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During commuting hours, the number of vehicles on main line roads increases rapidly. As a result, traffic jams occur. When a traffic jam occurs, some vehicles will flow into nearby residential areas roads that can be used as a “loophole.” In this study, the authors investigated multiple roads known as “loopholes” and evaluated their traffic environments using ETC2.0 data and Geographic Information System (GIS) information. It was also clarified that “loophole” roads have characteristics such as “high number of traffic volume” and “high average velocity.” These are characteristics that have a negative impact on pedestrian safety in “loopholes,” which have many sections without sidewalks. Therefore, it is important to take countermeasures to improve pedestrian safety on “loophole” roads.
Institute for Traffic Accident Research and Data Analysis (ITARDA), Tokyo, Japan
*Address all correspondence to: sekine_y@fukuyama-u.ac.jp
1. Introduction
Many vehicles pass on the main line road. As a result, traffic jams occur during times when the number of vehicles passing through the area increases rapidly, such as during morning and evening commuting hours. When this congestion occurs, some vehicles flow into surrounding roads that serve as “loopholes.” A “loophole” road is a narrow road where the sidewalk and roadway are not completely separated or a road that is extremely narrow even if there is a sidewalk. For this reason, as the number of cars passing through a “loophole” road increases, its safety decreases. However, it is not clear whether a vehicle that enters a loophole from a main line road will return to the main line road (in Ref. [1]). Therefore, it is not clear whether the number of vehicles that enter a loophole and return to the main road increases or decreases in conjunction with the length of the traffic jam (in Ref. [2]). Furthermore, the velocity of the vehicle traveling on the “loophole” is also unknown. In this study, the authors investigated multiple roads that are considered “loopholes.” Using a questionnaire survey of students at elementary schools along the road, ETC2.0 data, and GIS information, the authors analyzed the destinations, velocities, and frequency of sudden braking of vehicles passing through the loopholes. Based on these, the authors evaluated the traffic environment.
2. Investigation area and analysis method in this study
Figure 1 shows the “loopholes” and surrounding areas that were investigated in this study. The area shown in Figure 1 includes the traffic jam section of National Highway No. 2 in Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture, and multiple “loopholes” (in Ref. [1, 2, 3]). Section (B)-(I)-(A) in Figure 1 is the section where congestion occurs on National Highway Route 2. Then, the section (E)-(F), (L)-(M), (L)-(J), and the section (F)-(N), (M)-(O), (J)-(H)-(O) is a road that serves as “loopholes” when National Highway No. 2 is traffic jam (in Ref. [4]). In this study, the authors evaluated the traffic environment in areas that include these areas.
Figure 1.
Areas containing loopholes investigated in this study.
Regarding the above-mentioned investigation area, analysis of ETC2.0 data, questionnaire survey of elementary school students along the roadside in the investigation area (section (M)-(O)), accident occurrence situation, and destination survey of passing vehicles. (This is an investigation called a license plate investigation. This investigation uses cameras installed on the road to photograph the license plates of passing vehicles. Then, the number of vehicles passing by with the same license plate is observed at the entrance and exit of the observation target section.) were analyzed. (Using ETC2.0 data, the authors analyzed the daily traffic volume, the velocity of passing vehicles, and the frequency of sudden braking on the roads in the investigation area. In the license plate survey, the authors investigated the number of vehicles passing through section (M)-(O)).
ETC2.0 data is data stored through communication between a vehicle equipped with an ETC2.0 on-board device and communication spots installed on the road (This data is held by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism of Japan). From the information recorded in the ETC2.0 data, it is possible to obtain various information such as the driving history and behavior history of the vehicle, as well as the route of the vehicle. For this reason, ETC2.0 data has been widely used for analysis of traffic conditions, traffic jams, and safety research on residential areal roads (in Ref. [5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]). In this study, by using ETC2.0 data, the authors analyzed the daily traffic volume, the speed of passing vehicles, and the frequency of sudden braking on roads in the investigation area. (The ETC2.0 data used in this study is data for 6 months from July to December 2019).
