• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.153-160
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• 2012

Various social problems such as traffic congestion, car accidents and environmental problems(air pollution, noises etc.) have been happening in the Seoul metropolitan area that has the car oriented traffic system providing cars continuously. Along with this, the financial burden caused by current oil price anxiety made paradigm shift from caroriented to public transportation-oriented. Its typical example is an arterial branch bus system changing(bus lane through the center of main road) started in Seoul in July, 2004. But study on safety analysis of bus lane and characteristic of accidents are not sufficient enough to now. The bus lanes are expanded to provide roads for better traffic operation and accidents between buses and pedestrians or ordinary vehicles are considered main problems. This study divided each bus route of median bus lane(bus-only lane through the center of main roads) and bus lane at roadside by intersection and collected and analysed data about influence variables of bus accidents chosen in each section. We constructed a logistic model using collected data. As a result, bus lane at roadside are used by both buses and other kinds of vehicles differently from median bus lane and showed such characteristic in accident influence. Therefore access management to factors causing conflict and improvement of operation management are required. In case of median bus lane, the more buses moving general vehicle lane and traffic volume of section were, the more accidents happened. In case that stop line of center lane is not backward, view blocking of vehicles turning left caused accidents.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.61-68
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• 2017

PURPOSES : A complete signal system is not always the best solution for improving traffic operation efficiency at intersections. An alternative solution is to use a Protected Permitted Left Turn (PPLT) operation method. However, the PPLT method needs to be developed after a detailed study of driving tendencies, most notably the gap acceptance behavior, for successful implementation. In this study, the gap acceptance behavior was investigated under various variables and weather conditions, especially under rain, and the results were compared to the case of normal weather. The results of this study will be helpful in introducing the PPLT method, and are important considering the tendency of attempting unprotected left turns that is extremely common in Korean drivers. METHODS : Data was obtained by analyzing traffic footage at four intersections on a day when the precipitation was greater than 5 mm/h. The collected data was classified into seven variables for statistical analysis. Finally, we used logistic regression analysis to develop a probability distribution model. RESULTS : Gap, traffic volume, and the number of conflicting lanes were factors affecting the gap acceptance behavior of unprotected left turns under rainy conditions. CONCLUSIONS : The probability of attempting unprotected left turns is higher for larger gaps. On the other hand, the probability of attempting unprotected left turns decreases with an increase in the traffic volume. Finally, an increase in the number of conflict lanes leads to a decrease in the probability of attempting unprotected left turns.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.159-167
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• 2013

PURPOSES : In this study, the effects of when median exclusive bus lanes were applied to Daejeon trunk road (Wolpyeng crossway~Seodaejeon crossway, 6.3km) and (Daeduck Bridge 4~Kyeryong 4, 2.6km) by Microscopic Simulation VISSIM (5.0) was studied. The median exclusive bus lanes are one of the measures of transportation system manage techniques that can especially improve the efficiency of public transportation facilities. METHODS : According to the analysis of VISSIM on the Gyerong mainroad and Daedeok mainroad, when the median exclusive bus lanes were applied unlike when the roadside bus-only lanes were applied, the average travel speed of vehicles decreased but the average delay time and travel time increased. This arised from the changes in the geometric structure of the road which occurred the reduction of vehicle lane in the center of the road. RESULTS : In the case of bus, on the other hand, the average travel speed increased but the average delay time and travel time decreased. This is because the problems such as illegal parking and stopping, secondary road in out vehicle, and conflict of intersection right turn that roadside bus-only lanes occurred was solved. CONCLUSIONS : Although the introduction of median exclusive bus lanes will have a negative effect on general traffic flow due to the aggravation of travel, decrease of passenger car usage will lead to decrease of traffic volume. Therefore, smooth vehicle travel is expected.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.95-103
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• 2016

