scholarly journals Effect of Lane Narrowing Implemented on an Urban Dual Carriageway on Speed Reduction and Acoustic Environment

Buildings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 31
Author(s):  
Alicja Barbara Sołowczuk ◽  
Dominik Kacprzak
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Safety ◽  
Traffic Noise ◽  
Motor Vehicles ◽  
Surrounding Area ◽  
Acoustic Environment ◽  
Speed Reduction ◽  
Traffic Calming ◽  
Local Topography ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Surrounding Landscape

The on-going growth in the use of motor vehicles leads to a number of traffic safety problems. Therefore, various traffic calming measures are applied to increase traffic safety in built-up areas. Lane narrowing is one of the techniques used to influence the perception of drivers and make them slow down. With this in mind, the authors conducted traffic volume and speed counts before and after installation of the lane narrowing treatment, covering 100 passing vehicles, at an intersection between an urban dual carriageway and an estate street where over a dozen fatal accidents occurred in the recent years. Traffic noise was also measured, both before and after lane narrowing. The traffic count data were analysed to show speed reduction by ca. 15 km/h, yet in all cases still above 50 km/h, which is the speed limit applicable to built-up areas in Poland. The analysis of the “before” and “after” noise maps showed only minor changes to the distribution of noise. The locations of these changes to the acoustic environment depended on the speed and volume of traffic and, much more importantly, on the topography of the surrounding area, the existing roadside layered landscape and the type of planted vegetation. The detailed analyses of the analysed parameters demonstrated that sustainable design of traffic calming measures on urban dual carriageways must consider not only the desired speed reduction but also the surrounding landscape and the local topography.

scholarly journals Identification of the Determinants of the Effectiveness of On-Road Chicanes in Transition Zones to Villages Subject to a 70 km/h Speed Limit

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (20) ◽  
pp. 5244
Author(s):  
Alicja Sołowczuk ◽  
Dominik Kacprzak
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Safety ◽  
Traffic Management ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Additional Energy ◽  
Speed Reduction ◽  
Transition Zones ◽  
Road Design ◽  
Traffic Calming ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Surrounding Landscape

In recent decades traffic calming, especially in villages situated on through roads, has become an urgent issue. Various schemes are applied in the transition zones to reduce the inbound traffic speeds and thus improve the traffic safety. The studies conducted in several countries point to different determinants of the speed reduction obtained in this way. This article deals with the schemes including a central island horizontally deflecting one lane, located in transition zones to villages with 70 km/h speed restriction on two-lane roads (6 m carriageway width). In order to identify the speed reduction determinants, the speeds before and after chicanes were measured and the effect of the three criteria was investigated, characterising: the traffic management scheme, road design parameters, landscape elements present in the surroundings of the transition zone and visibility conditions. Based on the confirmation of logical tautology of many pre-selected factors, one aggregate parameter was proposed for the assessment of the practicable level of speed reduction, combining the effect of the selected factors in the above-mentioned criteria. Statistical analysis of the obtained results confirmed a statistically significant relationship between both the speed reduction value and the speed reduction index, and the aggregate parameter proposed by the authors. Factors related to the surrounding landscape and visibility conditions were found to have the greatest direct effect on speed reduction. The chicanes chosen in the final step of the proposed design process should be enhanced by additional solar-powered elements ensuring their improved visibility. These devices should not, however, require any additional energy supply and should not increase the construction or maintenance costs.

scholarly journals Noise at the time of COVID 19: The impact in some areas in Rome and Milan, Italy

Noise Mapping ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 248-264
Author(s):  
Rosa Maria Alsina Pagès ◽  
Francesc Alías ◽  
Patrizia Bellucci ◽  
Pier Paolo Cartolano ◽  
Ilaria Coppa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sound Pressure ◽  
Traffic Noise ◽  
Motor Vehicles ◽  
Acoustic Environment ◽  
Commercial Activities ◽  
Real Time Traffic ◽  
Italian Regions ◽  
Almost All ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed in Italy at the end of January 2020, when the first positive cases for the virus were identified. At the beginning of March, the virus had spread to all Italian regions and on 10 March 2020 the lockdown phase began, limiting the movement of people and prohibiting almost all commercial activities, businesses and non-essential industries. As a result, millions of people were forced to stay at home, causing a drastic drop in traffic volume, which significantly changed the acoustic environment and air quality of cities. On 4 May 2020, the lockdown was partially lifted and activities were progressively reopened. Therefore, traffic gradually started to increase and, consequently, the noise emitted by motor vehicles. This behaviour was confirmed by the data collected by the DYNAMAP system, an automatic platform developed within the LIFE DYNAMAP project, providing real time traffic noise maps in terms of sound pressure levels and impacts at receivers (people and dwellings exposed to noise level bands). In this paper traffic and non-traffic-related noise events in the cities of Rome and Milan from March to May 2020 are analysed and compared to the corresponding values in 2019 to evaluate the effects of the lockdown period.

