Purnima Parida

Identifying the most suitable road crossing infrastructure based on estimated delay to pedestrians and vehicle users

Abstract Worldwide guidelines have been studied to identify the most common parameters being considered for making a decision regarding identification of most suitable road crossing infrastructure. Delay being the most common parameter needs to be considered to make a decision regarding most suitable crossing infrastructure. This study proposes a methodology to select road crossing infrastructure type based on the delay caused to pedestrians and vehicle passengers. To estimate the average delay caused to pedestrians and vehicle users, data through videography have been collected at six locations in Delhi. At all six locations, average delay caused to pedestrians and vehicles users has been estimated using existing methods suitable for Indian traffic conditions and behavior. Total delay caused to all pedestrians and vehicle users has been calculated based on average delay, traffic volume count and number of pedestrians. Estimated gross delay for all users (total delay of pedestrians and vehicle users) for alternate road crossing infrastructures (at-grade signalized and grade-separated) has been compared to identify the one which causes minimum gross delay. Total delay has been compared for various scenarios developed considering the equal and higher priority for non-motorized and public transport users compared to personalized vehicle users.

MOVES model for idling emission of signalised junction in developing country

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to estimate total emission during idling of vehicles and validate emission results from real-world data. Design/methodology/approach – Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES)2010b emission model is customised for developing country like India and a case study of the Ashram intersection in Delhi has been selected in order to measure the emissions of vehicles during idling. Findings – Results show that 3.997 mg/m3 of hydrocarbon, 1.82 mg/m3 of NOx and 17.688 mg/m3 of carbon monoxide is emitted from the cars, trucks and buses, respectively, at Ashram intersection in one day. As there are 600 intersections throughout Delhi, a total of 2,398.055 mg/m3 of hydrocarbon, 1,087.068 mg/m3 of NOx and 10,612.612 mg/m3 of carbon monoxide is emitted from cars, trucks and buses in a day in all of Delhi. Originality/value – Knowledge of idling emission and fuel loss is very little for Indian traffic condition during delays.

Effect of type of lead vehicle on following headway behaviour in mixed traffic

Purpose – There is gap in literature on understanding of the issues of following headway behaviour of the driver and a lack of sufficient data in different traffic conditions. The purpose of this paper is to find the effects of type of lead vehicle on following headway in mixed traffic condition in India on different category of roads and flow. Design/methodology/approach – Real-world headway data were collected through video and extracted. Data were analysed using tools and statically approach was adopted to present the results in detail. Findings – Results shows the impact of type of lead vehicle on driver following time headway behaviour under different level of traffic and types of road characteristics. It was found that driver following behaviour is affected by the type of lead vehicle. It also shows that drivers are inconsistent in their choice of headway. Research limitations/implications – This research has special strategic study area of India in typical two cities Silchar and Shillong of northea...

Pedestrian Serviceability Index Including Pedestrians on Vehicle-Path

In Indian mixed traffic, a common scenario is when motorized vehicles, non-motorized vehicles including pedestrians use the same road space. In such conditions, if PLOS (pedestrian level of service) is measured using conventional methods, i.e., considering pedestrians walking on footpath only; leads to unrealistic results as most of the time pedestrians are seen walking on the path dedicated for vehicles, i.e., vehicle-path. The decision making behavior of pedestrians regarding walking on footpath or on vehicle-path is influenced by the quality of footpath as well as the characteristics of traffic on vehicle-path and the presence of vendors in the street. Hardly any research carried out on measuring pedestrians’ serviceability on road considering pedestrians walking on vehicle-path. This study attempts to estimate the effect of various parameters such as intensity of vehicular traffic on the vehicle-path, presence of street vendors on the vehicle-path, etc., on pedestrians’ decision of walking on footpath or on vehicle-path based on data collected at two locations in New Delhi, India, by using various statistical methods, especially binary logistic regression. One of the locations is an urban two-lane undivided road with footpath on both sides, a part of National Highway-2, another one is a four-lane divided road with footpath on both sides which is a typical arterial road. It has been found that vendors play a significant role in pedestrians’ decision making regarding walking on footpath or on vehicle-path. Study proposes a model to measure pedestrians’ serviceability on a road where pedestrians may be walking on the vehicle-path even in the presence of footpath.

Determination of Pedestrian Level of Service for Undivided Stairways at Suburban Rail Stations in Developing Countries

Bidirectional pedestrian movement is predominant on undivided stairways. Under a given situation, it is imperative to assess the level of service (LOS) provided to pedestrians on a stairway. Currently, limited guidelines are available for assessing the LOS on undivided stairways in South Asian countries. With this motivation, the current study was conducted to develop LOS criteria for undivided stairways by using the case of a busy suburban railway station at Dadar in Mumbai, India. The LOS can be considered as the classification of different pedestrian flow states on the basis of facility performance. This study is focused on employing the k-means clustering technique to define the LOS thresholds of relevant flow variables. Data on four major variables of pedestrian flow are used: space per pedestrian, flow rate, walking speed, and volume-to-capacity ratio. Derived LOS thresholds are then delineated by using the rate of change in slope for the average walking speed of pedestrians. LOS thresholds are further validated for different percentile values of pedestrian flow data to check whether given data sets fall within the range of established LOS thresholds. Ranges of the flow parameters defined for LOS criteria found in this study are significantly different from those reported in the literature and in manuals in developed countries such as the U.S. Highway Capacity Manual. This difference may be attributed to the demographic and sociocultural characteristics of the pedestrians. The results and approach adopted here can be useful for practitioners to assess the LOS of stairways operating under similar pedestrian flow conditions and to respond appropriately for their improvement. The study results can also be useful for the ongoing project of developing a highway capacity manual for India.

How real‐world driving cycle differs in heterogeneous traffic conditions: a case study in Delhi

Purpose – Heterogeneous traffic in Delhi is complex to understand due its typical composition, speed acceleration, cruising, deceleration and idling activity in flow. To arrive at accurate emission factor estimates and implement proper traffic demand management there is need to understand microscopic vehicle operation activity. The vehicular operations are easily quantified by understanding driving cycle of the particular vehicle in real world driving conditions. The purpose of this paper is to present a study on the understanding of driving conditions in India that are heterogeneous in nature.Design/methodology/approach – To understand the heterogeneity, the driving cycle data were collected using GPS on different types of both motorised and non‐motorized modes of transport, e.g. car, auto rickshaw, bus, motorcycle and cycle rickshaw and bicycle on different traffic corridors in Delhi.Findings – Research findings show that driving cycles differ for different types of vehicles. Therefore, each mode should...