Weaving Area Research Articles

Dissipative Structure Properties of Traffic Flow in Expressway Weaving Areas

Expressway weaving areas meet dissipative structure characteristics. When traffic states reach a certain range, they exhibit self-organising criticality, and slight changes may trigger unpredictable congestion. This paper examines the correlation between the dissipative structure of the weaving area and key traffic parameters. The range of dissipative structure states in the weaving area is defined through the dissipative structure concept with three-phase traffic flow theory and real traffic data. Based on the fundamental diagram and measured traffic data, the weaving area dissipative structure model characterising the relationship between critical state changes in traffic volume is constructed and validated. Finally, the Cell Transmission Model simulation was used to examine the characteristic relationship between the weaving area dissipative structure state duration, the weaving area length and the weaving flow ratio. The results show that the length of the dissipative structure state is maintained when the traffic flow is self-organised into a free-flow or a congested state positively correlates with the length of the weaving area. Higher weaving flow ratios lead to shorter dissipative structure state durations during congestion formation, and the exact opposite during congestion evacuation. This paper is important for analysing the congestion mechanism and managing congestion.

Evaluasi Kinerja APILL di Simpang Empat Bundaran Burung Kota Palangka Raya

Burung Roundabout is an important roundabout for mobilizing the activities of people entering and leaving the city of Palangka Raya, with the increase in population and the rise in community activities the density of vehicles also increases significantly every year. Traffic problems can occur if there is a lack of coordination in each arm of the roundabout. The research objective is to know the performance of Weaving Area and the performance of APILL at Burung Roundabout. The obtained data consists of quantitative data from field survey data. The data is analyzed using Indonesian Road Capacity Manual (MKJI, 1997). The research result using the calculations from (MKJI, 1997) for the Weaving Area section show that the maximum Capacity (C) obtained is 11,125 smp/h at the DA section. The average traffic delay at the roundabout is 0,77 second/smp with the highest delay index (DS) is 0,22 at the CD section. Consequently the service level during peak hours is classified as grade A. The analysis of APILL at Burung roundabout has good traffic flow result. The highest capacity on the southern arm is 1566 smp/hour and the highest delay is 21 second/smp. The highest queue length is 22 meters on the Southern with a highest saturation degree of 0,44 on the Southern with indicates level of service index C.

Evaluation of Spatiotemporal Characteristics of Lane-Changing at the Freeway Weaving Area from Trajectory Data

Intensive lane-changing (LC) events are one of the great causes that make freeway weaving areas become bottlenecks. This study proposes an approach using vehicle trajectory data to investigate the spatiotemporal distributions of the number of LC events, void occupancies, and throughput variations at the freeway weaving area. Firstly, all LC events are extracted from the cleaned dataset and classified into four types according to the LC vehicles’ origin–destination lanes and LC directions. Secondly, the time and space void occupancies are calculated using the kinematic theory. Thirdly, the throughput variations are identified with the oblique N-curve method. Finally, the spatial and temporal distributions of the LC events, void occupancies, and throughput variations are plotted to analyze their characteristics and relationships. The spatial distributions of different types of LC events indicate that most LC events occur at the surrounding area of the on-ramp entrance. Spatial distributions of time void occupancies show that the time void in the original lanes is quite small while that in the target lanes is much larger. Furthermore, the time void occupancies amplify downstream when considering vehicles traveling on the road. By comparing the temporal distributions of LC events, void occupancies, and throughput variations, there is a lag effect between the large value occurrences of space void occupancy and throughput reduction and that of the LC events, which can conclude a causal relationship between LC events and the occurrences of the space void occupancies and throughput reductions.

