Effect of Snow hauling /Widening and Snow Removal on Traffic Flow on Urban Arterial Road

Abstract

Heavy winter snowfall causes severe traffic congestion in Sapporo. This study analyzes the effects of snow hauling/ widening and snow removal on traffic flow conditions. Breakdowns are considered to be one of the causes of traffic congestion. In this study, the area of hysteresis loops on the Macroscopic Fundamental Diagram (hereafter referred to as “loop area”) is used to capture the occurrence or non-occurrence of breakdowns. The hysteresis loop area is used in this study because the expansion of the hysteresis loop represents not only a decrease in average speed but also a decrease in traffic capacity. In this study, loop area is used as a proxy variable for traffic flow conditions, including the likelihood of breakdowns. Analysis of changes in the loop area showed that it tends to decrease with snow removal and widening. The results suggest that the loop area is effective as an indicator of the impact of snow hauling/ widening and snow removal on traffic flow conditions.