Traffic Island Research Articles

Minding the emptiness of nothing: methodological nothingness and the spatial anthropology of futility

ABSTRACT As an exercise in autoethnographic fieldwork, resolving to sit in meditation practice (zazen) in the middle of a road traffic island, flanked by the concrete expanse of an expressway flyover, one’s presence partly concealed by vegetation, does seem a rather pointless endeavour. And insofar as it does lack an obvious rationale, its ‘purpose’ becomes that of an exercise in futility predicated on the phenomenology of both emptiness and nothingness. Emptiness here is invoked with reference to the Mahayana Buddhist concept of sunyata, which prompts awareness of, and philosophical reflection on, the constitutive entanglements of form and emptiness. Nothingness, for its part, is oriented towards observation of what Georges Perec calls the ‘infraordinary’, a process of seeing and writing ‘flatly’ that is ‘barely indicative of a method’. Taking this method-that-is-not-a-method as its performative starting point, this paper sets out some tentative thoughts towards a spatial anthropology of futility that is centred around a futile fieldwork experiment in methodological nothingness. In keeping with the subject matter under discussion, the paper is written ‘on the go’ in the sense of starting from nothing and foregoing a purposeful direction of travel other than that which is tactically premised on the methodological elicitation of something from nothing.

Investigating and modeling motorcycle crash rates at urban unsignalized intersections in India

Objective The present study focuses on understanding the behavior of motorized 2-wheeler (MTW) riders at urban unsignalized intersections in India. In the Indian context, over 60% of road crash fatalities are attributed to vulnerable road users, with MTWs serving as the predominant contributors, accounting for 44% of total fatalities. Notably, unsignalized intersections have emerged as critical sites for accidents involving vulnerable road users. Methods Postencroachment time is used to assess traffic conflicts of MTW users. Furthermore, the study employs the exceedance property of extreme value theory to calculate crash probabilities. Tobit and grouped random parameters Tobit regression models are developed to model crash probabilities, incorporating variables such as traffic volume, traffic composition, gap acceptance time, intersection characteristics, and intersection conflict area at 4 urban unsignalized intersections in Surat, India. Results MTW riders have the lowest gap acceptance time among vehicles in the traffic stream. Cars and other heavy vehicles readily accept gaps when MTWs are in the conflicting stream at unsignalized intersections, which increases traffic conflicts. MTWs have the highest crash rates in the traffic stream. Among the developed models, the grouped random parameters Tobit regression captures the spatial unobserved heterogeneity of the study sites and outperforms the simple Tobit regression model. The results also indicate that MTW riders are exposed to a higher risk of crashes while turning at unsignalized intersections. The presence of a central traffic island has varied implications; it raises crash rates at 3-legged intersections but lowers them at 4-legged intersections for 2-wheelers. Conclusion The study concludes that MTW crash rates are influenced by traffic and intersectional factors. Increased gap acceptance time correlates with lower crash rates. Countermeasure selections require detailed investigations, because it was observed that the presence of central traffic islands has varied effects on crash rates at 3-legged and 4-legged unsignalized intersections.

Neglected puzzle pieces of urban green infrastructure: richness, cover, and composition of insect-pollinated plants in traffic-related green spaces