Empirical Study of Lane-Changing Maneuvers in a Weaving Area Based on Reconstructed Trajectories of Floating Car Data

The concentration of lane-changing maneuvers is the main contributor to speed drop and congestion in weaving areas. Despite their importance, lateral maneuvers have received less attention in research than longitudinal driver behavior. The main reason for this is the lack of appropriate data for comprehensive analysis. In this paper, we have used reconstructed lane-level accurate trajectories collected during 12 days in a weaving section with more than 3.3 km length. Examining the classification of maneuvers into mandatory and discretionary versus their classification based on the direction of the maneuver showed that the latter could be better described by traffic variables such as changes in density and speed of the target lane compared with the source lane. We have also shown that the origin–destination pattern of drivers and the time of day (traffic conditions at different hours) significantly affect the number and location of lane-change maneuvers. In addition, the location of performing the weaving maneuvers at different times of the day appears to affect the travel time experienced by drivers. This data source and in-depth analysis open many opportunities for improving empirical traffic flow theory, better design of weaving sections, and active management through vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication and online drivers’ guidance toward cooperative behavior.

Research on the Control Method of Urban Expressway Weaving Area

With the rapid development of urban expressway construction, there are some problems in the actual operation process, which leads to the traffic efficiency not reaching the expected level. Due to the long-term and large amount of actual data is difficult to obtain, this paper uses the method of combining actual data and simulation to explore the traffic operation law of urban expressway weaving area, analyzes the factors affecting the traffic efficiency of weaving area, and applies the variable speed limit guidance control method based on DQN algorithm, which can effectively improve the traffic efficiency of urban expressway weaving area.

Automated Traffic State Optimization in the Weaving Area of Urban Expressways by a Reinforcement Learning-Based Cooperative Method of Channelization and Ramp Metering

The traffic congestion problem on urban expressways, especially in the weaving areas, has become severe. Some cooperative methods have been proven to be more effective than a separate approach in optimizing the traffic state in weaving areas on urban expressways. However, a cooperative method that combines channelization with ramp metering has not been presented and its effectiveness has not been examined yet. Thus, to fill this research gap, this study proposes a reinforcement learning-based cooperative method of channelization and ramp metering to achieve automated traffic state optimization in the weaving area. This study uses an unmanned aerial vehicle to collect the real traffic flow data, and four control strategies (i.e., two kinds of channelization methods, a ramp metering method, and a cooperative method of channelization and ramp metering) and a baseline (without controls) are designed in the simulation platform (Simulation of Urban Mobility). The speed distributions of different control strategies on each lane were obtained and analyzed in this study. The results show that the cooperative method of channelization and ramp metering is superior to other methods, with significantly higher increases in vehicle speeds. This cooperative method can increase the average vehicle speeds in lane-1, lane-2, and lane-3 by 14.51%, 14.81%, and 37.03%, respectively. Findings in this study can contribute to the improvement of traffic efficiency and safety in the weaving area of urban expressways.

Risk Identification and Conflict Prediction from Videos Based on TTC-ML of a Multi-Lane Weaving Area

Crash risk identification and prediction are expected to play an important role in traffic accident prevention. However, most of the existing studies focus only on highways, not on multi-lane weaving areas. In this paper, a potential collision risk identification and conflict prediction model based on extending Time-to-Collision-Machine Learning (TTC-ML) for multi-lane weaving zone was proposed. The model can accurately learn various features, such as vehicle operation characteristics, risk and conflict distributions, and physical zoning characteristics in the weaving area. Specifically, TTC was used to capture the collision risk severity, and ML extracted vehicle trajectory features. After normalizing and dimensionality reduction of the vehicle trajectory dataset, Naive Bayes, Logistic Regression, and Gradient Boosting Decision Tree (GBDT) models were selected for traffic conflict prediction, and the experiments showed that the GBDT model outperforms two remaining models in terms of prediction accuracy, precision, false-positive rate (FPR) and Area Under Curve (AUC). The research findings of this paper help traffic management departments develop and optimize traffic control schemes, which can be applied to Intelligent Vehicle Infrastructure Cooperative Systems (IVICS) dynamic warning.

