Road Alignment Research Articles

An Analysis of Relationships between Running Behavior of Vehicles and Road Alignment at a Black Spot S-shaped Curve on a Motorway

An Analysis of Relationships between Running Behavior of Vehicles and Road Alignment at a Black Spot S-shaped Curve on a Motorway

Causal Analysis of Bus and Coach Accidents in China Based on Road Alignments

Causal Analysis of Bus and Coach Accidents in China Based on Road Alignments

A Sequential Exploration Algorithm for the Design Optimization of Horizontal Road Alignment

A Sequential Exploration Algorithm for the Design Optimization of Horizontal Road Alignment

Unsupervised Driving Style Analysis Based on Driving Maneuver Intensity

This paper proposes a novel unsupervised clustering framework to identify driving style not in terms of the discrete features of driving behavior data, but rather the time-varying patterns of driving maneuver intensity. This framework can describe the dynamic decision-making process of driving behavior and the continuity of driving data, and driving maneuver intensity is the basic of this paper. Therefore, detection, feature analysis and clustered on intensity of driving maneuvers are carried out using a threshold-based approach, hierarchical feature extraction, and k-means clustering. Then, to analyze fine-grained driving style, dynamic time windows are determined according to road alignment. In dynamic time windows, this paper constructs time-varying patterns based on driving maneuver intensity, which consider the intensity and frequency of driving behavior and preserve the time-varying characteristics of time-series data. However, not all dynamic time windows are equal in maneuvers’ duration and number, which means the time-varying patterns of driving maneuver intensity are curves with various lengths. So that, for clustering time-varying patterns, this paper proposes a novel curve clustering algorithm named Similarity-Based Clustering with Dynamic Time Warping (SBC-DTW) that can cluster curves with various lengths. The empirical results based on real driving data demonstrate that the proposed framework can classify driving style more accurately than the classical method. Moreover, according to this framework, we can have an in-depth understanding of dynamic driving behavior and the composition of drivers’ long-term driving styles.

Study on the influence of skid resistance on traffic safety of highway with a high ratio of bridges and tunnels

ABSTRACT The safety of highways with a high ratio of bridges and tunnels is related to multiple factors, for example, the skid resistance of the pavement surface. In this study, the distribution of accidents under different conditions was calculated to investigate the relationship between the road skid resistance and the incidence of traffic accidents based on the traffic accident data of the Yuxiang highway. Statistical results show that weather conditions and road alignment may affect traffic accidents. The correlation analysis method was used to study the relationship between three factors and traffic accidents. The results show that road alignment, weather conditions and road skid resistance are related to the incidence of traffic accidents. The traffic accident prediction models were established based on back propagation neural network to verify the correlation analysis results. It is confirmed that road alignment, weather conditions and road skid resistance are the factors that affect traffic accidents.

Insights into Factors Affecting Traffic Accident Severity of Novice and Experienced Drivers: A Machine Learning Approach.

Traffic accidents have significant financial and social impacts. Reducing the losses caused by traffic accidents has always been one of the most important issues. This paper presents an effort to investigate the factors affecting the accident severity of drivers with different driving experience. Special focus was placed on the combined effect of driving experience and age. Based on our dataset (traffic accidents that occurred between 2005 and 2021 in Shaanxi, China), CatBoost model was applied to deal with categorical feature, and SHAP (Shapley Additive exPlanations) model was used to interpret the output. Results show that accident cause, age, visibility, light condition, season, road alignment, and terrain are the key factors affecting accident severity for both novice and experienced drivers. Age has the opposite impact on fatal accident for novice and experienced drivers. Novice drivers younger than 30 or older than 55 are prone to suffer fatal accident, but for experienced drivers, the risk of fatal accident decreases when they are young and increases when they are old. These findings fill the research gap of the combined effect of driving experience and age on accident severity. Meanwhile, it can provide useful insights for practitioners to improve traffic safety for novice and experienced drivers.

MULTI-CRITERIA ANALYSIS OF COMPROMISE ROAD ALIGNMENT SOLUTION FOR ROUTE 2A - SECTION KRUPA TO BOČAC

<jats:p>The subject of this analysis is the selection of the road alignment of Route 2a on the section Krupa - Bočac (Republic of Srpska). The complexity of the problem is reflected in the fact that a number of conflicting criteria of different stakeholders should be taken into account; i.e. criteria that are important from the aspect of road managers, criteria from the aspect of users and criteria society as a whole. The PROMETHEE method was used to determine compromise solution. Detailed comparative analysis of all parameters showed that variant 0 of the Krupa - Bočac section is a first ranked compromise solution. Sensitivity analysis has shown that the first place is stable by most criteria. Decision support framework presented in this paper can help future researchers and decision makers with similar problem.</jats:p>