scholarly journals Identification of Determinants of the Speed-Reducing Effect of Pedestrian Refuges in Villages Located on a Chosen Regional Road

Symmetry ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 597
Author(s):  
Alicja Sołowczuk ◽  
Dominik Kacprzak
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Engineering ◽  
Geometric Parameters ◽  
Speed Reduction ◽  
The Road ◽  
Traffic Calming ◽  
Engineering Discipline ◽  
Number Of Factors ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Layout Geometry ◽  
Specific Factors

Traffic calming, as a traffic engineering discipline, is becoming an increasingly important aspect of the road engineering process. One of the traffic calming treatments are pedestrian refuges—raised islands located on or at the road centreline. This paper presents factors relevant to the performance of this kind of traffic calming devices retrofitted on the stretches of regional roads in village areas. To this end, speed surveys were carried out before and after the islands in each direction on purposefully chosen test sections. In order to identify the determinants, each test section was characterised by features including the symmetry of the road layout geometry, surrounding features and the existing traffic signs and, last but not least, visibility of the road ahead. The survey data were used by the authors to perform analyses in order to group the speeds at the pedestrian refuges and relate them to specific factors and, finally, identify the determinants of speed reduction. In this way, the authors arrived at a conclusion that the performance of pedestrian refuges depends on a number of factors rather than solely on their geometric parameters. The analyses showed that the pedestrian refuge geometric parameters, features located in its proximity that influence the driver’s perception and placement of appropriate marking, can, in combination, result in achieving the desired speed reduction and ensure safety of non-motorised users. These hypotheses were tested on a stretch of a regional road in village area at three points of the process: before upgrading, after installation of pedestrian refuges, and after retrofitting of enhancements.

The Siting of Prehistoric Rock Art in Galloway, South-west Scotland

1993 ◽  
Vol 59 ◽  
pp. 269-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Bradley ◽  
Jan Harding ◽  
Margaret Mathews
Keyword(s):  
Rock Art ◽  
Landscape Archaeology ◽  
Surrounding Area ◽  
South West ◽  
Field Of Vision ◽  
Special Character ◽  
Local Topography ◽  
Intractable Problems ◽  
Surrounding Landscape ◽  
Source Of Information

The interpretation of prehistoric rock art has posed some intractable problems, but recent studies have sought to integrate it within a more broadly based landscape archaeology. They emphasise the special character of this material, not only as a system of distinctive motifs, but also as a source of information employed by people engaged in a mobile pattern of settlement. This paper investigates the character of the rock art of south-west Scotland, comparing the positions of the petroglyphs with two series of control samples in the surrounding landscape. The carvings seem to have been situated at viewpoints. They may have been directed towards the coastline and the Galloway hills and commanded a significantly wider field of vision than locations in the surrounding area. There is some evidence that differences in the size and complexity of the motifs are related to their placing in the local topography, with the simpler carvings around the edges of lowland ‘territories’ near to the shoreline, and the more complex compositions in upland areas, especially around shallow basins and waterholes. The changing character of the designs may reflect differences in the composition of the audience who viewed them.

scholarly journals Identification of the Determinants of the Effectiveness of On-Road Chicanes in the Village Transition Zones Subject to a 50 km/h Speed Limit

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (13) ◽  
pp. 4002
Author(s):  
Alicja Barbara Sołowczuk ◽  
Dominik Kacprzak
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Management ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Speed Reduction ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Transition Zones ◽  
The Road ◽  
Traffic Calming ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Traffic Volumes ◽  
The Village