Active lane management for intelligent connected vehicles in weaving areas of urban expressway

Purpose This paper aims to use active fine lane management methods to solve the problem of congestion in a weaving area and provide theoretical and technical support for traffic control under the environment of intelligent connected vehicles (ICVs) in the future. Design/methodology/approach By analyzing the traffic capacities and traffic behaviors of domestic and foreign weaving areas and combining them with field investigation, the paper proposes the active and fine lane management methods for ICVs to optimal driving behavior in a weaving area. The VISSIM simulation of traffic flow vehicle driving behavior in weaving areas of urban expressways was performed using research data. The influence of lane-changing in advance on the weaving area was evaluated and a conflict avoidance area was established in the weaving area. The active fine lane management methods applied to a weaving area were verified for different scenarios. Findings The results of the study indicate that ICVs complete their lane changes before they reach a weaving area, their time in the weaving area does not exceed the specified time and the delay of vehicles that pass through the weaving area decreases. Originality/value Based on the vehicle group behavior, this paper conducts a simulation study on the active traffic management control-oriented to ICVs. The research results can optimize the management of lanes, improve the traffic capacity of a weaving area and mitigate traffic congestion on expressways.

A Simulation-Based Comprehensive Analysis for Traffic Efficiency and Spatial Distribution of Risks in Short Weaving Area of Municipal Interchange

The weaving area is an important junction that affects the efficiency and traffic safety at the municipal interchanges. To explore the factors affecting traffic efficiency and the spatial distribution characteristics of traffic risks in the weaving areas of municipal interchanges, this study employed a microscopic traffic software of Vissim to construct a simulation model of weaving areas and evaluate the impact of road and traffic design parameters in the short weaving on traffic efficiency and risks, which includes ramp delay, mainline through lane (TL) traffic delay, average ramp speed, TL average speed, and collision rate. Through variance analysis via a large number of simulation scenarios, the weaving length is identified as the most important factor affecting traffic efficiency and risks in the short weaving area. Subsequently, three different types of weaving lengths with 350 m, 450 m, and 550 m were set to conduct the sensitivity analysis based on four performance indexes of mean acceleration and deceleration, acceleration range, deceleration range, and speed standard deviation as the representative variables of spatial risk distribution. The simulation results illustrate that a shorter weaving length has a significant influence on risk distribution, especially the highest risk probability at the positions after three-quarters of the inner and outer lanes in the short weaving area at the municipal interchange. Finally, this study verified the traffic risk reduction method of having traffic safety facilities and traffic organization at the complex interchange with double-entry and single-exit weaving areas in the city of Guangzhou, China. The research proposed a method to analyze the influence of the design parameters in the short weaving area on traffic efficiency and safety and provided a reference for the risk spatial distribution analysis and improvement in the short weaving area.

Risk Distribution Characteristics and Optimization of Short Weaving Area for Complex Municipal Interchanges

This paper is focused on analyzing the risk distribution characteristics in short weaving areas of urban interchanges. The study was carried out on merge-diverge weaving areas with different lengths of 350 m, 450 m, and 550 m. To evaluate and identify the risk, the average speed, speed standard deviation, acceleration range, and average absolute value of acceleration were selected as indicators. Vissim simulation was applied to collect the identification indicator value of 21 typical lane sections. The results show that the risk is concentrated at the 3/4 section and exit section of the outer lane. The vehicle-operating status of the inner and middle lanes is almost unaffected. The operating speed of the outer lane is approximately 4/5 of the same position in the inner lane at 3/4 of the length of the weaving segment, while the speed standard deviation is approximately 2 times greater, and the acceleration range is approximately 2–3 times greater. Moreover, the acceleration of the average absolute value is also approximately 2–3 times greater. To balance the risk distribution, an optimization method is proposed based on the result analysis. Compared with the original design, the results show that a reasonable method of traffic organization for the complex weaving area can effectively improve the risk distribution in the weaving area and reduce the high peak of risk concentration. These results provide a basis for the optimization method and traffic organization of short weaving areas of municipal interchanges.

