Chinese leadership under Xi Jinping is keen to improve traffic congestion in a variety of ways. Among pledges to create greener cities with more public transport, the ruling contained the apparently throwaway line that no more enclosed residential compounds will be built in principle and existing residential and corporate compounds will gradually open up so the interior roads can be put into public use. This would save land and help reallocate transport networks.
Our research team is now closely working with a Suzhou local company, CCDI to develop the index to evaluate the impact after implementing this program in China.
Road rage is aggressive or angry behavior by a driver of an automobile or other road vehicle. Such behavior might include rude gestures, verbal insults, deliberately driving in an unsafe or threatening manner, or making threats. Road rage can lead to altercations, assaults, and collisions that result in injuries and even deaths. It can be thought of as an extreme case of aggressive driving.
Based on the characteristics, we analyse the road rage behaviours and suggest the control method.
A potential in ITS application to predict urban railway level crossing delays
The Victorian government has embarked on an eight year program to grade separate 50 level crossings around metropolitan Melbourne at an estimated cost of $AUD 5 to 6 B. A primary motivation of this program is to reduce delays to private motorists, freight vehicles and public transport services. As is common in an urban context, the existing level crossings are protected by boom barriers that control road traffic movements to ensure safe rail operation. Some of those crossings are effectively closed to traffic for up to three quarters of the peak hour. While this extensive capital works program will reduce delays at those locations, around 125 level crossings will be left untreated by the current grade separation project. This research examines the potential for Intelligent Transport Systems to reduce delays at urban railway level crossings. The characteristics of the current control system are examined to identify factors that contribute to delays to road users and a simulation model is used to model how ITS technology could be used reduce crossing closure times. The model highlights the value of improved train speed data and more accurate data on whether a particular train is to stop at a station adjacent to the crossing or run express through the level crossing.
The program: structure – 9 main areas, 5 year program with funding ~$5M
Rail crossing removal is NOT justified – using existingbenefit estimation methods
Source: Nguyen, N, Currie G De Gruyter C Young W (2016 submission) ‘A New Method to Estimate the Aggregate Impacts of At-Grade Rail Crossing Impacts on Network Traffic Flow ’ Journal of Transport Geography
Impact of Removing ALL xings
Results in:
0.1% reduction in congested links
1.7% reduction in no. of severely congested road links