ContextIn cities, insect-pollinated vascular plants enhance environmental quality, support pollinators, and provide essential ecosystem services for citizens. However, floral communities associated with traffic-related green spaces are rarely considered valuable elements of urban green infrastructure (UGI).ObjectivesThe main objective of this work was to assess if traffic-related green spaces in Finland possess species-rich floral communities and can assist urban ecological restoration—converting degraded areas into functionally diverse ecosystems. Thus, we evaluated richness, cover, and community composition of insect-pollinated plants (emphasizing flowering ones) on traffic islands, parking lots, and road verges.MethodsThe assessment was performed during the mean flowering phenophase of insect-pollinated plants in the European boreal zone (July and August) using a standard quadrat (1 m2) placement method. We studied plants in urban and suburban locations of three highly populated (> 170 000 inhabitants) Finnish cities—Helsinki, Tampere, and Turku. There were 90 sampling sites with 15 replicates per location type in each city and five measurement replicates per green space (habitat) type. The species richness, cover, and composition were assessed in relation to location, habitat type, city, the average daily traffic (ADT), and distance to the road.ResultsUrban locations had lower total plant species richness and fewer indicator species (characterized only by a single indicator species) compared to suburban locations (characterized by five indicator species). Species richness of plants flowering during the time of the survey did not differ among locations. Traffic islands were richer habitats for flowering plants than road verges but did not differ from parking lots. Total vegetation cover and cover of insect-pollinated flowering plants increased with an increasing distance from the road. Vegetation cover differed among habitats being higher on road verges than on traffic islands irrespective of ADT. In all habitat types, the two most common flowering species were yarrow Achillea millefolium and autumn hawkbit Leontodon autumnalis which occurred at 70.2% and 67.8% of the sampling sites, respectively. However, the mean cover of the ten most common flowering species (when present) was low and varied between 1.5 and 9.5% per m2.ConclusionsSimilar richness of flowering plants (but not total plant species) in urban and suburban locations might indicate equal importance of ecosystem services provided by flowering plants in cities irrespective of location. Because traffic islands and parking lots contain rich plant communities, they should be better integrated into UGI and valued by city planners. Management intensity in terms of grass cuts should be ecologically justified. An increase in the number of insect-pollinated plant species in urban traffic-related green spaces might help to improve environmental quality in cities in terms of increasing pollinator biodiversity and reducing pollution.

A Complete Water Balance of a Rain Garden

AbstractA bioinfiltration rain garden was retrofitted from an existing traffic island at Villanova University in 2001. It has been monitored continuously since 2003 at a 5‐min timeseries resolution and with instrumentation that would enable a water balance calculation. This 20‐year data set allows for an in‐depth analysis of the hydrologic pathways and management in the rain garden. Using physical equations and modeled data (based on real‐time measurements), a balance of all influent, stored, and effluent water within the rain garden was constructed. Analysis shows the rain garden captures 73.5% of runoff, resulting in a post‐implementation management of 86.2% of all rainfall in its watershed. In comparison to the hydrology of other land covers, implementing the rain garden resulted in the management of 37.6% more rainfall than pre‐implementation, producing a hydrological signature similar to that of cultivated land or low development levels (e.g., 30% impervious). Additionally, with the long data record, several statistical techniques were applied to determine the amount of monitoring needed for a certain level of precision in system performance assessment. For 5% uncertainty, approximately 3 years of continuous data is needed to assess performance. This analysis not only facilitates understanding the function of rain garden systems, but also provides conclusions and methodology for understanding the uncertainty associated with the extent of monitoring performed on these green stormwater infrastructure systems. These findings provide practical knowledge as monitoring of stormwater management infrastructures is becoming a more standard part of their operation.

Spectral urbanism

Responding to the clearing in the 1970s of an estimated 15,000 houses to make way for the Central Motorway Junction in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, this research project presents a speculative architectural proposal for a wallpaper archive and a pedestrian bridge to a traffic island of regenerating trees at the centre of Grafton Gully. The wallpaper archive—intended to house a modest historic wallpaper collection by local heritage architects Salmond Reed Architects—and the bridge are cover for a larger recovery of historical significance eclipsed by the transport infrastructure. The architecture proposed intends both memorial and future-building functions and arises out of an investigation of practice-led processes centred on casting, modelling, printing, and photography. In doing so, this creative design research demonstrates a form of architectural renovation as storytelling, in which the past is recalled not through material restoration, but re-narrativisation—a process I have come to call spectral urbanism.

Cooling effect of urban forests on the urban heat island in Seoul, South Korea.

Air pollution and climate change amplify the urban heat island (UHI) effect, which has an adverse effect on human health. Urban forests (UFs) are important to reduce the UHI effect; however, the quantitative effect of UFs on UHI, relative to time and space, has not yet been investigated. In this study, we aimed to quantitatively measure the actual thermal environment in UFs. To this end, temperature and humidity loggers were installed in 17 UFs in Seoul for a year and analyzed according to vegetation characteristics and accessibility. The urban forests and park showed consistent temperature reduction, whereas the lawn showed higher temperature reduction effects during autumn-winter. The traffic island showed lower annual temperature reduction effect than other UFs. From spring to autumn, mixed and broadleaved forests showed better temperature reduction effect than coniferous forests. The temperature in UFs decreased by approximately 1.9°C over ~3 km from the traffic island near the city to the forest. This study revealed the difference in the cooling effect according to the type and location of UF and the vegetation structure. The functional characteristics of plants and the UF that reflects them can help reduce the negative impact of climate warming and UHI on human health.

