Examining the Effects of Gateway Width on Motorist Yielding to Pedestrians

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 09:19:31 GMT

The gateway in-street sign configuration has been demonstrated to be a low-cost method for increasing motorist yielding the right of way to pedestrians at crosswalks. It has previously been hypothesized that the gateway is effective because it visually narrows a travel lane. In the present study, gateway widths (i.e., distance between signs) were compared to determine whether there was a differential effect on motorist yielding. Experiment 1 was a parametric analysis of distance between the signs, varying in 2-ft intervals from 12?to 18?ft. The results showed that the percentage of motorists yielding increased as the distance between the signs decreased. Experiment 2 examined curb-top and gutter-pan placements of the edge signs at three different sites. Both placements produced substantial increases in yielding compared with baseline, though the difference between gutter-pan and curb-top placement was not significant at two of the three sites. Based on the distance between signs in these two configurations, the results at two of the sites aligned with those in Experiment 1, and one site demonstrated much higher yielding than would have been predicted. This suggests that small increases in the distance between signs may result in a minor decrease in yielding but may improve the survivability of the signs and reduce maintenance costs over time. The potential to combine this sign effect with other engineering treatments (e.g., curb extensions and bicycle lanes) was additionally explored. The results are discussed in relation to a perceived narrowing hypothesis, sign survival, cost effectiveness, and equity.

Simulator and Microsimulation Study of Transportation Network Company Pickup/Dropoff Area Designs

Sat, 29 Jul 2023 16:29:34 GMT

The advent of transportation network companies (TNCs), also known as commercial ridesharing providers, has disrupted transportation systems leading to new facility designs. Dedicated pickup/dropoff areas can facilitate the future shift to autonomous vehicles. In this study, angled stalls and parallel curbside parking, along with signage and education, were investigated using pedestrian and wheelchair simulators. Human behavior was examined with regard to safety, efficiency, and accessibility. Microsimulation and Surrogate Safety Assessment Model were used to examine the effect of increased demand on design capacity and number of conflicts. In simulations, both stall and curbside designs performed comparably in crosswalk usage, but the stall design was safer when passengers waited longer for vehicle arrival. It is preferable to wait to approach the loading area until the TNC vehicle arrives. Stall design was more accessible but curbside design had greater efficiency because of shorter vehicle waiting time (-7.31?s [p?

Sign Life Expectancy on Low-Volume Roads in Iowa

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 18:01:40 GMT

Traffic signs provide warning and guidance information to drivers 24?h a day. They also represent a significant maintenance and replacement concern and cost for agencies with the advent of retroreflectivity requirements. In some cases, agencies choose to replace their signs in conjunction with the end of the manufacturer warranty period or other time intervals to maintain sign retroreflectivity. However, this could result in signs being replaced while they still exceed their minimum retroreflectivity requirements, with labor and material costs being incurred years before necessary. This research evaluated retroreflectivity data from in-service signs in Iowa, U.S., to determine expected sign life values. It evaluated 10,799 retroreflectivity data points across three different sheeting materials for a variety of sign types. A total of 65 linear regression models were developed to evaluate signs by sheeting type, age, and sign category (regulatory, warning, and guide), as well as directional orientation. The results indicated that all sheeting materials, sign types, and sign directions were predicted to have lives of at least 10?years before falling below Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) minimums. Plots of retroreflectivity versus age indicated that many signs remained well above the MUTCD minimums at the predicted age where failure was expected. In general, the predicted lives for a material/sign type/direction combination were greater than 5?years longer than manufacturer warranty periods. For conservative purposes, agencies could consider a sign to be approaching minimum retroreflectivity levels at approximately 5?years past the manufacturer warranty, based on the research results.