SPOT SPEED LIMIT STUDIES OF AGAIE-KATCHA-BARO ROAD AGAIE, NIGER STATE

The number of accidents in Nigeria increases relatively from year to year, despite the fact that there are many programs organized by the authority to reduce them. Several factors contribute to the occurrence of accidents. Some of which are human behavior, vehicles condition, weather conditions, road surfaces, and road alignments (vertical and horizontal curves). This research presents empirical research to estimate the 85th percentile operating speed limits. The speed data were obtained using a stopwatch on the selected location along the Agaie-Katcha-Baro Road Agaie, Niger State. Spot speed study was adopted as the method for the research. The method has successfully predicted the 85th percentile speed limit for the Agaie-Katcha-Baro Road Agaie, Niger State. It has established maximum and minimum speed limits for the road and has also shown how inexpensive and quick the stopwatch method is in conducting spot speed studies in Nigerian roads. The findings are hoped to provide a lasting solution towards the national design standard for the highway designer and planner to improving the consistency of geometric design elements of the two-lane highways.

Diagnostic analysis of environmental factors affecting the severity of traffic crashes: From the perspective of pedestrian–vehicle and vehicle–vehicle collisions

Objectives Traffic crashes under low-visibility conditions are frequent and serious. The aim of this study was to investigate how the road environment affects the severity of pedestrian–vehicle and vehicle–vehicle collisions under low-visibility conditions. Methods The injury severity of pedestrian–vehicle collisions and vehicle–vehicle collisions under low-visibility conditions was set as the dependent variable and divided into 2 categories: “killed or severe injury collision” and “slight injury collision.” Ten variables, including environment conditions, road traffic facility status, collision characteristics, and road attributes, were selected as independent factors according to the existing research and the traffic collision data set. Based on 656 valid pedestrian–vehicle collisions and 1,430 valid vehicle–vehicle collisions under low-visibility conditions, 2 random parameter logit models were established to evaluate the impacts of influencing factors on the severity of pedestrian–vehicle collisions and vehicle–vehicle collisions, in which the effect of unobserved heterogeneity was accounted for. Results The results show that visibility, presence of a roadside protection, road type, road pavement condition, and road alignment were significant factors affecting the severity of pedestrian–vehicle collisions. In addition, the presence of a median divider, location of the collision, road type, road surface condition, road pavement condition, and road alignment were significant factors affecting the severity of vehicle–vehicle collisions. Furthermore, the injury severity of both pedestrian–vehicle collisions and vehicle–vehicle collisions under low-visibility conditions on highways, poor road pavement, and non-straight-line sections was more likely to be fatal or serious. Conclusion These results have implications for the design of more effective strategies to reduce casualties from traffic crashes under low-visibility conditions.

PERENCANAAN GEOMETRIK DAN PERKERASAN LENTUR PADA JALAN NANGAMIRO - JALAN PANCASILA, KABUPATEN DOMPU, NUSA TENGGARA BARAT (STA 0+000 - 8+758)

The road as a transportation system plays an important role, especially in supporting the economy in the Dompu district. Therefore, the planning of the Nangamiro road to the Pancasila road is a road needed by the community and is the main road for the mobility of agricultural / plantation products and also as one of the connecting access roads between Pancasila Village and Nangamiro Village, Pekat District, Dompu Regency to Kananga Village, District Tambora, Bima Regency. The road planning is made with 2 alternatives to choose the best and is planned using flexible pavement. This road planning includes road dimension planning, horizontal alignment and vertical alignment based on the Bina Marga Standard Guidelines for Inter-City Road Geometric Planning Procedures (No.038 / T / BM / 1997), and pavement planning using flexible pavement using the Pd T-01- method. 2002-B Planning Guidelines for Flexible Pavement Thickness. Based on this planning, it is obtained that the track length is 8.539 km with 5 bends of the SCS type with L1 = 190.995 m, L2 = 238.163 m, L3 = 137.031 m, L4 = 174.672 m, L5 = 214.306 m. 2 vertical curves are convex, namely Lv1 = 230.00 m, Lv3 = 230.00 m and 2 vertical curves, namely Lv2 = 230.00 m, Lv4 = 230.00 m, and the thickness of the flexible pavement layer is 7.00 cm with a total cost Rp 144,391,237,000.00,-.

Infrastructure-based transportation network vulnerability modeling and analysis

Most studies evaluating impacts and consequences of disruptive events on transportation network performance have focused on the measurement of transportation network vulnerability from macroscopic perspectives. Few works explore the effects of road infrastructure attributes on network vulnerability from a mesoscopic perspective. Road sections with different infrastructure attributes could have different impacts on the vulnerability of transportation network under disruptions. Overlooking of these differences about attributes would produce inaccurate or incorrect results of vulnerability assessment as well as subsequent countermeasure suggestions. This study proposes an accessibility approach addressing attributes of road infrastructure to measure road network vulnerability. In particular, the methodology explores the impacts of road alignment and types on network degradation under accidents. This approach was tested on the highway network of Florida, USA. Results show that various road alignment and types could have different impacts on the accessibility of road network. Road network vulnerability is obviously affected by road alignment and types. When road sections are more curved, the network becomes more vulnerable under disruptions. More bridge and tunnel sections in transportation network would result in higher vulnerability of the highway network. This work could also assist decision makers when designing and managing road infrastructures under disasters.