3.1.1 Traffic conditions within the investigation area during commuting hours
Figure 2 shows the traffic conditions on roads in the investigation area during morning and evening commuting hours (Photo taken on October 20, 2020). The main line road (National Highway No. 2) at intersection (B) in Figure 1 is congested from “east to west” during the morning and evening commuting hours (Figure 2(a) and (b)). However, the traffic jam has been resolved from “east to west” of the intersection (T) (Figure 2(c) and (d)). The road between intersection (F) and intersection (N) is a narrow road without a center line. Many vehicles pass through this road during morning and evening commuting hours (Figure 2(e)). Furthermore, the road in section (R)-(S), which intersects the road in section (F)-(N) at intersection (N), is also narrow. There are many vehicles passing through this road (Figure 2(f)). The road between intersection (M) and intersection (O) has one lane on each side and has a center line. Therefore, there are more vehicles passing through this road than in sections (F)-(N). However, the sidewalks on this road are narrow. Furthermore, although there are guardrails on the sidewalk side of the gutter, there are places where they are not installed on the roadway side (Figure 2(g), (h), and (i)).
Figure 2.
Morning and evening commuting hours on roads within investigation area.
3.1.2 Daily traffic volume on roads in the investigation area
The authors quantitatively analyzed the road traffic environment in the investigation area shown in Figure 2 by using ETC2.0 data. Figure 3 shows the daily traffic volume on roads in the investigation area. Overall, traffic volume on main line roads is high, and traffic volume on residential areal roads is low. However, the sections (C)-(D)-(E)-(F), (I)-(D)-(E)-(L)-(M), (L)-(J), and their connections sections (F)-(N) and (M)-(O) have a high traffic volume because they are “loopholes” when the main line road (National Highway No. 2) is traffic jam. For example, section (F)-(N) is a narrow road without a center line, but there are many places where the traffic volume is “more than 500 vehicles.” Section (M)-(O) is a road with one lane on each side and a center line and is somewhat wider than section (F)-(N). In section (M)-(O), there are many places where the traffic volume is “1000 vehicles or more,” and there are some places where the traffic volume is “5000 vehicles or more.” In this way, even if the roads that are considered “loopholes” are narrow, the traffic volume on them is much higher than on ordinary residential areal roads.
Figure 3.
Daily traffic volume on roads in investigation area.
3.1.3 Average velocity of passing vehicles
Figure 4 shows the distribution of average velocities of vehicles traveling on roads within the investigation area. Similar to traffic volume, the average velocity of vehicles on main line roads is “40 km/h or more” in many places. Additionally, the average velocity on residential areal roads other than loopholes is often “less than 20 km/h.” However, there are many places where the velocity is “20 km/h or more” on residential areal roads that are used as “loopholes” roads. For example, in sections (E)-(F), (E)-(J), (F)-(N), and (M)-(O), there are some places where the velocity is “30 km/h or more.” In particular, there are places in section (M)-(O) where the average velocity is “40 km/h or more.” (This average velocity is about the same velocity as main line roads).
Figure 4.
Average velocity of passing vehicles in investigation area.
3.1.4 Frequency of sudden braking
Figure 5 shows the frequency of sudden braking of vehicles traveling on the roads in the investigation area. Traffic jams occur on the main line roads due to the high volume of vehicle traffic. Sudden braking occurs frequently on this main line roads. In addition, sudden braking rarely occurs on residential areal roads that are not “loopholes” during main line road traffic jam. On the other hand, sudden braking occurs more frequently on residential areal roads that serve as “loopholes.” Then, on “loophole” residential areal roads, sudden braking occurs near intersections with many vehicles passing through (e.g., points (D) and (E)) or near traffic lights (e.g., near intersection (O)). The frequency of sudden braking is higher than that of other “loopholes.”
Figure 5.
Frequency of sudden braking in investigation area.
3.2 Questionnaire for elementary school students in the investigation area
Section (M)-(O) has a high “daily traffic volume” and the “average velocity” of passing vehicles is also high (Figures 3 and 4). Furthermore, the frequency of sudden braking is also high around the intersection (O) (Figure 5). Therefore, the authors conducted a survey of students who commute to the elementary school (Teshiro Elementary School) near the intersection (M) in order to evaluate the safety around section (M)-(O). The subjects of the questionnaire were fifth graders (63 students: 30 boys and 33 girls) and sixth graders (28 students: 14 boys and 14 girls) who agreed to the questionnaire among the fifth and sixth graders at the same school. In this investigation, the authors asked elementary school students to indicate on a map the places where they had “dangerous experiences.”