Investigating Passengers’ Perspectives on Transfer Station Design of Urban Railway Systems: A Case Study in Taipei Metro

Thu, 04 Feb 2021 10:54:22 GMT

To enhance public transport attractiveness, it is critical for transit operators to provide convenient and user-friendly service for passengers. For urban railway systems, the efficiency and easiness of transfer between different lines can affect passengers’ satisfaction with overall system performance. Hence, transfer path design is an essential issue for the layout of transfer stations. This study identifies five categories of transfer patterns and thereupon seeks to explore factors influencing passengers’ perception of transfer experience on four facets: travel time, physical effort made, path complexity, and clarity of signage for guidance. For each facet, an ordered probit model is developed to factor the relative satisfaction level perceived by passengers based on the data collected from an attitudinal questionnaire survey is conducted over 17 transfer stations of Taipei metro system. The estimation results indicate that long travel time and excessive vertical movements along the transfer path can negatively affect passengers’ satisfaction. Specific transfer patterns, such as cross-platform transfer and out-of-station transfer, significantly influence passengers’ perception. Various types of signage also provide different levels of effectiveness in guiding transfer passengers. On the other hand, familiarity with the transfer station, riding frequency, and age are the individual attributes that can lead to different satisfaction levels. The derived research findings can provide relevant transit agencies a quantitative basis for improving the design of transfer station layouts and relevant facilities.

Using Plansheet Symbology for Contaminated Sites of Concern

Mon, 23 Dec 2019 17:11:39 GMT

This article outlines North Carolina Department of Transportation's (NCDOT's) development and use of symbols, including a skull-and-crossbones symbol, to identify on plans that a site is a site of concern or a potential site of concern. These symbols identify sites that could pose health and safety risks, construction delays, or environmental liability from issues such as soil contamination, water contamination, or underground tanks. Implementing this plansheet symbology has resulted in increased stakeholder awareness of geoenvironmental sites of concern.

Simulator Evaluation of Signing for Complex Interchanges

Tue, 20 Feb 2018 09:27:34 GMT

A simulator study was conducted to experimentally evaluate driver lane selection in complex interchange situations to identify signing characteristics that are related to more-effective lane selection. Complex interchanges typical of the existing field applications were designed, and multiple alternative approaches to guide signing were developed for each interchange layout. The effectiveness of driver decision-making was evaluated in terms of whether drivers made accurate lane choices (i.e., those that lead to arriving at the correct location) and in terms of the potential impacts to safety and efficiency associated with the timing of these decisions and with making unnecessary lane changes due to poor comprehension or inadequate information. The study included a sample of 121 research participants in 3 different geographic areas: Orlando, Florida; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; and Gainesville, Virginia. Participants were found to be very accurate in reaching their destination regardless of the signing approach used. Similarly, participants seemed to understand the signing alternative as, in general, there was an average of less than one unnecessary lane change per interchange. Together, the high accuracy presented by participants and few unnecessary lane changes indicate that drivers tend to understand a series of guide signs leading up to complex interchanges as long as the interchanges are designed consistently and with good signing practices. This study also found that different signing approaches affected where participants tended to make their lane changes, and this information can be useful when designing interchanges as it could have implications on safety and operational issues.

Examining the Provision of Railway Transit Information to Foreign Visitors in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area and Strategies for Improvement

Wed, 31 Jan 2018 16:59:34 GMT

Well known for its extensive network and state-of-the-art technology, the Japanese railway system has become a must-see attraction for foreign tourists and yet has not ceased to perplex them. Despite the growing use of multilingual signs, real-time train information, and information centers equipped with English-speaking staff, visitors from abroad could still find themselves lost when navigating the railway system. This research aims to examine the provision of railway transit information to foreign visitors in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, and focuses on the railway system of Japan Railway (JR) East—the largest railway company in Japan and a global railway leader—as a case study. We identified four areas of research that are critical to the ease of use of railway systems, namely wayfinding, route planning, ticketing, and staff assistance. We examined the factors contributing to successful information provision and quantified the influences of sign design on the cognitive cost of wayfinding through interviews and surveys. We found that sign legibility, inadequate explanation for those with little background knowledge, and station staff’s language skills were pressing concerns among foreign passengers, and transit information needs to be addressed systematically. This research will contribute to the understanding of tourists’ use of public transit and provide a practical guide to improving the usability of urban railway systems not only in Japan but also worldwide.

