• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.71-78
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• 2013

This paper investigated the influences of ramp traffic flow on the lane utilization for signalized intersection approaches which are adjacent to an off-ramp-street junction. The statistical test showed a correlation between lane utilization and the ramp traffic flow. As the ramp traffic flow increases, the left lanes are less utilized and the right lanes are more utilized. The lane utilization factors are calculated by applying traffic data collected from the Seoul Metropolitan area. The utilization factors are 1.113 for 2 lanes, 1.124 for 3 lanes, and 1.131 for 4 lanes. The lane utilization factors proposed in the paper show higher values than those in current Korea Highway Capacity Manual (KHCM) under the conditions that the number of lanes is 2 or 3. However, the lane utilization factor for 4 lanes in the paper shows lower value than in KHCM. The ramp traffic flow causes more utilization of the right lanes than at normal signalized intersections and the extent gets larger as the number of lanes decreases. Based on the results of the paper, the lane utilization factors at signalized intersection approaches should be revised and reasonable capacity should be recalculated if the signalized intersection is adjacent to an off-ramp-street junction.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.91-98
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• 2015

PURPOSES : Although signalized intersections have been considered the best way to control traffic volume in urban areas for several decades, roundabouts are currently being discussed as an alternative way to control traffic volume, especially when traffic is light. Because a roundabout's efficiency depends on the load geometry as well as the traffic volume, design guidelines for roundabouts are recommended only if the incoming traffic volume is very low. It is rare to substitute a roundabout for an existing signalized intersection in urban areas. This study aims to estimate the benefits from the transformation of an existing signalized intersection into a roundabout in an urban area. When there is a more moderate volume of traffic, roundabouts can be effectively used by optimizing signals located at an approaching roadway. METHODS : The methodologies of this paper are as follows: First, a signalized intersection was analyzed to determine the traffic characteristics. Second, the signalized intersection was transformed into a roundabout using VISSIM microscopic traffic simulation. Then, we estimated and analyzed the effects and the performance of the roundabout. In addition, we adjusted a method to improve the benefits of the transformation via the optimization of signals located at an approaching road to control the incoming traffic volume. RESULTS : The results of this research are as follows: The signal-optimized roundabout improved delays compared with the signalized intersection during the morning peak hour, non-peak hour, and evening peak hour by 1.78%, 12.45%, and 12.72%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS : According to the simulation results of each scenarios, the signal-optimized roundabout had less delay time than the signalized intersection. If optimized signal control algorithms are installed in roundabouts in the future, this will lead to more efficient traffic management.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.157-167
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• 2011

Many problems, such as unexpected delay and collision with pedestrians or vehicles, occur generally at signalized intersections where bicycle users are frequently involved. These problems have hindered bicycle users from riding bicycles on urban highways. The aim of this study is to suggest proper traffic signal operation methods for safe and convenient highway crossing of bicycles. Three types of crossing methods at signalized intersections are proposed and analyzed: (1) indirect left turn, (2) direct left turn on an exclusive bicycle lane, and (3) direct left turn on a bicycle box. The VISSIM simulation tests were conducted based on fifty-four operation scenarios prepared by varying vehicle and bicycle traffic volumes. Both delay and the number of stops are used as the measures of effectiveness in the analysis. The results from the three-legged signalized intersections suggested that (1) the indirect left turn is appropriate when vehicle demand is high while bicycle demand is not, (2) direct left turn on an exclusive bicycle lane is appropriate when both vehicle and bicycle demands are high, and (3) direct left turn on a bicycle box is appropriate when both vehicle and bicycle demands are light.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.65-73
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• 2013

Exclusive median bus lanes were installed to mitigate congestions on urban traffic networks. However, capacity analysis of signalized intersections having exclusive median bus lanes have not been provided in current capacity analysis process(analyses). This study aims to develop a method of capacity analysis for lane groups consisting of only buses at the signalized intersections having exclusive median bus lanes. Finding basic saturation flow rates for buses is critical since the operational characteristics between automobiles and buses are fairly different. A total of 8 intersections in Seoul were chosen as study sites. Saturation headways, distances between bus-stop and stopline, and grades of each approach were measured at the sites. It was found that the basic saturation headway and the basic saturation flow rate of buses were 3.27 s/veh and 1,100pc/h/ln, respectively. Adjustment factor for upstream bus-stop locations was estimated with 0.50 and 0.75 when the distances between bus-stop and stopline are 20m and 70m, respectively. This study explains that bus saturation flow rates are decreased in half if the bus stop locates within 20 meters from stop lines.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.173-184
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• 2008

Development of an accident estimation model based on accident data can be made after accident occurrences. However, the taking of historical accident data is not easy, and there have been differences between real accident data and police-reported accident data. Also, another difficult shortcoming is that historical traffic accident data better consider driver behavior or intersection characteristics. A new method needs to be developed that can predict accident occurrences for traffic safety improvement in black spots. Traffic conflict decision techniques can acquire and analyze data in time and space, requiring less data collection through investigation. However, there are shortcomings: as existing traffic conflict techniques do not operate automatically, the analyst's opinion could easily affect the study results. Also, existing methods do not consider the severity of traffic conflicts. In this study, the authors presented traffic conflict decision criteria which consider conflict severity, including opposing left turn traffic conflict and cross traffic conflict decision criteria. In order to test these criteria, the authors acquired three signalized intersection images (two intersections in Sungnam city and one intersection in Paju) and analyzed the acquired images using image processing techniques based on individual vehicle tracking technology. Within the analyzed images, level 1 conflicts occurred 343 times over three intersections. Some of these traffic conflicts resulted in level 3 conflict situations. Level 3 traffic conflicts occurred 25 times. From the study results, the authors found that traffic conflict decision techniques can be an alternative to evaluate traffic safety in black spots.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.65-76
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• 2013

