01589790

Component

Many cities worldwide have implemented pedestrian zones in the past years, as part of an effort to ease the impacts of congestion. However, as pedestrianisation directly affects traffic circulation, operation and accessibility, the issue of optimally selecting pedestrianisation areas within an urban road network is pivotal. The present paper applies a bi-level optimization method for identifying road links and axes within an urban road network, which, if selected for pedestrianisation, would result in the minimum impacts on overall traffic and accessibility. The method is based on a unified network performance measure for calculating the criticality of network links, using the total network demand and the difference in travel time as a consequence of a link closure. Outcomes of the proposed method are presented for a case study in Thessaloniki, Greece. Using a detailed traffic model, the authors present parts of the road network where traffic is restricted for private vehicles and turned into pedestrian zones, causing less additional travel times to the entire network. Results are expressed in traffic-related performance measures (e.g. network travel time). Road links for pedestrianisation are ranked and validated through a survey, targeted to experts and representatives of the responsible local governmental authority.

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ADB40 Standing Committee on Transportation Demand Forecasting.

01584066

16-3272

English

14p

2016

Transportation Research Board 95th Annual Meeting

Digital/other

Figures; References; Tables

Accessibility; Case studies; Network links; Optimization; Pedestrian areas; Performance measurement; Traffic congestion; Travel time; Urban areas

Thessaloniki (Greece)

Highways; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2016 Paper #16-3272

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Jan 12 2016 5:27PM