The Influence of the Participation of Non-Resident Drivers on Roundabout Capacity

Abstract

Procedures for the calculation of capacity of all types of unsignalized intersections, therefore roundabouts as well, represents a combination of the empirical model (exponential regression) and the likelihood of accepting time gaps in the priority flow by drivers who perform a minor manoeuvre. The values of the critical headway, as the minimum necessary time gap for performing the wanted minor manoeuvre, and the follow-up headway, have been given as the recommendations in the existing methodologies for capacity calculation, depending on the type of the manoeuvre. In traffic flow theory it has been known that drivers’ behaviour influences the capacity of roads and intersections, and the assessment of that influence is done through the adoption or correction of the values of certain parameters. At unsignalized intersections the influence of drivers’ behaviour is reflected through the values of critical headway and follow-up headway. The acceptance of the value of time gaps, i.e., the value of the critical headway and follow-up headway, depends on drivers’ knowledge of local conditions. This paper presents the parameter values of critical headway and follow-up headway for resident and non-resident drivers based on the analysis and statistical processing of research results. The research was conducted at four roundabouts in four towns in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the total number of vehicles covered by the research is 31,053. In that way, it has been confirmed that the capacity of roundabouts depends on the behaviour of the alleged groups of drivers, i.e., with the increase of the level of participation of non-resident drivers in traffic flow, the roundabout capacity decreases. The model for determining the influence of non-resident drivers on the roundabout capacity was created by using multiple linear regression. If the proposed model in the procedures of traffic planning is applied, the influence of roundabouts on the level of service, sustainability, and the emission of Green House Gases (GHG) can be realistically assessed and perceived in accordance with the expected participation of resident and non-resident drivers.

Roundabout Entry Capacity Calculation—A Case Study Based on Roundabouts in Tokyo, Japan, and Tokyo Surroundings

“…The issue of traffic flow behavior in the roundabout area has repeatedly been the subject of scientific research (e.g., [1][2][3][4][5][6]). There are various types of models and the resulting methods in the literature used to calculate the capacity of roundabouts and their individual entries.…”

The Research Into the Influence of Non-Resident Drivers on the Critical Headway and Follow-Up Headway at an Unsignalised Intersection

“…For that reason, there are rarely conditions for the simultaneous measuring of both critical headway and follow-up headway at the same intersection. The occurrence of any disturbance of minor or the main fl ow while doing the measurements is not allowed [4,10].…”

“…On the other hand, while measuring the critical headway, the restrictions occur when the traffi c fl ow intensity is low on the main approach, since, at that time, two consecutive movements from the minor approach are performed very often. Thus, favourable conditions for direct measurement of critical headway and followup headway on the minor fl ow are not always practically feasible during the whole research period [4].…”

“…For that reason, the values of the parameters t c and t f were considered in the analysis only if a passenger car was performing the minor movement, and if all the vehicles in relation to which the measurement was performed were also passenger cars. The homogeneous traffi c fl ow composed exclusively of passenger cars has proven to be a good method for processing data and determining the infl uence of the diversity of particular groups of drivers (resident and non-resident drivers) on the capacity of unsignalised intersections [4].…”

“…Taking into account input parameter features for calculating the capacity of unsignalised intersections, it can be assumed that the presence of resident and non-resident drivers on minor approaches infl uences the values of critical headway and follow-up headway. As the infl uence of driver behaviour and driver characteristics has been experimentally confi rmed at signalised intersections [3], as well as at roundabouts [4], it is expected that the infl uence of behaviour of different driver groups will also be confi rmed at the TWSC intersection.…”