In recent years, in which a considerable increase in the road traffic volumes has been witnessed, traffic calming has become one the key issues in the area of road engineering. This concerns, in particular, trunk roads passing through small villages with a population of up to 500 and the road section length within the village limits of ca. 1400–1700 m. A successful traffic calming scheme must involve primarily effective reduction in inbound traffic speed. A review of the data from various countries revealed that chicanes installed in the transition zones may have a determining effect on the success of the traffic calming project. The effectiveness of such chicanes depends mainly on the type of chicane, its location on the carriageway, its shape and the size of the lateral deflection imposed by the chicane on the inbound lane. The purpose of this study was to identify the speed reduction determinants in traffic calming schemes in village transition zones, based on a central island horizontally deflecting one lane of a two-lane two-way road with 50 km/h speed restriction. As part of the study, vehicle speeds were measured just before and after the chicanes under analysis. Furthermore, the inbound lane traffic volumes were measured in field and a number of factors were identified, including the applied traffic management scheme, road parameters, view of the road ahead and of the village skyline, isolated buildings, road infrastructure and adjacent roadside developments. The obtained data were analysed with a method employing tautologies of the selected 32 factors affecting the drivers’ perception. A single aggregate parameter was proposed for assessing the coincidence of the influence of selected factors on speed reduction. The analysis of the existing schemes and the results of statistical analyses carried out in this study confirmed the authors’ hypothesis that the combined selected factors produce a desirable effect and that they should be additionally enhanced by the application of solar powered devices.

scholarly journals A Method for Traffic Calming Using Radio Transmitter

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Amin Mirza Boroujerdian ◽  
Samane Sheikhy
Keyword(s):  
Video Processing ◽  
Intelligent Transportation System ◽  
Transportation Safety ◽  
Speed Limit ◽  
Speed Reduction ◽  
Traffic Calming ◽  
Innovative Methods ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Voice Message ◽  
Major Factors

Excessive speed is one of the major factors in transportation safety assessment and is influenced by road geometric design, vehicle properties, and driving pattern. Exploiting innovative methods along with the conventional ones has been proven to be effective in road safety to control the speed limit. In this study, a supplementary tool is introduced to help drivers to observe the speed limit. In line with this objective, the effectiveness of Voice Sign System (VSS) as an Intelligent Transportation System is evaluated. In order to measure the speed, video processing software is used. Moreover, SPSS is utilized to perform statistical analysis and compare upstream and downstream speeds before and after a message transmission. The study is conducted in Yadegar-e-Imam expressway, located in Tehran, to evaluate the effectiveness of a voice message. The message reads as follows: “Observe the Speed Limit.” The results reveal that VSS is an effective tool for speed reduction as well as the speed limit observation in expressways. The study shows that the speed is reduced by 18% on average, and speed limit observation is improved by 46.5%, out of which 18.2% is direct and 28.3% is indirect influence of VSS.

Design and Evaluation of K-Pass: A Bicycle-Friendly Modification of Speed Bumps

2018 ◽  
Vol 2672 (36) ◽  
pp. 157-166
Author(s):  
Vinod Vasudevan ◽  
Aniruddha Rajurkar ◽  
Rahul Soni ◽  
Akhil Tiwari
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Safety ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Traffic Crashes ◽  
The Road ◽  
Traffic Calming ◽  
Road Users ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Two Wheeler ◽  
Motorized Vehicles ◽  
Speed Humps

Traffic safety is a major concern across the world. Since speed is a major cause of traffic crashes, various traffic calming measures are used to enhance the safety of the road users in urban areas. Speed humps and bumps are the most widely used traffic calming devices. As a considerable number of bicyclists use the road along with motorized users, it is important to consider them while deploying any traffic calming devices. Studies have shown that bicyclists experience significantly larger discomfort as compared to motorized vehicles while passing over speed humps. In this study, a modification has been proposed to enhance riding comfort of bicyclists without compromising the traffic calming attribute of a speed bump. This modification is named “K-pass.” Analysis of data collected before and after the modification justifies the effectiveness in reducing the discomfort of bicyclists. Over a period of eight months, 70% of the bicyclists chose to use K-pass. Data also revealed that a high proportion of motorized two-wheeler users also used the K-pass at reduced speeds. It is expected that the K-pass will be a useful modification to the existing speed humps and speed bumps in areas where bicycle usage is expected.

scholarly journals Changes in the Soundscape of the Public Space Close to a Highway by a Noise Control Intervention

