• Journal of Korean Port Research
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.333-350
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• 1999

Today freeway is thought to be a very important transportation facility carrying tremendous traffic flow as the main corridor within the area of between the areas. However freeway is experiencing severe congestion and accidents by increased entrance ramp flow especially at peak time period. Ramp meters on the freeway entrance ramps that supply traffic to the freeway in a measured or appropriately regulated amount are needed for alleviating freeway congestion. Because ramp meters can be operated to discharge traffic at a measured or regulated rate thus maintaining more uniform speed on the mainline section maximizing the throughput to the freeway within the capacity of a downstream bottleneck and reducing the congestion related accidents. Thus the objectives in this study were to analyze the traffic characteristics on the freeway I-94 with ramp metering system before/after ITS technology in Detroit (Michigan) area compare shifts of the traffic characteristics on the freeway I-94 before/after ITS technology and finally suggest a better ramp metering strategy for the freeway system The following results were obtained: i)Flow occupancies and speeds on the mainline merge section of freeway were shown to be a big difference depending on the peak periods areas and directions based on the distribution of traffic flow characteristics on the freeway. ii)Reduced speed was shown to be more than 5 mph and ramp flow was also shown to be more than 240 vph at peak periods if there was the ramp metering system constructed on the freeway. iii)Ramp metering system was shown to be optimally operated on the freeway if ramp flow could be maximized within the range of over 900 vph and reduced occupancy could be also maximized by no more than 2 percent at peak periods. iv)The average flows on the freeway after the ITS technology were shown to be a decrease of over 20% depending on the peak periods areas and directions when compared with those flow on the freeway before the ITS technology. over 20% depending on the peak periods areas and directions when compared with those speeds on the freeway before the ITS technology. vi)The average metering rates on the freeway after the ITS technology were shown to be an increase of over 10% depending on the peak periods areas and directions when compared with those metering rates on the freeway before the ITS technology.

• Journal of Korean Port Research
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.113-122
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• 1999

Congestion and traffic accidents occur on the merge and diverge sections in the interchange of the freeway. Studies have been conducted to reduce the traffic delay and accidents on the merge section in the freeway since 1960s. but a study was not conducted to estimate the speed variation on the merge section construct models estimated for the speed variation and suggest the appropriate measures. The purpose of this study was to identify the traffic flow characteristics on the merge section in the freeway construct the models estimated for the speed variation on the merge section in the freeway and finally establish the appropriate measure for reduction of traffic delay and accidents on the merge section in the freeway. The following results were obtained: I) Speed variations in the urban freeway appeared to be about 3.2mph, 6.5mph and 7.4mph based on the morning peak period, afternoon peak period and 24-hours period but those in the suburban freeway appeared to be about 8.0mph, 11.1mph and 10.1mph based on the same periods respectively. So different speed reduction signs need be installed to reduce delay and accidents on the merge section in the freeway based on the areas and periods as the freeway traffic management system(FTMS). ii) These models estimated for speed variation need to be studied with the changeable message sign(CMS) technique based on the real-time data so that the traffic flow could be maximized and the traffic delay and accidents be on the merge section in the freeway as more efficient freeway traffic management system(FTMS) in the near future.

• Journal of Korean Port Research
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.175-185
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• 2000

Today freeway is experiencing a severe congestion with incoming or outgoing traffic through freeway ramps during the peak periods. Thus, the purpose of this study is to identify the traffic characteristics, analyze the relationships between the traffic characteristics and finally construct the delay predictive models on the rap junctions of freeway with 70mph speed limit. From the traffic analyses, and model construction and verification for delay prediction on the ramp junctions of freeway, the following results were obtained : ⅰ) Traffic flow showed a big difference depending on the time periods. Especially, more traffic flows were concentrated on the freeway junctions in the morning peak period. ⅱ) The occupancy also showed a big difference depending on the time periods, and the downstream occupancy(Od) was especially shown to have a higher explanatory power for the delay predictive model construction on the ramp junctions of freeway. ⅲ) The delay-occupancy curve showed a remarkable shift based on the occupancies observed : O$\_$d/〈9% and O$\_$d/$\geq$9%. Especially, volume and occupancy were shown to be highly explanatory for delay prediction on the ramp junctions of freeway under O$\_$d/$\geq$9%, but lowly for delay prediction on the ramp junctions of freeway under O$\_$d/〈9%. Rather, the driver characteristics or transportation conditions around the freeway were thought to be a little higher explanatory for the delay prediction under O$\_$d/〈9%. ⅳ) Integrated delay predictive models showed a higher explanatory power in the morning peak period, but a lower explanatory power in the non-peak periods.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Navigation and Port Research Conference
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• 1999.10a
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• pp.131-140
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• 1999

Today freeway is experiencing a severe congestion with incoming or outgoing traffic through freeway ramps during the peak periods. Thus, the objectives of this study is to identify the traffic characteristics, analyze the relationships between the traffic characteristics and finally construct the delay predictive models on the ramp junctions of freeway with 70mph speed limit. From the traffic analyses, and model constructions and verifications for delay prediction on the ramp junctions of freeway, the following results were obtained: ⅰ) Traffic flow showed a big difference depending on the time periods. Especially, more traffic flows were concentrated on the freeway junctions in the morning peak period when compared with the afternoon peak period. ⅱ) The occupancy also showed a big difference depending on the time periods, and the downstream occupancy(Od) was especially shown to have a higher explanatory power for the delay predictive model construction on the ramp junction of freeway. ⅲ) The speed-occupancy curve showed a remarkable shift based on the occupancies observed ; Od < 9% and Od$\geq$9%. Especially, volume and occupancy were shown to be highly explanatory for delay prediction on the ramp junctions of freeway under Od$\geq$9%, but lowly for delay predicion on the ramp junctions of freeway under Od<9%. Rather, the driver characteristics or transportation conditions around the freeway were through to be a little higher explanatory for the delay perdiction under Od<9%. ⅳ) Integrated delay predictive models showed a higher explanatory power in the morning peak period, but a lower explanatory power in the non-peak periods.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.107-115
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• 2015

