Heterogeneous Traffic Characterisation and Flow Behaviour Modeling for Metropolitan Arterial in India

Abstract

Arterials in metropolitan cities are expected to provide mobility to high volume of traffic. Realistic understanding of traffic flow behaviour for such vital urban roads is essential for traffic operation planning and management for ensuring desired level of service. Metropolitan cities in India carry variety of vehicles with varied static and dynamic characteristics with predominance of two wheelers. The interaction in the midblock section between different types of vehicles significantly varies with the flow rate and therefore has varied effect on the equivalency of vehicle and the service volume. In present study, the traffic characterization on dynamic scale is carried out by considering two wheeler and car as reference vehicles. Speed-flow-density relationships are developed using dynamic vehicle equivalent factors. The results are compared with the static passenger car equivalent values and corresponding capacity for the selected arterial.