Application of AIMSUN Microscopic Simulation Model in Evaluating Side Friction Impacts on Traffic Stream Performance

Authors: H. Naghawi, M. Abu Shattal, W. Idewu

Abstract:

Side friction factors can be defined as all activities taking place at the side of the road and within the traffic stream, which would negatively affect the traffic stream performance. If the effect of these factors is adequately addressed and managed, traffic stream performance and capacity could be improved. The main objective of this paper is to identify and assess the impact of different side friction factors on traffic stream performance of a hypothesized urban arterial road. Hypothetical data were assumed mainly because there is no road operating under ideal conditions, with zero side friction, in the developing countries. This is important for the creation of the base model which is important for comparison purposes. For this purpose, three essential steps were employed. Step one, a hypothetical base model was developed under ideal traffic and geometric conditions. Step two, 18 hypothetical alternative scenarios were developed including side friction factors such as on-road parking, pedestrian movement, and the presence of trucks in the traffic stream. These scenarios were evaluated for one, two, and three lane configurations and under different traffic volumes ranging from low to high. Step three, the impact of side friction, of each scenario, on speed-flow models was evaluated using AIMSUN microscopic traffic simulation software. Generally, it was found that, a noticeable negative shift in the speed flow curves from the base conditions was observed for all scenarios. This indicates negative impact of the side friction factors on free flow speed and traffic stream average speed as well as on capacity.

Keywords: AIMSUN, parked vehicles, pedestrians, side friction, traffic performance, trucks.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3607767

References:

[1] Munawar, A. “Speed and Capacity for Urban Roads, Indonesian Experience”. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences (2011), 16, pp. 382-387. Retrieved from https://docplayer.net/52292347-Speed-and-capacity-for-urban-roads-indonesian-experience.html
[2] Rao, A. and Rao, K. R. “Free Speed Modeling for Urban Arterials - A Case Study on Delhi”, Periodica Polytechnica Transportation Engineering (2015), 43(3), pp. 111-119. doi: https://doi.org/10.3311/PPtr.7599.
[3] Patel, C.R., and Joshi, G.J. “Mixed Traffic Speed-Flow Behavior under Influence of Road Side Friction and Non-Motorized Vehicles: A Comparative Study of Arterial Roads in India.” World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology: International Journal of Civil and Environment Engineering (2014), 8 (11). Pp 1203-1209. Retrieved from https://waset.org/publications/10001388/mixed-traffic-speed-flow-behavior-under-influence-of-road-side-friction-and-non-motorized-vehicles-a-comparative-study-of-arterial-roads-in-india
[4] Iin, I. “Delay Evaluation as the Impact of Side Friction on Heterogeneous Traffic Towards Road Performance with Vissim Microsimulation”, International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT) (2015), 4(2). Retrieved from https://www.ijert.org/phocadownload/V4I2/IJERTV4IS020442.pdf
[5] Chand S., Chandra S., and Dhamaniya A. “Capacity Drop of Urban Arterial due to a Curb Side Bus Stop”. International Conference on Sustainable Civil Infrastructure, ASCE India Section, (2014).
[6] Sudipta, P. and Sudip K. “Effect of Side Friction on Travel Speed and Road User Cost in Rural Roads in India.” International Journal of Innovative Research in Science, Engineering and Technology. 6 (12), (2017). Retrieved From https://www.ijirset.com/upload/2017/december/77_20_Effect%20.pdf
[7] Sudipta, P. and Sudip K. “Impact of Roadside Friction on Travel Speed and LOS of Rural Highways in India.” Transportation in Developing Economics (2016), DOI:10.1007/s40890-016-0011-z
[8] Salini, S., George, S., and Ashalatha, R. “Effect of Side frictions on Traffic Characteristics of urban arterials,” Transportation research procedia. (2016), 17, pp. 636-643. DOI:10.1016/j.trpro.2016.11.118
[9] Aronsson, K.F.M., and Bang, K.L. “Factors Influencing Speed Profiles on Urban Streets.” 3rd International Symposium on Highway Geometric Design, Illinois, Chicago. Compendium of Papers CD-ROM, (2005).
[10] Lee, J.T., Kweon, Y.J., Dittberner, R. and Horodyskyj, I.M. “Drivers’ Lane-Changing Behavior at Bus Stops on Three-lane Roadways” Institute of Transportation Engineers Journal, (2014). 84(11), pp. 37-39.
[11] Transportation Research Board, “Highway Capacity Manual.” 5th Ed., National Research Council. (2010), Washington, D.C.