PURPOSES: This study analyzes the characteristics of traffic flow on freeway sections under daytime and nighttime conditions to improve traffic safety, and suggests a method to estimate an accurate freeway capacity value that reflects these characteristics. METHODS : The trends and differences in capacity were investigated using comprehensive field data collected under both daytime and nighttime conditions on freeway sections with designated speeds of 80, 100, and 120 kph. RESULTS : The capacity values under nighttime driving conditions were reduced by 3.3%, 6.9%, and 8.8% at 80, 100, and 120 kph, respectively. Several nighttime adjustment factors were deduced for each designated speed category from the analysis results. CONCLUSIONS : It is expected that more accurate capacity values can be estimated for freeway sections under nighttime conditions by applying the resulting adjustment factors. In addition, traffic safety will be improved through the increased efficiency of traffic management on these freeway sections.

• Journal of Korean Port Research
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.419-427
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• 2000

Today travel demand continues to increase with spread of economic zones. Also, urban freeway plays an important role in intra-zone transportations as a major corridor in a big city. However, most of urban freeways experience a severe congestion with the excess of inflowing or outflowing traffic through freeway ramps. The purpose of this study is to identify the traffic characteristics, analyze the relationships between the traffic characteristics and finally construct the speed predictive models on the ramp junctions of urban freeway under the intelligent transportation system(ITS) settings. From the analyses of traffic characteristics following results were obtained: ⅰ) 24 hours average traffic characteristics flow, occupancy, speed under the ITS settings showed about 40%, 38%, 8.8% increase each on urban freeway junctions period when compared with that under the non-ITS settings each other. Free flow speed and traffic flow on the mainline sections of urban freeway under the ITS settings also showed about 20% and 17% increase when compared with that under the non-ITS, respectively. ⅱ) The upstream when compared speed( $S_{u}$)and downstream occupancy( $O_{d}$) were especially shown to have higher explanatory powers on the stable flow ramp junctions, but the upstream speed( $S_{u}$) and downstream flow( $V_{d}$) were especially shown on the unstable flow ramp junctions of urban freeway under the ITS settings.ngs.ngs.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.223-237
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• 1996

Based on the traffic and accident data collected on a 4.2km (2.6mile) section of Interstate highway 35W in Minneapolis the relationship between traffic operation variables and safety measures is investigated. An aggregate specification that could be integrated into an urban freeway safety prediction methodology is proposed as a multiple regression model. The specification includes lane occupancy and volume data, which are the control parameters commonly used because they can be measured in real time. The primary variables that appear to affect the safety of urban freeway are : vehicle-miles of travel, entrance ramp volumes and the dynamic effect of queue building. The potential benefits of freeway traffic control strategies on freeway safety are also investigated via a simulation study. It was concluded that improvement of urban freeway safety is achievable by traffic control strategies which homogenize traffic conditions areound critical occupancy values.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.36 no.7
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• pp.591-597
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• 2012

Generally an urban freeway means a primary arterial which provides road users with a free-flow speed, except for ramp junctions during rush hours. However, most road users suffer from traffic congestion in the basic segments as well as in the ramp junctions of urban freeway during rush hours, because most road users prefer urban freeways to local roads in the urban areas. This study then intends to analyze lane traffic characteristics of urban freeway basic segments having more freight vehicles during rush hours, find the lane showing a high correlation with the segment speed between lane speeds, and finally suggest a segment-speed predictive model by the lane speed of urban freeway basic segments during rush hours.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.84-92
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• 2006

Freeway Corridors consist of urban freeways and parallel arterials that drivers can use alternatively. Ramp metering in freeways and signal control in arterials are contemporary traffic control methods that have been developed and applied in order to improve traffic conditions of freeway corridors. However, most of the existing studies have focused on either optimal ramp metering in freeways, or progression signal strategies between arterial intersections. There have been no traffic control systems in Korea that integrates the freeway ramp metering and arterial signal control. The effective control strategies for freeway operations may cause negative effects on arterial traffic. On the other hand, traffic congestion and bottleneck phenomenon of arterials due to the increasing peak-hour travel demand and ineffective signal operation may generate an accessibility problem to freeway ramps. Thus, the main function of the freeway which is the through-traffic process has not been successful. The purpose of this study is to develop an integrated control model that connects freeway ramp metering systems and signal control systems in arterial intersections. And Optimization of integrated control model which consists of ramp metering and signal control is another purpose. Optimization results are verified by comparison with the results from MATDYMO.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.8-15
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• 2007

Freeway corridors consist of urban freeways and parallel arterials that drivers can use alternatively. Ramp metering in freeways and signal control in arterials are contemporary traffic control methods that have been developed and applied in order to improve traffic conditions of freeway corridors. However, most of the existing studies have focused on either optimal ramp metering in freeways, or progression signal strategies between arterial intersections. There have been no traffic control systems in Korea that integrates the freeway ramp metering and arterial signal control. The effective control strategies for freeway operations may cause negative effects on arterial traffic. On the other hand, traffic congestion and bottleneck phenomenon of arterials due to the increasing peak-hour travel demand and ineffective signal operation may generate an accessibility problem to freeway ramps. Thus, the main function of the freeway which is the through-traffic process has not been successful. The purpose of this study is to develop an integrated control model that connects freeway ramp metering systems and signal control systems in arterial intersections. And Optimization of integrated control model which consists of ramp metering and signal control is another purpose. The design of experiment, neural network, and simulated annealing are used for optimization.