Figure 6 shows the results of the questionnaire. Although the road in section (M)-(O) is the road that elementary school students take on their daily commute to school, many students answered that they had “had a dangerous experience” on this section (M)-(O).
Figure 6.
Results of a questionnaire of elementary school students in investigation area.
3.3 Accident occurrence status in the investigation area
Section (M)-(O) has a high “daily traffic volume” and the “average velocity” of passing vehicles is also high (Figures 3 and 4). Furthermore, the frequency of sudden braking is also high around the intersection (O) (Figure 5). The authors analyzed the occurrence of traffic accidents in the investigation area using accident data from the Geographic Information System (GIS) of the Institute for Traffic Accident Research and Data Analysis (ITARDA).
Figure 7 shows the locations of accidents that occurred within the investigation area from 2013 to 2017 on a map. In the ETC2.0 data analysis, the main line road section (B)-(R), section (H)-(O), and residential areal road section (R)-(S), sections (M)-(O), etc., there are many “vehicle-to-vehicle” accidents. In addition, there are many “pedestrian accidents” and “bicycle accidents” in section (M)-(O). Furthermore, in the results of a survey of elementary school students, many students answered that they had “had a dangerous experience” in sections (M)-(O). Therefore, the traffic environment in section (M)-(O) is considered to be a “less safe” environment.
Figure 7.
Results of accidents that occurred in investigation area.
3.4 Destination of passing vehicles in section (M)-(O) (license plate investigation)
Based on the results of a questionnaire survey of elementary school students along the roads in the survey area and the results of an analysis of the occurrence of traffic accidents, it became clear that section (M)-(O) had a traffic environment with low safety. Therefore, the authors decided to analyze the destinations of vehicles passing through section (M)-(O). Therefore, the authors conducted an observational investigation to clarify the destinations of vehicles passing through section (M)-(O). The results of the observation investigation are shown in Table 1 and Figure 8. At many times of the day, there are many vehicles going in the (Q) direction. Therefore, it is assumed that many of the vehicles passing through section (M)-(O) turn right at intersection (O) and try to return to the main line road National Highway No. 2) where the traffic congestion has cleared. Section (M)-(O) is a road with one lane on each side and a center line, making it easier to drive on than section (F)-(N), which has no center line and a narrow road width. On the other hand, section (H)-(O) is a wide road with a median strip, but there are more traffic lights installed along the road than section (M)-(O). For the above reasons, it is thought that many vehicles try to return to the main line road by passing through the section (M)-(O) and turning right at the intersection (O). (The observation investigation was conducted on Thursday, October 5, 2022).
4. Discussion for traffic environment of the investigation area
The authors clarified the traffic environment of the “loopholes” that are the subject of this study by conducting the investigations and analyses described in (1) ETC2.0 data on vehicle traffic volume and average velocity, (2) Frequency of sudden braking, (3) Accident occurrence status using GIS information, (4) Questionnaire of elementary school students near the intersection (M), and (5) Destinations of vehicles traveling on road section (M)-(O).
In other words, during times when traffic jam occurs on the main line road (National Highway No. 2), the number of vehicles using the “loophole” residential areal road increases. Furthermore, if there are multiple residential areal roads parallel to the congested main line road, there will be multiple “loophole.” Among the multiple “loopholes,” the road in section (M)-(O) had a high volume of vehicle traffic, a high average velocity, and a high frequency of sudden braking. Furthermore, this road was one on which elementary school students answered in a questionnaire that they had “had a dangerous experience,” and many accidents have occurred on this road. Among the vehicles passing on this road, many try to turn right at the intersection (O) and return to the main line road. This chapter considers the above.