Merging Preparation Behavior of Drivers: How They Choose and Approach Their Merge Positions at a Congested Weaving Area

Vehicle merging is a tactical process. In the existing merging models, drivers need to select a target gap and adjust their speed to reach a comfortable merge position to execute lane changing. However, such sequential premerging preparation process has not yet been well-captured on the basis of the field trajectory data. In this study, the authors will focus on analyzing the lane-changing behavior as drivers choose and approach their merge positions at congested merging areas. This study is based on noise-filtered computer-based trajectory data. The authors classify the observed merging vehicles in a congested weaving section into original-gap-targeting (OGT) and forward-gap-targeting (FGT) vehicles. The analysis of the merge-position selection indicates different selection behavior between OGT and FGT merging vehicles. The length of target gap, the speed, and the route plan of vehicles surrounding the merging vehicles have an influence on their merge-position selection. To investigate merge tactics of merging vehicles, their speed synchronization and acceleration behaviors when approaching their merge positions were analyzed. The results illustrate that the acceleration and deceleration behaviors of the FGT merging vehicles in the approaching process should be split into two distinct stages: acceleration to overtake the rejected gap and deceleration to execute speed synchronization. The findings from this study shed light on the complex lane-changing process at merging areas.

Streamline Simulation and Analysis of Pedestrian Weaving Flow in Large Passenger Terminal

A new concept called the extended weaving area is proposed to relieve the conflicts and clogging caused by pedestrian weaving in both time and space in large passenger terminal. The cellular automaton model that considers pedestrian walking habits based on the floor field is adopted. Numerical simulations are carried out in MATLAB environment to explore the relationship between the emptying time and bottleneck setting when four groups of pedestrians walk to four exits through the weaving areas with different settings. It is found that, by using improved extended weaving area settings, the stress of the weaving area could be relieved in both time and space; thus the efficiency of pedestrians passing could be improved. Based on the simulation, the threshold of single bottleneck width in the extended weaving area is also given in this research.

Study on the Weaving Behavior of High Density Bidirectional Pedestrian Flow

Weaving area may be the critical risk place in the subway transfer station. When improving service level of the weaving area, the characteristic of pedestrian weaving behavior should be systemically discussed. This paper described the mechanism of weaving behavior on high density pedestrian which was analyzed by the collection data of controlled experiment. Different weaving behaviors were contrasted due to different volumes in the bidirectional passageway. Video analysis was conducted to extract pedestrian moving behavior and calibrate the movement data with SIMI Motion. Influence of the high density weaving pedestrian was studied based on the statistical results (e.g., velocity, walking distance, and journey time). Furthermore, the quantitative method by speed analysis was announced to discriminate the conflict point. The scopes of weaving area and impact area at different pedestrian volumes were revealed to analyze the pedestrian turning angle. The paper concluded that walking pedestrians are significantly influenced by the weaving conflict and trend to turn the moving direction to avoid the conflict in weaving area; the ratio of stable weaving area and impact area is 2 to 3. The conclusions do provide a method to evaluate the transfer station safety and a facility layout guidance to improve the capacity.

Weaving Section Flow Model at the Weaving Area of Malaysian Conventional Roundabout

Like in many other countries, Malaysian road users are facing problems with traffic congestion. In urban areas roundabouts are becoming more popular like in Shah Alam but had limitations, among others, such as a geometric design and traffic flow characteristics. The lane changing behavior due to the drivers’ driving “habit” which creates problems, such as delays, because of intolerable and impatient driving while selecting and changing lanes. Due to such factors, congestion will occur and at the same time it will reduce the safety of the drivers either at entry, exit, or in weaving the section of the roundabouts. There is a lack of knowledge of Malaysian driver behavior and of corresponding methods for calculating impacts of geometric design and other factors on traffic performance at the weaving section of conventional roundabouts. A study of vehicle interactions at the weaving section of Malaysian conventional roundabouts needs to be done in order to close this knowledge gap and to enable development of model to support the design and traffic operation processes. One approach of evaluating roundabout performance based on traffic parameters is by video taping techniques. Generally, traffic parameters that are normally considered and measured are gap, entry flow, and conflicting flow at the entry of the conventional roundabout, whereas, this paper focuses on the weaving section of the conventional roundabout. Samples of data reduction and analysis taken at the weaving section of the Malaysian conventional roundabout were presented, discussed, and became an input for weaving the section flow model under stable flow condition. The model developed was then validated with other weaving section of the Malaysian conventional roundabout.