Planning for greenery under Light Rail Transit (LRT) in the section of Kelapa Gading North Jakarta

The high mobility of the population in Jakarta encourages the creation of mass transportation modes that can carry a large number of passengers at one time. One of them is the construction of LRT transportation that uses an elevated track. Due to limited land, the pillar of the elevated track was built in the ROW of the existing road. The case of Kelapa Gading LRT was the pillar of the LRT built in the median Boulevard Raya Road. This elevated tract produces an elongated space under the rail track. The space under the LRT track line has the potential to construct a green lane because the currently existing conditions were not planned well. So the purpose of this research was to develop a green lane plan under the LRT rail track by carrying out the concept of a green corridor which be able to maintain the quality of the environment, and able to improve visual quality, and can be beneficial for the community in accordance with the concept of sustainable development. In the proposed plan, the vegetation applied to the road sections such as the traffic island roundabout, U-Turn, and the space under the LRT line combines the use of vegetation to maintain environmental qualities, identify vegetation, plant which shows the road direction, and climate amelioration vegetation. Green technology planning is also proposed at the research site by applying a litter trap, raingarden, porous oncrete, eco-drainage, and solar power system for street lighting.

Historic Urban Squares as Traffic Islands: A Case of Regal Chowk, Mall Road Lahore, Pakistan

The research article is an effort to identify the features which are responsible to fetch changes in the historic character of these public spaces. The core objective of this paper is to review the causes of the transformation from traditional to modernity to provide social,Economic and environmental benefits to the public. Historic urban squares are sitting rooms for communal activities and symbolize the community in which they are positioned. Urbanization in the form of Urban sprawl shattered the historic environment and these squares / chowks were ruined and malformed into traffic islands. Case study method has been used to study the selected area, Regal Chowk Mall Road Lahore. The current situation of Regal Chowk reflects the amazing blend of traditional and modern architectural styles due to the increased commercialization. Analyzing the constraints, conclusions has been drawn to develop a framework for planned interventions in the historic urban environment.

Distribution of the Roundabout Traffic

The first roundabouts as traffic engineering facilities were not built until the beginning of the 20th century, although there were islands in the middle of the streets and marketplaces long before that time. Even in Roman times, people admired the water fountains and statues in marketplaces. A long time ago in England there were also traffic islands as pedestrian oases and in France there were also the imposing buildings in the middle of market squares. However, it was only the "planning border" of all these objects that turned them into traffic roundabouts.

A 15‐year analysis of precipitation and rain garden response

AbstractThe longevity and resilience of green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) over time is a key concern as municipalities around the world move to incorporating GSI into stormwater management strategies. The Villanova University bioinfiltration rain garden (BRG) was constructed as a retrofit of an existing parking lot traffic island in 2001 and has been monitored since 2003, providing a long hydrological data record that is valuable for an in‐depth analysis of rainfall characteristics and rain garden response. The goal of this research is to use the data to assess the reliability of a rain garden's response in terms of its ability to manage incoming runoff from different rainfall event sizes, distributions, and antecedent conditions. A high‐resolution analysis of rainfall event frequency was done for all rainfall events within a 15 year (2003–2018) study period. Rainfall events were discretized into 2.5 mm, 2‐hour bins. Rainfall within each bin were compared and contrasted to discern the similarity of the rainfall distribution and trends in rain garden response. The rainfall‐runoff parameters were also analysed to understand if the occurrence of overflow could be expected based on storm characteristics. Results show that of the 1202 recorded events, 82% of them were less than 25 mm. Approximately 15% of all observed events resulted in measurable overflow, ranging from 0.01 to 685 m3. When compared to the design storm standards set for the region for GSI (the 2‐year, 24‐hour event), only 1% of all the storms recorded at the site were higher in terms of precipitation amount and event duration. In terms of design, the static rainfall volumes set by the standards did not represent the variety of storms experienced at the site. The overall analysis provided lessons into system components that can be used to advance green infrastructure design and policy standards.