Traffic accidents at signalized intersections have been increased annually so that it is required to examine the causation to reduce the accidents. However, the current existing accident models were developed mainly by using non-linear regression models such as Poisson methods. These non-linear regression methods lack to reveal the complicated causation for traffic accidents, though they are the right choice to study randomness and non-linearity of accidents. Therefore, it is required to utilize another statistical method to make up for the lack of the non-linear regression methods. This study developed accident prediction models for 4 legged signalized intersections with Poisson methods and compared them with structural equation models. This study used structural equation methods to reveal the complicated causation of traffic accidents, because the structural equation method has merits to explain more causational factors for accidents than others.

• The Journal of The Korea Institute of Intelligent Transport Systems
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.115-131
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• 2022

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from the transportation sector in South Korea accounts for 16.5% of all CO₂ emissions, and road transportation accounts for 96.5% of this sector's emissions in South Korea. Hence, constant research is being carried out on methods to reduce CO₂ emissions from this sector. With the emerging use of smart crossings, attempts to monitor individual vehicles are increasing. Moreover, the potential commercial deployment of autonomous vehicles increases the possibility of obtaining individual vehicle data. As such, CO₂ emission research was conducted at five signalized intersections in the Gangnam District, Seoul, using data such as vehicle type, speed, acceleration, etc., obtained from image detectors located at each intersection. The collected data were then applied to the MOtor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES)-Matrix model-which was developed to obtain second-by-second vehicle activity data and analyze daily CO₂ emissions from the studied intersections. After analyzing two large and three small intersections, the results indicated that 3.1 metric tons of CO₂ were emitted per day at each intersection. This study reveals a new possibility of analyzing CO₂ emissions using actual individual vehicle data using an improved analysis model. This study also emphasizes the importance of more accurate CO₂ emission analyses.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.151-158
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• 2009

This study deals with the rear-end collisions in the rural aiea. The objectives of this study are 1) to analyze the characteristics of rear-end accidents of signalized intersections, and 2) to develop the accident models for Cheongju-Cheongwon. In pursing the above, this study gives the particular attentions to comparing the characters of urban and rural area. In this study, the dependent variables are the number of accidents and value of EPDO(equivalent property damage only), and independent variables are the traffic volumes and geometric elements. The main results analyzed are the followings. First, the statistical analyses show that the Poisson accident model using the number of accident as a dependant variable are statistically significant and the negative binomial accident model using the value of EPDO are statistically significant. Second, the independent variables of Poisson model are analyzed to be the ratio of high-occupancy vehicles, total traffic volume and the sum of exit/entry, and those of negative binomial regression are the main road width, total traffic volume and the ratio of high-occupancy vehicles. Finally, the specific independent variables to the rural area are the main road width, the ratio of high occupancy vehicle, and the sum exit/entry.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.109-119
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• 2014

PURPOSES : The control delay in seconds per vehicle is the most important traffic operational index to evaluate the level of service of signalized intersections. Thus, it is very critical to calculate accurate control delay because it is used as a basic quantitative evidence for decision makings regarding to investments on traffic facilities. The control delay consists of time-in-queue delay, acceleration delay, and deceleration delay so that it is technically difficult to directly measure it from fields. Thus, diverse analysis tools, including CORSIM, SYNCHRO, T7F, VISTRO, etc. have been utilized so far. However, each analysis tool may use a unique methodology in calculating control delays. Therefore, the estimated values of control delays may be different by the selection of an analysis tool, which has provided difficulties to traffic engineers in making solid judgments. METHODS : This study was initiated to verify the feasibility of diverse analysis tools, including HCM methodology, CORSIM, SYNCHRO, T7F, VISTRO, in calculating control delays by comparing estimated control delays with that measured from a field. RESULTS : As a result, the selected tools produced quite different values of control delay. In addition, the control delay value estimated using a calibrated CORSIM model was closest to that measured from the field. CONCLUSIONS : First, through the in-depth experiment, it was explicitly verified that the estimated values of control delay may depend on the selection of an analysis tool. Second, among the diverse tools, the value of control delay estimated using the calibrated microscopic traffic simulation model was most close to that measured from the field. Conclusively, analysts should take into account the variability of control delay values according to the selection of a tool in the case of signalized intersection analysis.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.90-99
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• 2015

The climate of Korea has clear rainy and dry season due to seasonal wind. In general, The rainy season in Korea is from early summer through to early fall. And precipitation accounted for more than half of the total annual rainfall in this period. This study is aiming to analysis of variation in saturation flow rate at signalized intersection during rainfall. The range of spatial is urban signalized intersections in Seoul and temporal is rainfall or ideal condition in daylight. Traffic data are collected through CCTV of Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, and on-site video recordings directly. Weather condition data are collected from the Korea Meteorological Administration. In addition, the value of saturation headway and saturation flow rate, in rainfall condition, are derived through video frame analysis. As a results of analysis, decrease of saturation flow rate and increase of saturation headway during rainfall were confirmed by comparison with non-rainfall. The higher rainfall rate is, the more decreased saturation flow rate at the intersections. Rainfall rate is divided three area by the results of statistical test, and saturation flow rate decrease 7%, 17%, 21%, respectively.