Aviation

Tue, 21 Mar 2017 10:45:54 GMT

This issue contains twelve papers concerned with aviation. Specific topics addressed in this issue include the following: neighborhood change in airport-adjacent communities; aircraft transponder-based devices for measuring airport operations; capacity allocation under severe weather conditions; and unmanned aerial vehicle-based traffic analysis. Other topics addressed in this issue include: international traveler satisfaction; global outbreak control strategies; light-emitting diode airfield lighting; condition rating of unpaved runways; airfield signage for temporary information; small unmanned aircraft system traffic flow; airport ground access modeling; and risk management of volcanic ash.

Driver Accuracy in Identifying Food and Attraction Targets on Business Logo Signs: Impacts of Driver Age, Number of Panels, Logo Familiarity, and Logo Format

Thu, 09 Mar 2017 09:14:47 GMT

The standard business logo sign found along North Carolina highways contains six logos, in accordance with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. As the population grows, the demand for business is increasing. Shifting from six-panel business logo signs to nine-panel signs would afford more businesses the opportunity to advertise in areas of high demand. The effects that such a change may have on the driving population are analyzed. Factors such as a driver’s age and familiarity with logos and logo format are taken into consideration. A change in the format of business logo signs is proposed not only to move from six to nine panels but also to improve the effectiveness of existing business logo signs.

Freeway Operations; Regional Systems Management and Operations; Managed Lanes

Mon, 06 Mar 2017 10:54:27 GMT

This issue contains twelve papers concerned with freeway operations; regional systems management and operations; and managed lanes. Specific topics addressed in this issue include the following: operating speed on a buffer-separated managed lane; lateral position of vehicles in freeway buffer-separated managed lanes; queue length estimation for freeway facilities; system-wide ramp metering installation warrants; multiagency response and on-scene times in large-scale traffic incidents; and long-range dependence of traffic flow and speed of a motorway dynamics and correlation with historical incidents. Additional topics covered in this issue include: identification of wrong-way driving hotspots; effects of rain on freeway traffic; highway advisory radio as regional traveler information and communication tool; operational effects of an interstate active traffic management system; application of a traffic thermostat for interstate managed lanes; and signage alternatives for express lane facilities.

Decision-Making Framework to Allocate Real-Time Passenger Information Signs at Bus Stops: Model Application in Athens, Greece

Tue, 24 Jan 2017 15:31:08 GMT

The use of intelligent transport systems for the provision of real-time passenger information is an important incentive in efforts to strengthen the role of public transport and improve livability in large cities. Electronic signs installed at bus stops to disseminate information on bus arrivals are an important component of these systems with a significant capital cost. Nonetheless, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, there is no systematic approach for the selection of location sites for deployment of dynamic message signs (DMS). Public transport authorities often follow ad hoc procedures that are based on various location criteria—namely, passenger boardings, availability of power, and number of routes served at bus stops—to derive a set of candidate location sites. This was the case with the methodology implemented by the Athens Urban Transport Organization in Athens, Greece. With data from Athens, this paper proposes a modeling framework for the decision-making process regarding DMS locations in bus networks. The framework is formulated as a linear programming model, and the results show that the proposed model constitutes a systematic and transferable approach to tackle the problem at hand.

Development and Evaluation of Enhanced Airfield Signage for Temporary Information

Tue, 17 Jan 2017 09:35:57 GMT

The aviation community has faced several accidents and incidents on infrastructures and procedures temporarily modified for the purpose of construction works. The analysis of these events shows that usual means of communication to the air crews are the weak link of the safety chain. To address the key challenge of situational awareness during construction works, the Airport Construction Advisory Council of FAA and Paris–Charles de Gaulle Airport (Paris-CDG) developed and evaluated with the airfield community, from 2011 to 2016, an innovative aviation signage. Parallel and complementary studies in human factors led to the definition of specifications for a temporary information signage, also called orange construction sign. Paris-CDG focused on the development of specific messages for each one of the major hazards that could require an increased situational awareness of the air crews during taxiing and takeoff. The results of the evaluation conducted by FAA were published in September 2015. The purpose of this paper is to present the parallel study performed by the author at Paris-CDG with the coalition of the airside operations stakeholders. Both research projects are convergent and confirm the relevance of the orange sign concept for increasing the situational awareness and preventing safety events during airfield construction.