PURPOSES : Permitted left turn is a turning maneuver in which a vehicle turns left using a gap between oncoming vehicles, called gap acceptance, and it enables for more efficient traffic operation at intersections. In Korea, the permitted left turn has not been a common maneuver at signalized or un-signalized intersections. However, many experts and the Police Agency tried to apply this effective turning maneuver at intersections in Korea since 2010. Though the investigation of gap acceptance is significantly important in understanding a driver's behavior at intersections, there have not been many studies about this topic, specifically a study to develop probability models of gap acceptance behavior. METHODS : In this study, the probability model of gap acceptance behavior for a permitted left turn was developed based on observational field studies. To develop the model, seven variables were analyzed including gap, waiting time, traffic volume, conflict-flow vehicle type, left-turning vehicle type, the number of lane, and time. RESULTS : In the final model, gap and left-turning vehicle type were found to be significant influencing factors. CONCLUSIONS : Through this model development, it was concluded that as the gap size increased, the probability of gap acceptance was higher. Moreover, when a left-turning vehicle was a passenger car, the probability of gap acceptance was higher than compared to large size buses or freight cars.

• The Journal of The Korea Institute of Intelligent Transport Systems
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.52-69
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• 2020

Considering the need for an infrastructure-level review, this study analyzed the impact of truck platooning on freeway traffic flow and the effect of dedicated lanes based on domestic road and traffic conditions. According to the study, the higher traffic volume and truck ratio, the higher ratio of platoons and the greater size of platoons are formed, which results in greater effect of increasing the average speed of the network. Therefore, the routes with heavy traffic and heavy cargo traffic could be positively considered for truck platooning. However, the analysis showed that the effect of increasing the average speed of the entire network is difficult to expect in the event of a queue due to entry and exit, and that the overall network's throughput could be reduced. Therefore, traffic operation strategies associated with the access road, such as securing capacity of the connection, are needed to maximize the effect of truck platooning. When it comes to the effect of dedicated lane, it could have a positive effect only if one lane was fully operated by automated trucks under the condition of 100% MPR, which allowed positive effects in all aspects, such as higher average speed, throughput, and reduced conflict rates.

• The Journal of The Korea Institute of Intelligent Transport Systems
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.1-13
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• 2020

When pedestrians cross a pedestrian crossing during a pedestrian signal, there is a problem that pedestrians are exposed to the danger of traffic accidents due to permissive-left turning and right-turning vehicles. In order to solve this problem, there is an increasing demand to improve the traffic signal system to increase pedestrian safety at the signal crossing. This study aims to examine the feasibility of introducing a leading pedestrian interval(LPI) to prevent conflict between unprotected left and right turn vehicles and pedestrians. In this study, the need for LPI was surveyed by experts and the general public. As a result of the survey, many opinions indicated that the introduction of LPI was necessary. In addition, after selecting the non-protected left and right turn pilot operation targets, LPI was installed on two signal intersections. After installation, the speed analysis of the arrival vehicle in the pedestrian crossing and the violation rate of the pedestrian signal were analyzed. As a result of analysis, when the walking signal was equalized, the speed of the arriving vehicle in the pedestrian crossing was reduced, and the violation rate of the walking signal was improved.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.47-56
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• 2008

Generally, accident exposure at intersections is relatively higher than that at roadway segments due to more possibility of merging, diverging, turning, crossing, and weaving maneuver. Furthermore, the traffic accident rate at intersections has been rapidly increasing since 1990's. Since there is more opportunity of conflict at unsignalized intersection, frequency and severity of traffic accident are more severe than signalized intersections. The purpose of the study is to analyze factors causing vehicle crashes and provide intersection design guidelines to improve intersection safety. For this study, vehicle to vehicle crash data of 116 rural 3 legs unsignalized were collected and field surveys were conducted for traffic and geometric conditions. Ordered probit models were developed to analyze the severity of crashes. It was found that weather, obstacles in minor roadsides, presence of major exclusive right lane, presence of major road crosswalk, difference between posted speed of major road and minor road, land-use around intersections, shoulder width of major road, ADT of major road are significant factors for intersection safety.