Investigating the Difference in Factors Contributing to the Likelihood of Motorcyclist Fatalities in Single Motorcycle and Multiple Vehicle Crashes.

In order to better understand the factors affecting the likelihood of motorcyclists’ fatal injuries, motorcycle-involved crashes were investigated based on the involvement of the following vehicles: single motorcycle (SM), multiple motorcycles (MM) and motorcycle versus vehicle (MV) crashes. Method: Binary logit and mixed logit models that consider the heterogeneity of parameters were applied to identify the critical factors that increase the likelihood of motorcyclist fatality. Results: Mixed logit models were found to have better fitting performances. Factors that increase the likelihood of motorcyclist fatality include lanes separated by traffic islands, male motorcyclists, and riding with BAC values of less than the legally limited value. Collisions with trees or utility poles lead to the highest likelihood of fatality in SM crashes. The effects of curved roads, same-direction swipe crashes, youth, and unlicensed motorcyclists are only significant in the likelihood of fatality in SM crashes. Conclusions: Motorcyclists tend to be killed if they collide with large engine-size motorcycles and vehicles, unlicensed motorcyclists, or drivers with speeding related or right-of-way violations with positive BAC values. Driving or riding should be prohibited for any amount of alcohol or for anyone with a positive BAC value. Law enforcement should focus on unlicensed, speeding motorcyclists and drivers, and those who violate the right of way or perform improper turns. Roadside objects and facilities should be checked for appropriate placement and be equipped with reflective devices or injury protection facilities.

Analysis of driver-injury severity: a comparison between speeding and non-speeding driving crash accounting for temporal and unobserved effects

This paper aims to investigate the differences between temporal stability of factors influencing driver-injury severities in crashes involving speeding and non-speeding driving using a six-year (2012–2017) crash data in Thailand. With two possible driver injury severity outcomes (no/minor and severe/fatal), random parameter binary logit models, that allow for heterogeneity in means and variances, were estimated to fully account for unobserved heterogeneities (i.e., allow crash-level factors to vary across crashes and to influence random parameter distribution). While most factors were unstable over time, speeding crash models result showed that stable factors decreasing probability of severe/fatal injury were restraint, van, passenger car, pickup truck, running-off-road on straight and hitting guardrail and mounting traffic island; whereas stable factor increasing probability of severe/fatal injury were central/eastern/southern regions. In non-speeding driving crash model, stable factors decreasing probability of severe/fatal injury were restraint, truck, and running-off-road on straight and hitting guardrail; whereas stable factors increasing probability of severe and fatal injury were under influence of alcohol and van. The findings of this research could potentially be utilized to improve highway safety and facilitate the development of more effective crash injury mitigation policies. Practical-related recommendation based on the results is also provided.

On the historic exposure levels of Elemental Carbon from vehicle diesel exhaust based on “diesel smoke” concentrations

Air pollution by diesel traffic became a concern in the UK in the 1950s. Exposure levels were assessed via probing the light absorption of filter samples, which was translated to a mass concentration of “diesel smoke” (DS), based on the results of a measurements in the exhaust of a test diesel engine. We convert these DS values to concentrations of Elemental Carbon (EC), the current proxy for diesel exhaust. In a recent study in the literature and an earlier own investigation a high similarity (R2 = 0.97) was found of the light absorption by aerosol collected in parallel on glass and quartz fibre filters and probed by smoke-stain reflectometers similar to those used historically. For samples on quartz fibre filters the relation between light absorption and EC was taken from recent studies. The shape of the absorption/EC curve is highly similar to the absorption/DS curve, with an equivalency factor of 1.6 ± 20% between DS and EC concentration (expressed according to the EUSAAR2-TOT method). Converted EC concentrations for workday average 24-hr and morning rush hour samples were around 75 and 150 μg m−3 at the kerbside of the busy London A1 ring-road in 1960. In 1961–1962 the average weekday daytime EC concentration at a traffic island in inner city Fleet Street was 200–250 μg m−3. Only 45 m into a side-street the concentration was an order of magnitude less. At the end of the 1990-ies EC concentrations at the nearby Marylebone Road were around 9 μg m−3, dropping to 3 μg m−3 in recent years. In addition, we found the correct factor to convert light absorption to EC mass concentration of samples obtained in the FH62 beta gauge monitors used in Germany in compliance measurements for the national “soot law” preceeding the EU PM10 regulation of 1997.

