Urban areas have developed organically over time, driven by the economic success of cities. However, this development has usually been accompanied by the side effects of urbanization, such as increased traffic and its associated problems: traffic congestion, increased accident rates and pollution. As urban populations grow and expand, the importance of GIS lies in its ability to collect a large amount of geospatial data, including human-generated data. This data is necessary to understand the complexity of the city, set priorities, solve complicated planning problems and perform a variety of spatial analysis, which shows not only the feasibility but also the consistency of the proposed infrastructure with the requirements of a sustainable city. In this paper, we demonstrate the benefits of integrating real-time traffic data with GIS technology and remote sensing data for analyzing the impact of infrastructure works and COVID-19 on traffic in Oradea, Romania. The case study was focused on the historical center of Oradea and was based on remote sensing data collected before, during, and after traffic restrictions. The study also shows the need for using GIS and crowdsourcing-based applications in traffic analysis and planning.
Traffic has a direct impact on local and regional economies, on pollution levels and is also a major source of discomfort and frustration for the public who have to deal with congestion, accidents or detours due to road works or accidents. Congestion in urban areas is a common phenomenon nowadays, as the main arteries of cities become congested during peak hours or when there are additional constraints such as traffic accidents and road works that slow down traffic on road sections. When traffic increases, it is observed that some roads are predisposed to congestion, while others are not. It is evident that both congestion and urban traffic itself are influenced by several factors represented by complex geospatial data and the spatial relationships between them. In this paper were integrated mathematical models, real time traffic data with network analysis and simulation procedures in order to analyze the public transportation in Oradea and the impact on urban traffic. A mathematical model was also adapted to simulate the travel choices of the population of the city and of the surrounding villages. Based on the network analysis, traffic analysis and on the traveling simulation, the elements generating traffic congestion in the inner city can be easily determined. The results of the case study are emphasizing that diminishing the traffic and its effects can be obtained by improving either the public transport density or its accessibility.
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