Aleksander Sobota

The Influence of Countdown Timers on the Traffic Safety of Pedestrians and Vehicles at the Signalized Intersection

Countdown Timers (timers) are auxiliary devices to the traffic signalization, which measure the time to change the displayed signal. Currently, the use of countdown timers in Poland is not regulated by law. Such devices, however, in some Polish cities are functioning and are installed on a growing number of intersections. In order to analyse the devices described the research was conducted on the impact of counter dispensing time on road safety. The study were subjected the countdown timers used for both pedestrian and vehicular traffic. At the time of measurements were compared behaviour of pedestrians and drivers in two periods of research: for a week with enabled and disabled countdown timers. The influence of the countdown timers into intersection capacity was calculated in the other part of the work [1], vehicle speed-issue wasn’t tested. The results allow concluding that the countdown timers for both pedestrians and vehicles improve safety in the initial phase of the signal. Future work on other research proving grounds allow for more accurate determining the impact of the countdown timers on safety.

Selected Issues of a Coordinated Adaptive Road Traffic System Application within the Silesian Conurbation

The article deals with the selected issues of deployment of a coordinated adaptive road traffic control system within the Silesian conurbation. One needs to identify all peculiar problems allocated with this region. This will include the range, structural and administration issues. All of them are associated with the distributed traffic management realized by different local authorities. Since deployment of such complex system relies mainly on the ITS solutions, all important technical issues applying to the conurbation are being presented. The authors have specifically highlighted a problem of collecting information on travel destinations. The efficient systems in use base on the dynamic methods and need the Origin-Destination matrices to be updated due to a current situation on roads. All the conventional methods of estimating such matrices do not apply and one needs to consider the assumptions on and limitations of the input data and complexity of computing.

Results of Research of the Traffic Safety at Signalized Intersection with Countdown Timers

The article is a continuation of the research work carried out by the authors on determining the impact of the countdown timers on traffic conditions, and—in this case—on traffic safety at the intersections. The paper presents the results of research for assessing the impact of the role of the intersection with the countdown timers in transportation network of the city on the safety of the intersections. Moreover, the article also demonstrates the force of the influence of the countdown timers on the level of traffic safety, depending on the function of the intersection in transportation network. For scientific purposes, the traffic measurements were conducted which have been described in detail in another article [1].

Development of the Odra River in the Context of Its Use for Conveying of Bulk Materials with Intermodal Transport Technologies

Demand for transport of bulk materials in the north-south relation and transport forecasts on this route, justify the launch of intermodal connection to customers located in the south of Europe, using the Baltic Adriatic Transport Corridor (CETC), the AGN network and the Oder waterway (E30). Transport of valuable bulk cargoes (coking coal, coke, fertilizers), exported from the Upper Silesia area, south to river, rail and sea transport to customers located in SouthEastern Europe, and even further, in Egypt, India, and in China (coking plants, steel mills).

Selected Aspects of the Methodology for Delimitation of the Area of Urban Agglomeration in Transportation Models for the Evaluation of ITS Projects

The article presents the selected issues and the algorithm of methodology for delimitation of the urban area for the needs of construction of four-step transportation model. In the methodology the use of the transportation model for the evaluation of ITS projects has been taken into account. The essence of the presented methodology is to take into account three types of criteria for delimiting the area and different levels of reference. Presented issues became the basis for the development of mathematical formalization of delimitation problem. The examples relate in particular to urban agglomeration with the nature of a conurbation - Upper Silesian Agglomeration in Poland.

Selected Aspects of the Methodology of Traffic Flows Surveys and Measurements on an Urban Agglomeration Scale with Regard to ITS Projects

The article presents the scope and the algorithm of traffic flows surveys and measurements (TFSM) necessary for the construction of an urban agglomeration transportation model (UATM) for ITS projects. The basic guidelines for determining the locations of the measurement points have also been discussed. To show the structure of TFSM the algorithm of action during Comprehensive Traffic and Transportation Studies for Transportation Modeling with Evaluation of ITS Project, has been presented. The examples relate in particular to urban agglomeration with the nature of a conurbation - Upper Silesian Agglomeration in Poland.