The social stone: a story of transformation from ableist to accessible topology

ABSTRACT Using a case study of a kerb – the social stone – found at a tram traffic Island, the text demonstrates the re/production of the ableist city and analyses processes of transforming such a city into an accessible space for people with disabilities. The authors apply actor-network theory to analyse the mutual construction of space and bodies. To understand this construction, the concept of topology is used, which the article develops by introducing ‘ableist’ and ‘accessible’ topology. Unlike topography, which is in concord with able-bodied people, topology is more suitable for the analysis of space when also including non-standard bodies. Moreover, it allows the authors to analyse the mechanisms that reproduce and control the currently inaccessible city on the one hand, and it provide some room for change on the other. However, to make this change happen, a specific network must be established. To trace the associations that create such a network, the study uses in-depth interviews with involved actors collected over a ten-year period.

Evaluasi Fungsi dan Kenyamanan Traffic Island Dewa Ruci pada Jalan Bypass Ngurah Rai di Kabupaten Badung

Evaluation of Function and Comfortability of Dewa Ruci Traffic Island on Bypass Ngurah Rai Street in Badung Regency. The traffic island is part of an elevated crossroads with curbstone. The main function of the traffic island is as a traffic control and pedestrian safety when crossing. Aesthetically, traffic island has additional function as a landmark and beautification. The Dewa Ruci's traffic island (TIDR) in Badung Regency recently was redesigned for more attractive aesthetical city purpose that has caused activity and traffic violations. Thus, it is necessary to evaluate its function and comfort. The research method used was a survey method with data collection techniques through observation, site documentation, interviews related parties, questionnaires, and literature study. The analysis results showed that the primary function of TIDR which were for traffic control and pedestrian safety were 74,3% and 62,3%, respectively. Its illegal function which was a park area has the highest value (87%). This result also found there were three comfort variables which was low; circulation (50,9%), safety (59,7%), and thermal. Maintenance and management improvement, safety street furniture addition, and rearrangement of pedestrian paths in TIDR were recommended to improve the TIDR comfort.

Long-term tree survival and diversity of highway tree planting projects

Long-term, multi-decade research on planted tree survival in urban settings is sparse. One understudied urban environment is highway rights-of-way (ROW), lands adjacent to high-speed, unsignalized roadways. We conducted a re-inventory of tree planting cohorts in northern Illinois, U.S. on a 48 km-long highway near Chicago which were 10-, 21-, and 30-years old to evaluate long-term patterns of survival and diversity. Using each randomly selected planting site along the highway as a unit of observation and analysis, we compared the number of trees documented in record drawing to the number of trees currently alive to determine percent survival. We evaluated 224 planting sites which originally contained 2944 trees and collected data about the planting site location. For the oldest cohort, 26% of trees were still alive in 2018 (median survival by species = 16%, Q1 = 0%, Q3 = 48%), while 31% of the 21-year-old cohort (med. = 6%, Q1 = 0%, Q3 = 47%) and 86% of the 10-year-old cohort were still alive (med. = 85%, Q1 = 74%, Q3 = 96%). The survival of the 21- and 30-year-old cohort matches urban tree survival estimates by other researchers, while the 10-year-old survival is higher than expected. The only planting location characteristic that significantly affected survival was traffic islands (areas between the highway and entrance/exit ramps). Species with low drought tolerance were less likely to be alive for the 30-year-old cohort. Waterlogging tolerant species were more likely to be alive in the 10-year-old cohort. Since some species in the 21- and 30-year-old cohorts had very low survival, the tree species richness and diversity s in study areas declined between the initial record drawings and reinventory. This study demonstrates the challenges of maintaining long-term survival and diversity in the highway ROW and emphasizes the importance of species selection.

