Performance Evaluation of Selected Intersections in Bahir Dar City
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Date
2015-10
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Intersection plays an important role in the road network, where traffic flowing in different directions cross each other. Because of disturbance of pedestrians, mixed traffic and lost green time, capacity of the intersection is much lower than their approach links and it is significant point of conflicts within a roadway system. Traffic signals, roundabouts, stop and yield controls are commonly used in several at grade junction in urban areas to maximize traffic efficiency and safety by separating conflicting traffic movements in time. The performance of intersections are evaluated in terms of capacity, degree of saturation, queue length, delay, average speed, operating cost, fuel consumption and emission of pollutant. And estimation of these performance measures to evaluate the intersection is important for design, operations and planning purposes in traffic management as well as in improving the performance of intersections in urban areas.
In Bahir Dar city most of the intersections are closely spaced with high pedestrian, Cyclists, Bajaj and other motorized vehicular traffics so that their performance is highly affected by it. The objective of this study is to evaluate the performance of roadway intersections in Bahir dar city and to study the special effect of pedestrians, cyclists and bajaj in the performance of intersections. Traffic and geometric data’s for the selected intersections have been collected and SIDRA (Signalized and Unsignalized Intersection Design and Research Aid) intersection software is used for analysis and evaluation of the performance of intersections. And the result of this research shows high magnitude of degree of saturation, delay and queue length and low magnitude of capacity for the selected intersections in the city. In general major intersections in the city have bad level of services (poor performances). And volume of pedestrians and Bajaj traffics are the main causes for this. In Bahir dar as well as in other big cities of Ethiopia’s regional states, number of Bajaj’s, Bicycles and Motor bicycles should be controlled and the number other public transports like buses and minibuses should be increased to improve the performance of major intersections in these cities. Besides, parking areas for vehicles and a separate way for pedestrian, like an over pass, to cross the road at the intersection areas should be prepared to increase the performance of the intersections in these cities.
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Road and Transport Engineering