Table 2, Figures 9 and 10 show the results of an observation investigation of the traffic jam length in the (A)-(B) direction on the main line road (National Highway No. 2) at intersection (B) and the time required to pass through intersection (B). The length of traffic jams exceeds 200 m between 7:10 and 8:20 in the morning and between 17:40 and 18:40 in the evening. The required time to pass through an intersection is around 240 seconds between 7:10 and 8:20 in the morning (328 seconds at 8:10) and 300 seconds between 17:40 and 18:10 in the evening. (The observation investigation of traffic jam length was conducted on 2 days, October 20, 2000, and October 5, 2022.) Therefore, the traffic jam length and required time to pass through the intersection in Table 2, Figures 9, and 10 are 2 days. (The average value of each observation investigated is listed.) In other words, it can be assumed that there are many drivers of vehicles traveling on the main line road (National Highway No. 2) who want to avoid long traffic jams. Therefore, the number of vehicles entering the “loophole” that runs parallel to the congested main line road will increase. If there are multiple “loopholes,” the following can be assumed. In other words, a road that is easy to drive on or a road that allows easy return to the main line road is selected.
Time
Length of Retention (m)
Length of traffic jam (m)
Required time (sec)
Number of waiting at traffic lights
Time
Length of Retention (m)
Length of traffic jam (m)
Required time (sec)
Number of waiting at traffic lights
Time
Length of Retention (m)
Length of traffic jam (m)
Required time (sec)
Number of waiting at traffic lights
07:00
335
185
273.5
2
15:00
195
15
109
1
17:00
245
105
181.5
2
07:10
400
240
272
2
15:10
235
70
118.5
1
17:10
225
115
189
2
07:20
365
195
237
2
15:20
220
55
197
2
17:20
285
120
238.5
2
07:30
380
200
242.5
2
15:30
315
150
169.5
2
17:30
325
180
221.5
2
07:40
330
155
227
2
15:40
305
135
134.5
1
17:40
330
245
331.5
3
07:50
385
235
290.5
2
15:50
280
65
139.5
1
17:50
340
235
328
3
08:00
410
250
271
2
16:00
160
5
48
1
18:00
420
280
387
3
08:10
420
255
328.5
3
16:10
280
105
212.5
2
18:10
385
250
360.5
3
08:20
385
235
267.5
2
16:20
350
145
188
2
18:20
380
255
258
2
08:30
240
135
133
1
16:30
310
135
194.5
2
18:30
335
170
190
2
08:40
345
185
141.5
1
16:40
240
95
123
1
18:40
360
210
337.5
3
08:50
270
110
166.5
2
16:50
235
70
131
1
18:50
310
160
260.5
2
Table 2.
Traffic jam at intersection (B) on the main line road (National Highway No. 2). (Average of observation data on October 20, 2020, and October 5, 2022).
Figure 9.
Length of the traffic jam at intersection (B) on National Route No. 2.
Figure 10.
Time required to passing through intersection (B) on National Route No. 2.
Next, consider the characteristics of each of the multiple “loopholes.” Figure 11 shows roads in sections (F)-(N), roads in sections (M)-(O), and roads in sections (H)-(O). Section (F)-(N) is a narrow road, and section (M)-(O) is a road with one lane on each side. Section (H)-(O) is a wide road with three lanes on each side, and there is also a median strip. Therefore, when driving a car, it seems easier to drive on the wide road section (H)-(O). However, in the reality, there are many vehicles traveling on the road in section (M)-(O). Figure 12 shows the distribution of traffic lights in the survey area in this study. There are “traffic lights” installed in many places on the road in section (H)-(O). In other words, it is presumed that “Even though the road between section (H) and (O) is wide and easy to drive, drivers avoid driving along this route because there are many traffic lights.” In addition, in order to enter the road in section (H)-(O) from the main line road (National Highway No. 2), you will need to enter from intersections (G), (J), and (H). However, traffic jams are also occurring near intersections (G) and (H). Even if the driver understood that the road in section (H)-(O) is an easy road to drive on, this road is located in a location that is difficult to navigate from the main line road (National Highway No. 2). In such a case, there are not many drivers who want to go to section (H)-(O). On the other hand, the road in section (F)-(N) is narrow and it is difficult to pass oncoming vehicles. Furthermore, the road leading back to the main line road (National Highway No. 2) is very narrow (Road section (R)-(S) shown in Figure 2(f)). Therefore, driving is difficult. The road in section (M)-(O) has a center line, so it is easier to pass oncoming vehicles than on the road in section (F)-(N). Also, there are fewer “traffic lights” than the roads in section (H)-(O). For these reasons, it is thought that