood ratio test reveals that the mixed logit model is indeed better than the standard logit model. Nighttime riding shows a positive association with the vulnerability of motorcyclists. Moreover, motorcyclists are particularly vulnerable on single-lane roads, on the curb and median lanes of multilane roads, and on one-way and two-way roads relative to divided highways. Drivers who deliberately run red lights and those who are careless toward motorcyclists, especially when turning at intersections, increase the vulnerability of motorcyclists. Drivers appear more restrained when there is a passenger onboard, and this factor has decreased the crash potential for motorcyclists. The presence of red light cameras also significantly decreases right-angle crash vulnerabilities of motorcyclists. The findings of this study would be helpful in developing more targeted countermeasures for traffic enforcement, driver or rider training or education, and safety awareness programs to reduce the vulnerability of motorcyclists.

Urban Roadside Safety

Roadside safety in rural environments has been the focus of considerable study, but direct application of this knowledge to the constrained urban environment has posed many challenges. Restricted right-of-way with a greater demand for functional use of the space adjacent to urban roads makes the maintenance of a wide clear zone impractical. This paper summarizes a corridor roadside crash analysis used to help identify urban roadside safety issues and illuminate possible solutions for attempting to mitigate objects in the roadside that have the potential to increase injury severity if hit. The paper focuses on arterial and collector-type facilities in urban areas with speed limits between 25 and 50 mph. The authors assessed corridors of urban roadside conditions and compared 6 years of historic crash data with roadside features. The goal of this effort was to identify potential configurations that posed a greater risk by the use of cluster-crash analysis. Locations with similar features without these companion crashes provided insight into prospective alternative treatments for roadside safety in urban environments. The higher-risk roadside locations identified by these approaches were referred to as urban control zones. The most commonly observed roadside crashes included locations in close lateral proximity to the curb face or lane edge, lane merge locations, select auxiliary lane treatments, sidewalk buffer configurations with rigid objects in close proximity to the travelway, driveway and intersection locations, high-cluster-crash locations, and other common roadside crash conditions.

Conversions of Wide Curb Lanes: The Effect on Bicycle and Motor Vehicle Interactions

This paper examines the operational effects of converting a 14-ft-wide curb lane to an 11-ft-wide travel lane with a 3-ft-wide undesignated lane at various locations in Broward County, Florida. Six midblock sites with various configurations were selected for study. Two of the midblock sites had previously been striped with the 3-ft undesignated lane, and these served as comparison sites. Videotapes were taken of bicyclists riding through the midblock and intersection locations before and after placement of the 3-ft undesignated lane striping. At the locations where the 3-ft stripe was already in place, the videotaping was done to examine whether changes were occurring over time. Software was used to extract images at all midblock locations so that before and after lateral spacing measurements could be obtained. After the new striping, (a) bicycles were ridden, on average, 7 to 9 in. further away from the gutter pan seam; (b) motor vehicles were driven, on average, 6 to 12 in. farther away from the gutter pan seam; (c) passing motor vehicles were driven, on average, 3 to 5 in. closer to bicycles at curb and gutter sites; conversely, passing motor vehicles were driven, on average, 4 to 5 in. farther away from bicycles at the sites where the stripe was already in place; and (d) the addition of the stripe at new locations had the effect of reducing the amount of motor vehicle encroachment into the adjacent lane on these multilane roadways.

Conversions of Wide Curb Lanes

This paper examines the operational effects of converting a 14-ft-wide curb lane to an 11-ft-wide travel lane with a 3-ft-wide undesignated lane at various locations in Broward County, Florida. Six midblock sites with various configurations were selected for study. Two of the midblock sites had previously been striped with the 3-ft undesignated lane, and these served as comparison sites. Videotapes were taken of bicyclists riding through the midblock and intersection locations before and after placement of the 3-ft undesignated lane striping. At the locations where the 3-ft stripe was already in place, the videotaping was done to examine whether changes were occurring over time. Software was used to extract images at all midblock locations so that before and after lateral spacing measurements could be obtained. After the new striping, ( a) bicycles were ridden, on average, 7 to 9 in. further away from the gutter pan seam; ( b) motor vehicles were driven, on average, 6 to 12 in. farther away from the gutter pan seam; ( c) passing motor vehicles were driven, on average, 3 to 5 in. closer to bicycles at curb and gutter sites; conversely, passing motor vehicles were driven, on average, 4 to 5 in. farther away from bicycles at the sites where the stripe was already in place; and ( d) the addition of the stripe at new locations had the effect of reducing the amount of motor vehicle encroachment into the adjacent lane on these multilane roadways.

What is at the end of the road? Understanding discontinuities of on-street bicycle lanes in urban settings

Demarcating on-street bicycle facilities is often mentioned as an important strategy to encourage increased bicycle safety and bicycle travel. However, little if any literature has focused on instances where separate on-street bicycle facilities end. This paper better understands the severity of such instances and corresponding physical characteristics. We identify 30 discontinuities of on-street bicycle lanes in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and collect primary data measuring their physical attributes and cyclists’ perceptions of the level of comfort while cycling through each. Using multi-variate analysis, the findings suggest that discontinuities ending on the left side of the street, with increased distance of crossing intersections, having parking after the discontinuities, and wider width of the curb lane are statistical elements that contribute to higher levels of discomfort. Such analysis is useful in determining bicyclists’ comfort level where discontinuities exist and such methods can be an important part of an overall level of service toolkit for planning on-street bicycle lanes.