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 5284
Author(s):  
Timothy Van Renterghem ◽  
Francesco Aletta ◽  
Dick Botteldooren
Keyword(s):  
Public Space ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Noise Abatement ◽  
Acoustic Environment ◽  
The Public ◽  
Control Intervention ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Noise Shielding ◽  
Visual Preferences ◽  
The Impact

The deployment of measures to mitigate sound during propagation outdoors is most often a compromise between the acoustic design, practical limitations, and visual preferences regarding the landscape. The current study of a raised berm next to a highway shows a number of common issues like the impact of the limited length of the noise shielding device, initially non-dominant sounds becoming noticeable, local drops in efficiency when the barrier is not fully continuous, and overall limited abatement efficiencies. Detailed assessments of both the objective and subjective effect of the intervention, both before and after the intervention was deployed, using the same methodology, showed that especially the more noise sensitive persons benefit from the noise abatement. Reducing the highest exposure levels did not result anymore in a different perception compared to more noise insensitive persons. People do react to spatial variation in exposure and abatement efficiency. Although level reductions might not be excessive in many real-life complex multi-source situations, they do improve the perception of the acoustic environment in the public space.

scholarly journals Contrasting Perspectives on the Comfort and Safety of Pedestrians Interacting with Other Road Users

2021 ◽  
Vol 2675 (3) ◽  
pp. 33-43
Author(s):  
Alexander Bigazzi ◽  
Gurdiljot Gill ◽  
Meghan Winters
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Safety ◽  
Injury Risk ◽  
Road User ◽  
Motor Vehicles ◽  
Advisory Group ◽  
User Interactions ◽  
The Public ◽  
Road Users ◽  
Expert Assessments ◽  
Sample Representation

Assessments of interactions between road users are crucial to understanding comfort and safety. However, observers may vary in their perceptions and ratings of road user interactions. The objective of this paper is to examine how perceptions of yielding, comfort, and safety for pedestrian interactions vary among observers, ranging from members of the public to road safety experts. Video clips of pedestrian interactions with motor vehicles and bicycles were collected from 11 crosswalks and shown to three groups of participants (traffic safety experts, an engaged citizen advisory group, and members of the general public) along with questions about yielding, comfort, and risk of injury. Experts had similar views of yielding and comfort to the other two groups, but a consistently lower assessment of injury risk for pedestrians in the study. Respondent socio-demographics did not relate to perceptions of yielding, comfort, or risk, but self-reported travel habits did. Respondents who reported walking more frequently rated pedestrian comfort as lower, and respondents who reported cycling more frequently rated risk as lower for pedestrian interactions with both motor vehicles and bicycles. Findings suggest small groups of engaged citizens can provide useful information about public perspectives on safety that likely diverge from expert assessments of risk, and that sample representation should be assessed in relation to travel habits rather than socio-demographics.

scholarly journals Drunk Drivers’ Willingness to Use and to Pay for Designated Drivers

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 5362
Author(s):  
Rong-Chang Jou ◽  
Li-Wun Syu
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Safety ◽  
Family Background ◽  
Drunk Driving ◽  
Motor Vehicles ◽  
Drinking Habits ◽  
Car Accidents ◽  
Drunk Drivers ◽  
Double Hurdle ◽  
The Government ◽  
Willingness To Use

While drunk driving accidents, which are a serious problem in Taiwan, have decreased in recent years, cases of drunk driving continue to emerge endlessly, and are a source of traffic risks even when the accidents cause no injuries. In order to prevent drunk driving and reduce car accidents, the government has made laws stricter, and has vigorously promoted “designated drivers”. As the concept of designated drivers is not common in Taiwan, this study mainly explores drunk drivers’ understanding of designated drivers in Nantou County and Taichung City, and investigates the willingness of drunk drivers to use and to pay for designated driving services. This study conducted a questionnaire survey on the drunk drivers of the drunk driving and traffic safety training course held at the Motor Vehicles Office. Double-hurdle and tobit models were applied to investigate the issues mentioned above. According to the test results, the tobit model was superior to the double-hurdle model. The estimation results indicated that distance, age, income, family conditions, and drinking habits influence the willingness to use and to pay for designated drivers. Gender, age, family background, and experience in designated driving cause differences in the willingness to use designated drivers in the two regions. It is expected that the conclusion of this study could provide a direction and reference for the future improvement of designated driving services.

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