Crash Prediction Models for Horizontal Curve Segments on Two-Lane Rural Roads in Thailand

The number of road crashes continues to rise significantly in Thailand. Curve segments on two-lane rural roads are among the most hazardous locations which lead to road crashes and tremendous economic losses; therefore, a detailed examination of its risk is required. This study aims to develop crash prediction models using Safety Performance Functions (SPFs) as a tool to identify the relationship among road alignment, road geometric and traffic conditions, and crash frequency for two-lane rural horizontal curve segments. Relevant data associated with 86,599 curve segments on two-lane rural road networks in Thailand were collected including road alignment data from a GPS vehicle tracking technology, road attribute data from rural road asset databases, and historical crash data from crash reports. Safety Performance Functions (SPFs) for horizontal curve segments were developed, using Poisson regression, negative binomial regression, and calibrated Highway Safety Manual models. The results showed that the most significant parameter affecting crash frequency is lane width, followed by curve length, traffic volume, curve radius, and types of curves (i.e., circular curves, compound curves, reverse curves, and broken-back curves). Comparing among crash prediction models developed, the calibrated Highway Safety Manual SPF outperforms the others in prediction accuracy.

Stability aware spatial cut of metapopulations ecological networks

Ecological complex networks are common in the study of patched ecological systems where evolving populations interact within and among the patches. The loss of the dispersal connections between patches due to reasons such as erosion of migration corridors and road construction can cause an undesirable partitioning of such networks resulting in instability or negative impact on the metapopulations. A partitioning or spatial cut that is aware of the stability of the dynamics in the resulting daughter sub-networks can be an effective tool in dealing with the situation like proposing road alignment through a metapopulations network. This paper provides some mathematical conditions along with an heuristic graph partitioning algorithm that can help in finding ecologically suitable partitions of the metapopulations networks. Our study noted the crucial role of network connectivity (measured by Fiedler value) in stabilizing the metapopulations. That is, a sufficiently connected metapopulations network along with constrained internal patch dynamics has stable dynamics around its homogeneous co-existential equilibrium solution. With the considered mathematical model in this paper, network partitioning does not alter the internal patch dynamics around its homogeneous equilibrium point, but it can change the connectivity levels in the partitioned subnetworks. Thus, the proposed partitioning problem for an already stable metapopulations network is reduced to finding its subnetworks with desirable connectivity levels.

Al servicio de una ciudad en expansión. Casimiro Meseguer Bonet, Director de Caminos del ayuntamiento de Valencia (1874-1914)

Casimiro Meseguer Bonet ocupó el cargo de Director de Caminos del ayuntamiento de Valencia entre 1874 y 1914. El ejercicio de este empleo le convirtió en uno de los principales protagonistas de la gran transformación urbanística que experimentó la ciudad a partir de 1865, coincidiendo con el derribo de sus murallas medievales. Como principal responsable de la composición, el mantenimiento y la alineación de los caminos y las sendas extramuros, en su despacho se proyectaron los ejes viarios que permitieron la anexión de los poblados próximos y la materialización de los ensanches aprobados en 1887 y 1912. En este artículo se realiza una síntesis de la carrera profesional de Casimiro Meseguer Bonet, en la que se incluyen su etapa inicial como Ayudante de Obras Públicas (1866-1874) y las principales actuaciones que llevó a cabo desde la Dirección de Caminos de la ciudad de Valencia (1874-1914).

Improved traffic safety at work zones through animation-based variable message signs

Work zones are established to provide a safe environment for all road users and road workers. However, based on the statistics, they can be considered as crash prone zones due to changes in the road alignments and the posted speed limits. In this driving simulator study, we aimed at investigating the safety impacts of a newly proposed system composed of graphical and animation-based variable message signs (VMSs) in the state of Qatar. The proposed VMS condition was compared with a control condition that was designed following the Qatar Work Zone Traffic Management Guide. A total of seventy subjects were invited to participate in the experiment voluntarily. Study results showed that in the VMS condition, drivers reduced their traveling speeds in advanced compared to the control condition. Drivers’ traveling speed in the VMS condition was significantly reduced by 6.3 and 11.1 km/h on the leftmost and the second leftmost lanes, respectively. Next, the results uncovered that the proposed system motivated drivers to initiate early lane changing maneuvers, i.e., 150 m earlier than the control condition. Finally, the VMS condition was effective in stimulating drivers to keep larger headways with a merging vehicle. In sum, the proposed VMS system outperformed the control condition in terms of speed reduction, early merging, and higher headways between the through and the merging vehicle.

