Abstract

Bicycle traffic flow suffers from the impact of tracks at an intersection in which a modern streetcar route is laid. The primary objective of this study involves discussing the impacts of modern streetcar tracks on bicycling through an intersection and developing a quantitative approach to calculate bicycle delay. Field investigations are conducted at eight sites in Nanjing and Shenyang, China. The sites are related to five intersections. Two of the five intersections are designed with a central modern streetcar style of track. Other two intersections operate on a roadside style of track and the last intersection is without tracks. The impact of the differences in bicycle speed are tested at each site based on the observed data. The results show that modern streetcar tracks exert a significant influence on bicycle speed and bicycling behavior and lead to delay, discomfort and unsafe conditions. Furthermore, a model is proposed to predict bicycle delay caused by modern streetcar tracks. The proposed model achieved a relatively accurate prediction. The findings of this study help in adequately understanding the impacts of modern streetcar tracks on bicycling. The results also suggest that longer crossing times should be used in signal design for bicycling at an intersection in which a modern streetcar route is laid.

References

Chinese Statistical Yearbook, Chinese Statistical Press, 1998-2015.

Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual (3rd Edition), Transportation Research Board, 2013.

Pucher, J., Ralph B. and Mark S.. Bicycling Renaissance in North America? An Update and Re-Appraisal of Cycling Trends and Policies. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 2011, 45(6): 451-475.

American Community Survey. US Census Bureau, 2012.

Martino, A., Silvia M. and Paola R.. The Promotion of Cycling. European Parliament's Committee on Transportation and Tourism, 2010.

Mead, J., Ann M., Charlie Z. and Libby T. Evaluation of Bicycle-Related Roadway Measures: A Summary of Available Research. North Carolina: Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center, 2014.02.

Landis, B. W., et al. Intersection Level of Service for the Bicycle Through Movement [J]. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 1828, 2003, PP. 101-106.

Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities(4th Edition)[S]. American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, 2013.

Forester, J. Bicycle Transportation: A Handbook for Cycling Transportation Engineers(2nd Edition)[M]. The MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass, 1994.

Rubins, D. and S. Handy. Times of Bicycle Crossings: Case Study of Davis, California [J]. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 1939, 2005, PP. 22-27.

Ling, H. and J. P. Wu. A Study on Cyclist Behavior at Signalized Intersections [J]. IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, 2004, 5(4): 293-299.

Taylor, D. Analysis of Traffic Signal Clearance Interval Requirements for Bicycle-Automobile Mixed Traffic[J]. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 1405, 1993, PP. 13-20.

Taylor, D. Contributions to Bicycle-Automobile Mixed-Traffic Science: Behavioral Models and Engineering Applications [D]. Ph. D. Dissertation, The University of Texas, Austin, 1998.

Jiang, H. F. et al. Research on Cyclists Microscopic Behavior Models at Signalized Intersection [J]. 16th Road Safety on Four Continents Conference, Beijing, China, 2013.

Vansteenkiste, P. et al. The Implications of Low Quality Bicycle Paths on Gaze Behavior of Cyclists: A Field Test. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behavior, 2014, 23: 81-87.

Botma, H. Method to Determine Level of Service for Bicycle Paths and Pedestrian-Bicycle Paths. In Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 1502, 1995, PP. 38-44.

Wu, Z. J. et al. Evaluating the Impacts of Pavement Damage on Bicycle Traffic Flow on Exclusive Bicycle Paths. Presented at 94nd Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C., 2015.

Li, Z. et al. Investigating Bicyclists' Perception of Comfort on Physically Separated Bicycle Paths in Nanjing, China. In Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 2317, 2012, PP. 76-84.

Li, Z. et al. Exploring Factors Influencing Bicyclists’ 1 Perception of Comfort on Bicycle Facilities. Presented at 91st Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C., 2011.