Empirical Assessment of the Legibility of the Highway Gothic and Clearview Signage Fonts

Thu, 29 Dec 2016 15:53:09 GMT

Older drivers represent the fastest-growing segment of the driving population. Aging is associated with well-known declines in reaction time and visual processing, and, as such, future roadway infrastructure and related design considerations will need to accommodate this population. One potential area of concern is the legibility of highway signage. FHWA recently revoked an interim approval that allowed optional use of the Clearview typeface in place of the traditional Highway Gothic typeface for signage. The legibility of the two fonts was assessed with color combinations that maximized the contrast (positive or negative) or approximated a color configuration used in highway signage. Psychophysical techniques were used to establish thresholds for the time needed to decide accurately—under glancelike reading conditions—whether a string of letters was a word, as a proxy for legibility. These thresholds were lower for Clearview (indicating superior legibility) than for Highway Gothic across all conditions. Legibility thresholds were lowest for negative-contrast conditions and highest for positive-contrast conditions, with colored highway signs roughly between the two extremes. These thresholds also increased significantly across the age range studied. The method used to investigate the legibility of signage fonts adds methodological diversity to the literature along with evidence supporting the superior legibility of the Clearview font over Highway Gothic. The results do not suggest that the Clearview typeface is the optimal solution for all signage but they do indicate that additional scientific evaluations of signage legibility are warranted in different operating contexts.

Guidelines for Improving Airport Services for International Customers

Mon, 07 Nov 2016 10:35:55 GMT

This report is a guidebook to assist airport practitioners in implementing departure and arrival processes, passenger services, and wayfinding techniques for international travelers navigating through U.S. airports. The guidelines assist with improving overall communication with international travelers and identify acceptable service and levels of service expected by international passengers. The report covers processing from origin through gateway airports to the ultimate destination. The guidelines include an identification of key elements of the international customer experience that can influence satisfaction in light of the customers’ diverse backgrounds. It defines acceptable service levels for each key element of each process that an international passenger experiences (i.e., wait times, walking distance, etc.). The guidelines also provide service metrics for passenger processing based upon internationally acceptable wait times to aid U.S. airports in coordinating staffing and delivery of services. The benefits of this report are an enhanced understanding of international customers and their needs, and strategies that airports and other stakeholders could employ to meet those needs.

Generalized Sign Recognition Based on the Gaussian Statistical Color Model for Intelligent Road Sign Inventory

Fri, 19 Aug 2016 12:57:31 GMT

The rapid progress in sensor and information technologies makes it possible to develop intelligent road sign inventory (IRSI) by automatically collecting and processing vehicle-borne multisensor data. This study developed a framework for IRSI with a vehicle-borne multisensor system. The IRSI framework consists of four modules: (a) sensor vehicle design for multisensor data collection, (b) sign recognition, (c) sign data integration and attribute computation, and (d) IRSI-based applications. Within the framework, sign recognition is the key to IRSI. The study proposed a novel Gaussian statistical color model (G-SCM) for image segmentation and color feature extraction. The G-SCM has good capability to model actual sign color distributions and has fast implementation for G-SCM-based color segmentation. With color features integrated into sign texture, shape, location, and other features, a novel generalized recognition algorithm is proposed for sign inventory. The proposed G-SCM model and the sign recognition method were tested with actual video log images. The experimental results show that the G-SCM can model actual sign colors and segment sign images accurately. The fast implementation can greatly enhance computation speed compared with existing color analysis methods. The developed sign recognition algorithm was tested to recognize all speed limit signs from video log images collected along a 140-km highway segment. The algorithm recognized 30 of 31 signs and achieved a 96.8% site recognition rate. Of the 136 images containing speed limit signs, the algorithm had only eight false positives. The results demonstrate that the proposed sign recognition method is promising for the development of IRSI.

TRB Publications Index