Application of Running Speed Coordination on the Analysis of Road Alignment Intelligent Recognition

For road alignment design, the design speed is the control basis of the current road design and determines the minimum index value of the route alignment design elements. The actual driving speed is important to measure and check the rationality of the route design index and whether the coordination is appropriate. According to the basis, the change range of its operating speed objectively reflects the balance of the linear index and the continuity of the road linear design. Based on the coordination of operating speeds, this paper analyzes the route of the reconstruction project of the 207 National Road (K3075+800—K3077+600) in the Guangdong-Guizhou County Economic and Industrial Cooperation Demonstration Zone (Xindu Industrial Zone), and takes the ratio of the operating speed difference between adjacent sections as the analysis. Indicators, the results show that the line shape of this section of the project is reasonable.

Assessment of Young Drivers’ Driving Behaviour and Driving Speed along Horizontal and Vertical Alignments

Young drivers are more likely to experience car crashes as they tend to have risky driving behaviours. This study aims to assess young drivers’ driving behaviour and driving speed along the horizontal and vertical alignments of roads. The 20 young drivers who participated in this study were asked to complete a self-reported assessment (Driver Behaviour Questionnaire) and then invited for an on-road driving assessment during daytime and night-time, along horizontal and vertical road alignments at a selected route in Skudai, Johor. The results from the Driver Behaviour Questionnaire revealed that distractions during driving was the most frequently reported behaviour that caused car crashes amongst young drivers, followed by error and violation. Speed profile was found to be higher during daytime when compared to night-time. A significant difference in speed between male and female drivers was noted at horizontal curves during daytime and vertical curves during night-time. The study concluded that such aberrant driving behaviours would have an impact on the driving performance, particularly on horizontal and vertical curves.

Influence of public policy planning on peri-urban land speculation in (Greater) Eastern Bypass in Nairobi Metropolitan

Land speculation accompanies public policy planning in infrastructure planning and development in urban and peri-urban areas. The aim of this paper is to assess how the planning of (Greater) Eastern Bypass in the peri-urban Nairobi led to an increase in speculative activities by examining land subdivision and transfer before and after public notification of the bypass development. Land subdivision data for the period 2005 and 2018 are analysed to establish change in land size, subdivision, transfer and ownership. Findings reveal that normal land speculation occur after public notification; whereas structural speculation occurs during preliminary and design review. Land speculation circumvents subdivision process leading to approval without due process. Infrastructure planning is both a political and institutional process where political class and government bureaucrats influence road alignment. There is therefore need for coupling transport-oriented development planning with overarching land use plan; backed by enforcement.

Analysis of Intersection Traffic Safety in the City of San Antonio, 2013–2017

An understanding of the contributing factors to severe intersection crashes is crucial for developing countermeasures to reduce crash numbers and severity at high-risk crash locations. This study examined the variables affecting crash incidence and crash severity at intersections in San Antonio over a five-year period (2013–2017) and identified high-risk locations based on crash frequency and injury severity using data from the Texas Crash Record and Information System database. Bivariate analysis and binary logistic regression, along with respective odds ratios, were used to identify the most significant variables contributing to severe intersection crashes by quantifying their association with crash severity. Intersection crashes were predominantly clustered in the downtown area with relatively less severe crashes. Males and older drivers, weekend driving, nighttime driving, dark lighting conditions, grade and hillcrest road alignment, and crosswalk, divider and marked lanes used as traffic control significantly increased crash severity risk at intersections. Prioritizing resource allocation to high-risk intersections, separating bicycle lanes and sidewalks from the roadway, improving lighting facilities, increasing law enforcement activity during the late night hours of weekend, and introducing roundabouts at intersections with stops and signals as traffic controls are recommended countermeasures.

Scan-to-BIM for the infrastructure domain: Generation of IFC-compliant models of road infrastructure assets and semantics using 3D point cloud data

The development of the IFC 4.3 candidate standard sets the pathway for interoperability amongst different infrastructures that have been harmonized under the buildingSMART project proposals. Furthermore, the use of laser scanning as a tool for the monitoring of infrastructures has also been rising. This paper showcases a combination of BIM and remote sensing for infrastructure in a road scenario. A semi-automatic approach is presented for the IFC 4.1 compliant modelling of traffic signs and guardrails, along with the inclusion of some semantics via property sets. The input data for the IFC modelling procedure is obtained from the automatic processing of a 3D point cloud, that extracts road alignment, traffic signs, and guardrails, and from standardized dimensions for certain assets. The point cloud processing is validated for the guardrail identification and the IFC modelling is described alongside an UML, exemplifying the possibility of modelling the as-is state of the road infrastructure.