• The Journal of The Korea Institute of Intelligent Transport Systems
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.14-27
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• 2020

Pedestrian deaths account for a high percentage of deaths in traffic accidents in Korea, raising interest in pedestrian safety policy. However, since the walk signal time is applied based on the length of the crosswalk without considering the walker and the signal cycle, the walk waiting time is relatively longer than the crosswalk, causing pedestrian jaywalking. In this study, due to an unreasonable signal time plan during a road crossing where a signal is installed, the pedestrian's walk signal was given twice a cycle of crossings, and the operational and safety effects of the signal system were quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed, and the operational effects of the signal interval and jaywalking rate were assessed by different signal intervals. The results showed that jaywalking and waiting time decreased, and the shorter the interval between the application of the walk signal time, the less jaywalking is analyzed. However, there is a risk of vehicle conflict due to pedestrian exposure, and measures for expanding safety for operation were proposed.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.204-213
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• 2015

The congestion of pedestrians impedes the utilization efficiency of a subway station. Conflicts among pedestrians due to unseparated pedestrian flows not only increase the impedance of pedestrian mobility but also negatively affect on pedestrian safety. This paper analyzes the travel characteristics of bi-directional pedestrian flow based on microscopic movements, and evaluates the operation efficiency on separating the traffic line. The subway station was simulated in a 2-D grid structure by applying Discrete Element Method, and the movement is organized in each cell of the grid. As a result, the model explicates that separating the traffic line and encouraging the 'Keep right rule' would be mostly effective for the conflicting flows. Therefore, applying the 'Walking Guidance System' would be efficient to improve the pedestrian convenience and mobility.

• Proceedings of the KOR-KST Conference
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• 1995.02a
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• pp.3-32
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• 1995

The Highway Capacity Manual specifies procedures for evaluating intersection performance in terms of delay per vehicle. What is lacking in the current methodology is a comparable quantitative procedure for ass~ssing the safety-based level of service provided to motorists. The objective of the research described herein was to develop a computational procedure for evaluating the safety-based level of service of signalized intersections based on the relative hazard of alternative intersection designs and signal timing plans. Conflict opportunity models were developed for those crossing, diverging, and stopping maneuvers which are associated with left-turn and rear-end accidents. Safety¬based level-of-service criteria were then developed based on the distribution of conflict opportunities computed from the developed models. A case study evaluation of the level of service analysis methodology revealed that the developed safety-based criteria were not as sensitive to changes in prevailing traffic, roadway, and signal timing conditions as the traditional delay-based measure. However, the methodology did permit a quantitative assessment of the trade-off between delay reduction and safety improvement. The Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) specifies procedures for evaluating intersection performance in terms of a wide variety of prevailing conditions such as traffic composition, intersection geometry, traffic volumes, and signal timing (1). At the present time, however, performance is only measured in terms of delay per vehicle. This is a parameter which is widely accepted as a meaningful and useful indicator of the efficiency with which an intersection is serving traffic needs. What is lacking in the current methodology is a comparable quantitative procedure for assessing the safety-based level of service provided to motorists. For example, it is well¬known that the change from permissive to protected left-turn phasing can reduce left-turn accident frequency. However, the HCM only permits a quantitative assessment of the impact of this alternative phasing arrangement on vehicle delay. It is left to the engineer or planner to subjectively judge the level of safety benefits, and to evaluate the trade-off between the efficiency and safety consequences of the alternative phasing plans. Numerous examples of other geometric design and signal timing improvements could also be given. At present, the principal methods available to the practitioner for evaluating the relative safety at signalized intersections are: a) the application of engineering judgement, b) accident analyses, and c) traffic conflicts analysis. Reliance on engineering judgement has obvious limitations, especially when placed in the context of the elaborate HCM procedures for calculating delay. Accident analyses generally require some type of before-after comparison, either for the case study intersection or for a large set of similar intersections. In e.ither situation, there are problems associated with compensating for regression-to-the-mean phenomena (2), as well as obtaining an adequate sample size. Research has also pointed to potential bias caused by the way in which exposure to accidents is measured (3, 4). Because of the problems associated with traditional accident analyses, some have promoted the use of tqe traffic conflicts technique (5). However, this procedure also has shortcomings in that it.requires extensive field data collection and trained observers to identify the different types of conflicts occurring in the field. The objective of the research described herein was to develop a computational procedure for evaluating the safety-based level of service of signalized intersections that would be compatible and consistent with that presently found in the HCM for evaluating efficiency-based level of service as measured by delay per vehicle (6). The intent was not to develop a new set of accident prediction models, but to design a methodology to quantitatively predict the relative hazard of alternative intersection designs and signal timing plans.