Saturation Flow and Vehicle Equivalence Factors in Traffic Dominated by Motorcycles

Much research has concentrated on traffic dominated by passenger cars and heterogeneous traffic containing a complex mixture of vehicles, such as is common in India. However there are many other countries (such as Vietnam or Taiwan) where urban traffic streams are fairly homogeneous and composed mainly of motorcycles. However, there has been very little research on traffic dominated by motorcycles, despite the reported increase in motorcycle ownership in many other countries. Saturation flow and vehicle equivalence factors are two of the most important parameters characterizing the traffic flow at signals junctions. Therefore, the investigation of these parameters is essential to obtain a better understanding of motorcycle flow and traffic dominated by motorcycles. A motorcycle unit (MCU) value has been introduced instead of the conventional PCU value to measure saturation flow. A methodology to study separately the variation of saturation flow and MCU values has been applied.. Two regression equations describing the variation of saturation flow in homogeneous and heterogeneous traffic have been derived. Saturation flow was found to vary depending on the width of approach and the number of right/left turners. However, unlike some recent studies it was found to remain constant during the saturated time. The MCU value of cars was calculated equivalent to 3.5. It was also found constant not only within green cycle but also between locations of a particular network in Hanoi.

• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Nguyen, Hien Q
  • Montgomery, Frank
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 86th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2007-1-21 to 2007-1-25
• Date: 2007

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: CD-ROM
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 15p
• Monograph Title: TRB 86th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers CD-ROM

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Green interval; Highway operations; Left turns; Motorcycles; Motorcycling; Motorcyclists; Passenger cars; Right turns; Saturation flow; Traffic; Traffic flow; Turning traffic
• Uncontrolled Terms: Motorcycle safety
• Geographic Terms: Hanoi (Vietnam); India; Taiwan
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01043992
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 07-2869
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Mar 15 2007 6:42AM