Enhanced motorway capacity estimation considering the impact of vehicle length on the fundamental diagram

Abstract The ability to understand the underlying fundamentals of traffic flow behaviour facilitates improved planning and decision‐making for road operators. This paper presents an overview of the various models which can be used to describe the interaction between the different parameters governin...

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Main Authors: Erik Giesen Loo, Robert Corbally, Lewis Feely, Andrew O'Sullivan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2024-12-01
Series:IET Intelligent Transport Systems
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1049/itr2.12547
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author Erik Giesen Loo
Robert Corbally
Lewis Feely
Andrew O'Sullivan
author_facet Erik Giesen Loo
Robert Corbally
Lewis Feely
Andrew O'Sullivan
author_sort Erik Giesen Loo
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The ability to understand the underlying fundamentals of traffic flow behaviour facilitates improved planning and decision‐making for road operators. This paper presents an overview of the various models which can be used to describe the interaction between the different parameters governing traffic flows. 5‐years of measured data from Ireland's M50 motorway are used to demonstrate the application of traffic flow theory using real data, and a detailed investigation of factors affecting the fundamental traffic behaviour is presented. The road capacity is shown to be impacted by different traffic behaviour during morning and evening‐peak periods, during dry vs. wet weather conditions and between lanes on the approach to junctions. It is demonstrated that the mean vehicle length is an important factor to consider when using traffic flow models. A novel 3‐dimensional fundamental diagram model linking mean vehicle speed, mean vehicle length, and density is introduced which enhances capacity estimation and illustrates the importance of considering vehicle length when using the fundamental diagram to interpret traffic flows and estimate the capacity of the motorway.
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institution Kabale University
issn 1751-956X
1751-9578
language English
publishDate 2024-12-01
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series IET Intelligent Transport Systems
spelling doaj-art-01c6dfdcedb643c6890dba009a41d2612024-12-18T04:38:04ZengWileyIET Intelligent Transport Systems1751-956X1751-95782024-12-0118S12995301210.1049/itr2.12547Enhanced motorway capacity estimation considering the impact of vehicle length on the fundamental diagramErik Giesen Loo0Robert Corbally1Lewis Feely2Andrew O'Sullivan3Research & Innovation ROD‐IS Roughan & O'Donovan Dublin IrelandResearch & Innovation ROD‐IS Roughan & O'Donovan Dublin IrelandResearch & Innovation ROD‐IS Roughan & O'Donovan Dublin IrelandNetwork Operations Transport Infrastructure Ireland Dublin IrelandAbstract The ability to understand the underlying fundamentals of traffic flow behaviour facilitates improved planning and decision‐making for road operators. This paper presents an overview of the various models which can be used to describe the interaction between the different parameters governing traffic flows. 5‐years of measured data from Ireland's M50 motorway are used to demonstrate the application of traffic flow theory using real data, and a detailed investigation of factors affecting the fundamental traffic behaviour is presented. The road capacity is shown to be impacted by different traffic behaviour during morning and evening‐peak periods, during dry vs. wet weather conditions and between lanes on the approach to junctions. It is demonstrated that the mean vehicle length is an important factor to consider when using traffic flow models. A novel 3‐dimensional fundamental diagram model linking mean vehicle speed, mean vehicle length, and density is introduced which enhances capacity estimation and illustrates the importance of considering vehicle length when using the fundamental diagram to interpret traffic flows and estimate the capacity of the motorway.https://doi.org/10.1049/itr2.12547management and controltraffictraffic engineering computingtraffic modelling
spellingShingle Erik Giesen Loo
Robert Corbally
Lewis Feely
Andrew O'Sullivan
Enhanced motorway capacity estimation considering the impact of vehicle length on the fundamental diagram
IET Intelligent Transport Systems
management and control
traffic
traffic engineering computing
traffic modelling
title Enhanced motorway capacity estimation considering the impact of vehicle length on the fundamental diagram
title_full Enhanced motorway capacity estimation considering the impact of vehicle length on the fundamental diagram
title_fullStr Enhanced motorway capacity estimation considering the impact of vehicle length on the fundamental diagram
title_full_unstemmed Enhanced motorway capacity estimation considering the impact of vehicle length on the fundamental diagram
title_short Enhanced motorway capacity estimation considering the impact of vehicle length on the fundamental diagram
title_sort enhanced motorway capacity estimation considering the impact of vehicle length on the fundamental diagram
topic management and control
traffic
traffic engineering computing
traffic modelling
url https://doi.org/10.1049/itr2.12547
work_keys_str_mv AT erikgiesenloo enhancedmotorwaycapacityestimationconsideringtheimpactofvehiclelengthonthefundamentaldiagram
AT robertcorbally enhancedmotorwaycapacityestimationconsideringtheimpactofvehiclelengthonthefundamentaldiagram
AT lewisfeely enhancedmotorwaycapacityestimationconsideringtheimpactofvehiclelengthonthefundamentaldiagram
AT andrewosullivan enhancedmotorwaycapacityestimationconsideringtheimpactofvehiclelengthonthefundamentaldiagram