Study the Effect of Guide Sign Position on Traffic Behavior at Exit Freeway Weaving Areas by Developing Computer Simulation Program (FWASIM)

Traffic control devices notify road users of regulations and provide warning and guidance needed for safe, uniform, and efficient operation of all elements of the traffic stream. Traffic control devices have been a part of the roadway system. Researches have evaluated various aspects of the design, operation, placement, and maintenance of traffic control devices. The purpose of this research is to develop a simulation model in order to evaluate the effect of overhead sign position on the traffic performance at exit of freeway weaving area. To achieve that subroutine was developed and added to FWASIM program to compute the sign position and compare it with the driver sight distance. Following that a proposed example represents an exit weaving area was examined with different traffic flow configuration (different percentages of link flow and on-ramp flow) with respect to no sign installed and other three sign positions. Results indicate that the average traffic speed is underestimated when there is no sign installed, while no significant effect is shown when the sign position is changed within the driver sight distance. In conclusion Guide signing is a critical element in the effective, efficient and safe operation of motorways and expressways. Signing issues must, therefore, be fully considered at the feasibility stage of any project.

両大戦間期泉北機業における織物工場経営の動向

The aim of this paper is to examine the trend of Senboku (the southern district of Osaka prefecture) textile weaving industry in the interwar period by analyzing the trend of the management of a textile weaving factory in the district. For the examination, we have investigated the trend of the management of Nayatake textile weaving factory in the interwar period. Through this investigation, we can divide the management period of Nayatake textile weaving factory in the interwar period into three parts as follows.1 The management period in which Nayatake mainly produced cotton textile goods (1922-25) The management of Nayatake in this period depended heavily upon Senboku county. In short Nayatake carried on most of transactions with cotton yarns wholesale stores, textile wholesale stores, and banks in Senboku county. 2 The management period in which products of Nayatake were diversified (1926-30) Nayatake adopted a product diversification strategy in which Nayatake produced cotton blankets and cotton shawls in addition to cotton sheets in order to get out of depression. So the management of Nayatake in this period was very different from the first period. The term-end profit of Nayatake was improved by adopting this strategy. And also as far as yarns and textile wholesale stores and banks were concerned, Nayatake carried on transactions on a much larger scale than the first period by adopting it. To put it concretely, as far as wholesale stores were concerned, Nayatake depended much more upon Osaka city than the first period. 3 The management period in which Nayatake mainly produced woolen textile goods (1931-38) As the management of Nayatake continued to suffer a decrease in profit for seven semiannual settlement terms, Nayatake needed further diversification of its products. So Nayatake started to produce woolen goods by introducing high-performance wool-looms. Introducing them made Nayatake capital intensive, and a term-end profit was improved quickly. In this period Nayatake tended to sell woolen goods to wholesale stores in Osaka city by check and cotton goods to local wholesale stores on credit. Also Nayatake tended to buy woolen yarns directly from woolen spinning companies and cotton yarns from wholesale stores in both Osaka and Senboku county. As far as attached finished processing was concerned, napping processing depended upon Senboku, and another processing upon Osaka city and an advanced woolen weaving area, Bishu. Moreover Nayatake tended to carry on transactions with banks in Osaka city in addition to local banks in Senboku county. Through the analysis mentioned above, the conclusion of this paper should be noted as follows. Senboku county became the most famous woolen textile weaving area in Japan after World War II. However the conversion from cotton textiles to woolen textiles had already occurred during the period from the 1930s to 1930s. Therefore the interwar period was the very turning point for Senboku which would succeed as the most well-known woolen textile weaving area after the War.