many vehicles choose the road in the section (M)-(O) and try to return to the main road (National Highway No. 2)) from the intersection (O). Based on the above, the following can be considered. When multiple loopholes exist, drivers select the route to take based on conditions related to ease of driving and velocity of delivery to the destination, such as road width and number of traffic lights. However, as shown in Figure 11(b), the road in section (M)-(O) has very narrow sidewalks and deep ditches. Therefore, in a questionnaire of elementary school students, many respondents said they had “had a dangerous experience” on this road. In addition to accidents between cars, there are also many pedestrian and bicycle accidents. Therefore, an increase in the number of cars on the road in section (M)-(O) is not desirable from the standpoint of pedestrian and bicycle safety. (For roads in section (M)-(O), it is also important to consider the following safety countermeasures; First, as a short-term countermeasure, there is a countermeasure to expand the space of the sidewalk by putting a lid on the gutter. Next, as a long-term countermeasure, for example, by building a road such as a bypass, vehicles that have no use in the city will be directed to another route. This will reduce traffic jam on the main road (National Highway No. 2)).
Figure 11.
Traffic conditions of multiple “loopholes”.
Figure 12.
Distribution status of “traffic lights” in the survey target area.
In this study, the authors investigated multiple “loopholes” roads during congestion on the main line road (National Highway No. 2). Through analysis of ETC2.0 data and traffic accident analysis using GIS information, a questionnaire investigation for elementary school students, and an investigation of the destinations of passing vehicles (license plate survey), the traffic environment of the “loophole” road was evaluated.
Analysis of ETC2.0 data revealed that “loophole” roads have the following characteristics; The daily traffic volume on residential areal roads that are “loopholes” is higher than on residential areal roads that are not “loopholes.” The average velocity is also “less than 20 km/h” on many of the “non-loophole” residential areal roads, but many of the “loophole” residential areal roads are “more than 20 km/h.” In particular, there are some spots on the road in section (M)-(O) where the velocity is “40 km/h or more.” In addition, the frequency of sudden braking on community roads that are “loopholes” is higher than on community roads that are “non-loophole.”
Among the “loophole” roads, section (M)-(O) has a high traffic volume and a high average velocity. Moreover, the frequency of sudden braking is by far the highest. The road in section (M)-(O) is the road on which many elementary school students answered in the questionnaire that they had “had dangerous experiences.” Incidentally, accident analysis using GIS revealed that there are not only “vehicle to vehicle accidents” but also “pedestrian accidents” and “bicycle accidents.” Additionally, many vehicles passing on this road try to turn right at the intersection (O) and head toward the main line road (National Highway No. 2) where the traffic jam has cleared.
On the other hand, when multiple loopholes exist, drivers select the route to take based on conditions such as ease of driving and speed of delivery to the destination. In the area analyzed in this study, the road in section (M)-(O) corresponds to a “loophole” that is “chosen by drivers.”
However, the roads in section (M)-(O) are unsafe for pedestrians and bicycles, with very narrow sidewalks and deep gutters. Therefore, the following measures are important to ensure the safety of this road. For example, turn gutters into culverts to expand sidewalk space. Or, by constructing a bypass, vehicles that have no use within the city will be diverted to a different route.
This study is a contract research conducted in FY2018, FY2019, FY2020, and FY2020 based on the Comprehensive Collaboration and Cooperation Agreement with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Chugoku Regional Development Bureau, Fukuyama River and National Highway Office. The authors would like to express their deep gratitude to the agency for giving us the opportunity. The authors would also like to express their deep gratitude to Fukuyama City Teshiro Elementary School principal Kayoko Miyamoto and other teachers and students at the school who cooperated with the questionnaire and Ryuhei Taniguchi and other researchers Survey Research Center who carried out the survey by observing the number of passing vehicles.
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