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The Qatari government introduced a major public transport project titled the Doha Metro system to address the fast growing transportation demands in Qatar's urban areas and to be ready for the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup. To benefit from this new metro system in reducing traffic congestion problems in Doha, it must be attractive with a reasonable level of service to attract large numbers of car users to switch to the new metro. This goal can be achieved by a better understanding of the user's needs and expectations in Qatar. This paper aims to identify and quantify the significant factors affecting commuters' perspectives, preferences and tendencies to use this new metro network for their daily trips in the future. The data used for the analysis was obtained from a self-reported questionnaire survey carried out among a sample of commuters living in Doha. Different data mining techniques were employed including conditional distributions and two-way analysis. In addition, logistic regression and structural equation modeling approaches were developed. The results revealed that the location of metro stations, the metro station's features, the metro's features, gender, the number of daily trips, the purpose of trips, and the average duration of trips in Doha were the significant factors that affected commuters' willingness and tendency to use the new metro system. The results of this study provide authorities and decision makers in Doha with valuable insights that should be taken into consideration prior to implementing the new metro service to ensure its success. Key words: public transit, commuters' willingness to use public transit, commuters' satisfaction, service quality, travel mode choice. Resume: Le gouvernement qatari a lance la construction un grand projet de transport en commun, le metro de Doha, pour faire face a la forte croissance de la demande en matiere de transports dans les regions urbaines du Qatar et pour que le pays soit en mesure d'accueillir la Coupe du Monde de la FIFA 2022. Pour etre avantageux et contribuer a reduire les embouteillages a Doha, ce nouveau metro devra offrir un niveau de service acceptable de facon a encourager un grand nombre d'automobilistes a l'emprunter plutot que d'utiliser leur voiture. La realisation d'un tel objectif passera par une meilleure comprehension des besoins et attentes des usagers qataris. Le present article a pour but de determiner et de mesurer les facteurs qui influenceront le plus les intentions, les preferences et les tendances des banlieusards quant a l'utilisation quotidienne de ce nouveau reseau de metro a l'avenir. Les donnees utilisees pour cette analyse proviennent de questionnaires d'enquete auxquels a repondu un echantillon d'habitants de la banlieue de Doha. Diverses techniques d'exploration de donnees ont ete utilisees, dont celle des distributions conditionnelles et l'analyse a deux facteurs. En outre, des modelisations par regression logistique et par equation structurelle ont ete developpees. Les resultats de ces analyses ont montre que l'emplacement des stations de metro, leurs caracteristiques, le sexe des usagers, le nombre de leurs deplacements quotidiens et le but et la duree moyenne des deplacements a Doha constituaient les facteurs qui influenceraient le plus les choix et les tendances des banlieusards quant a l'utilisation de ce nouveau reseau de metro. Les resultats de la presente etude fournissent aux autorites et aux decideurs des donnees precieuses qui devront etre prises en compte avant la mise en service du nouveau metro afin d'en assurer le succes. [Traduit par le Redaction] Mots-cles : transports en commun, volonte des banlieusards d'utiliser les transports en commun, satisfaction des banlieusards, qualite de service, choix du mode de transport., Introduction The increased rate of car use, especially in rich developing countries, has major implications in terms of pollution, noise, and congestion problems. Commuters are relying more on private cars [...]

Uncontrolled median openings contribute to more road crashes because drivers do not obey traffic laws such as driving between lanes and following speed limits. This study examined the effectiveness of the different types of signs near an uncontrolled median opening in Mahmoud Abad, Iran. There were Signs 1 and 2 with a single message, while Signs 3 and 4 contained multi-messages. An Internet of Things (IoT) test system was developed to collect and record vehicle speed data before and after each sign installation. Results showed that speeding behavior decreased almost immediately after the road signs were installed and remained almost constant until the beginning of uncontrolled median openings. Moreover, multi-message traffic signs reduce vehicle speeds twice as much as single-message signs. Additionally, only multi-message signs are effective at reducing speed limit violations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The operations of multilane roundabouts, especially three-lane roundabouts, are unique and more complicated than any othertype of roundabouts. This study aims to analyze driver behavior and estimate the critical gap at three-lane roundabouts. Video data were collected at two roundabouts. The analysis identified a pattern of group gap acceptance, where vehicles entering the roundabout from different lanes moved in groups during the same gap. In this case, the decision of vehicles entering from outside lanes greatly depended on the gap acceptance decision of vehicles in the inside lane. Analysis showed that the vast majority of the vehicles accept the gap in groups and the critical gap was estimated accordingly. The study provides a new explanation for the operation at multilane roundabouts. The use of this simple method is recommended when estimating critical gaps for multilane roundabouts., 1. Introduction Roundabouts are popular in many countries, especially in the case of lower volumes when compared to signalized intersections as they reduce queuing and delays at the approaches. Yield-controlled [...]

The satisfaction of road users is one of the main goals of any highway authority. This study evaluates and identifies factors that affect users' satisfaction with the road network. A questionnaire was used to collect the data in this study. The survey questions were categorized into four latent variables through exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis: road conditions with respect to drive, safety management, road conditions while ongoing construction, and road user satisfaction. Structural equation modeling was used to explore the satisfaction of users while accounting for latent constructs affecting their behavior. The results showed that factors related to safety management and policies regarding construction activities were significantly related to users' satisfaction. These findings indicate that as long as traffic safety and disruptions are managed appropriately, road users are satisfied with their driving experience. Several strategies were recommended to improve these factors. The method described in the study can provide highway authorities and public agencies with a useful guideline to identify factors that affect road users' satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Road crashes are a major cause of death in many countries. Qatar has been battling to improve road safety on several fronts using different strategies, including road policing. The purpose of this study is to ascertain drivers' perceptions towards five existing and four proposed police traffic enforcement strategies and associated penalties and rewards in Qatar using face-to-face surveys. The results show that red-light running cameras were perceived to be the most successful existing strategy. The high violation fine and the automation of the system were mentioned as the main reasons for making this strategy the most successful. Three of the existing strategies, fixed-speed enforcement cameras, police enforcement, and mobile speed cameras, were conferred almost the same success percentage, followed by the demerit point system. Regarding the proposed strategies, rewarding safe drivers was selected by the participants as the most successful proposed strategy, followed by introducing more automated enforcement methods. Community service for traffic tickets came in third, followed by defensive driving school. These results can be used to influence future enhancements of existing strategies and guide the development of future traffic strategies being introduced in the traffic system., 1. Introduction It has been predicted that traffic fatalities will be the sixth leading cause of death worldwide and the second leading cause of death in developing countries by the [...]

The pivotal impact of memorable tourist experiences on behavioral intentions and destination competitiveness has been underscored by prior studies, which remarked how the different attributes of various types of tourist activities and services influence the memorability of the overall destination experience. However, these endeavors approached the topic of destination experience in a generic manner, and did not research the specific dynamics behind the memorability of such touristic activities in depth. This study aims to identify and evaluate destination-level attributes that contribute to the memorability of sightseeing bus-tour experiences (MBTE), as an example of destination activities. Based on a mixed-methods approach exploring the perspectives of tourists and destination professionals, the results suggest a checklist of 34 attributes arranged under six dimensions: (1) attractions, (2) accessibility, (3) amenities, (4) tourist information and tour guidance quality, (5) quality of services, and (6) other ancillary services. The results give insights into the different perspectives of tourists and decision-makers on the relative importance of MBTE determinants and elaborate on their implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]