Modeling the Effect of Motorized Two-Wheelers and Autorickshaws on Crossing Conflicts at Urban Unsignalized T-Intersections in India using Surrogate Safety Measures

Motorized Two-wheelers (M2W) and Autorickshaws (M3W) users are vulnerable to frequent road crashes in India, and most of these crashes occur at un-signalized T-intersections. The study aims to model the effect of M2W and M3W conflicts on crossing conflicts. Crossing conflicts are identified using post encroachment time (PET) data extracted from traffic video data collected from 8 urban un-signalized T-intersections in India. The crossing conflicts are characterized as critical conflicts (-1 to 1 s) and non-critical conflicts (≥ 1 and ≤ -1 s) based on PET values. The effect of M2W and M3W on critical and non-critical crossing conflicts is quantified by developing crossing conflict models using Truncated Negative Binomial regression. Results revealed that the proportion of M2W and M3W in the conflicting and offending stream, presence of central traffic island, total conflicting volume significantly influences the number of critical and non-critical conflicts at the unsignalized T-intersections. The study promises to add valuable insights towards modeling conflicts occurring due to small-size motorized vehicles at un-siganlized intersections operating under weak-lane mixed traffic conditions.

도심 환경 속 판단 보조를 위한 교통섬 지형분할 및 객체분류

In the urban environment, terrains such as a “traffic island” are present for the convenience and safety of pedestrians. However, such terrains cause decision errors in the autonomous system. In the existing autonomous vehicles, a method of stopping or decelerating the vehicle for safety when an object is detected on the driving path or around the vehicle is applied. However, such methods not only make it difficult for the autonomous vehicles to drive smoothly in unusual situations such as a traffic island but also cause traffic jam with the possibility to cause traffic accidents in the urban environment. To mitigate this problem, we segmented the traffic island and roadway through semantic segmentation. Pedestrians on the traffic island are classified as the “safety group,” and the other areas are termed as the “non-safety group,” providing an efficient method for stable autonomous driving decisions in the Pangyo area.

Possibilities of Porosity Repairs after Aluminium Alloys Welding

This article describes problems of porosity which are caused after welding of aluminium alloys. The main part of this article is dedicated of methods of correction of porosities. The best correction is by welding or by cementation. Described parts are used for welded aluminous vehicle parts in a cooperative company. Thanks to porosity are effected not only ductility and strength of welded structures but also weld quality thereby fall also resulting in surface treatment. Cooperative company is ranked among the world's leaders in development and production automatic, electro-pneumatic and electrically operated door systems for rail vehicles and traffic island as ramps, plateaux 'sand stairs. Staffs of this company have years' experience in the area of welding rail vehicle parts from aluminous alloys. A company has a certificate on welding rail vehicles and their compo-nents according to standards EN ISO 15085- 2. For public transport company produce sliding doors, driving and inner and among - wagon doors. The same types of doors offer for long-distance transportation and also for high-speed trains. Further, they produce traffic islands, for example, extensible ramp, extensible plat-eaux, foldaway climbs and bridging, everything is produced from aluminous alloys.

The Evaluation of Experimental Variables for Sustainable Virtual Road Safety Audits

This paper evaluates experimental variables for virtual road safety audits (VRSAs) through practical experiments to promote sustainable road safety. VRSAs perform road safety audits using driving simulators (DSs), and all objects in the road environment cannot be experimental variables because of realistic constraints. Therefore, the study evaluates the likelihood of recommendation of VRSA experimental variables by comparing DSs experiments and field reviews to secure sustainable road safety conditions. The net promoter score results evaluated “Tunnel”, “Bridge”, “Underpass”, “Footbridge”, “Traffic island”, “Sign”, “Lane”, “Road marking”, “Traffic light”, “Median barrier”, “Road furniture”, and “Traffic condition” as recommended variables. On the contrary, the “Road pavement”, “Drainage”, “Lighting”, “Vehicle”, “Pedestrian”, “Bicycle”, “Accident”, and “Hazard event” variables were not recommended. The study can be used for decision making in VRSA scenario development as an initial effort to evaluate its experimental variables.