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Pedestrian link-ways are important street facility for first-/last-mile mobility. This study compared pedestrians' walking experiences on sheltered/unsheltered link-ways by collecting their perceived walking time/distance. It is found that, first, pedestrians (51 along sheltered and 49 along unsheltered link-ways) generally walk at a faster pace along unsheltered link-ways as compared to sheltered link-way. Second, participants are found to more likely over-perceive walking times and distances (with odds of three to one) along unsheltered link-way than sheltered link-way, and with more extreme deviations on unsheltered link-ways. Third, sheltered link-ways accrued better Level of Service (LOS) ratings on factors such as weather protection, distance, accessibility/user-friendliness, comfort, safety and level of crowdedness. The study demonstrates value-add application of cognitive bias approach for examining the walking experience, and provides human-centric indicators to justify the provision of shelters to the link-way for the benefits of pedestrian users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of level of service (LOS) is meant to reflect user perception of the quality of service provided by a transportation facility or service. Although the LOS of bus rapid transit (BRT) has received considerable attention, the number of levels of service of BRT that a user can perceive still remains unclear. Therefore, this paper addresses this issue using fuzzy clustering of user perception. User perception is a six-dimension vector including perceived arrival time, perceived waiting time, bus speed perception, passenger load perception, perceived departure time, and overall perception. The research team developed a smartphone-based transit travel survey system to conduct the user perception surveys in three BRT systems in China. Fuzzy C-means clustering, improved using a simulated annealing genetic algorithm, was adopted to partition user perception into 2 to 10 clusters. Seven cluster validity indices were used to determine the appropriate number of LOS categories. The results indicate that users can perceive two to four levels of service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehending the variation in service time is essential for evaluating the capacity and level of service of the toll-plaza and developing policies for effective management of tollbooth operations. The present study analyzes the variation in service time using statistical distribution at manually operated toll plazas in India. For this purpose, traffic video data were collected for five toll-plazas in India. The vehicles approaching the toll plaza are divided broadly into seven different categories. The service time of different vehicle classes was extracted manually from the recorded video. The variation in service time for a total of 13 leader-follower pairs (small car as leader and follower) were modeled using statistical distributions. Based on the Chi-squared, Anderson Darling (AD), and Kolmogorov-Smirnoff (KS) test statistics, log-normal distribution was found as the best-fitted distribution among other potential statistical distributions. Investigations revealed that traffic composition, vehicular characteristics, variation in toll rates, drivers' and tollbooth operators' behavior significantly influence the variability in service time. The important outcome of this study is the development of service time based level of service (LOS) criteria, which were developed using k-mean clustering technique. The developed LOS thresholds can be very useful to field engineers and practitioners for evaluating the existing performance of tollbooth and accordingly facilitating the development of appropriate policies for effective management of toll plaza operations. • Service time distribution is found to be lognormal distribution for manual tollbooth under mixed traffic conditions. • Location parameter varies according to location, leader-follower wise, vehicle category wise and with respect to time. • Level of service (LOS) thresholds are developed on the basis of normalized service time. • For toll plaza, LOS C the normalized service time is in between 8 and 12 s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the growing level of motorization while maintaining the capacity of existing roads, as well as due to the need to design and build new ones, the question of assessing the quality and reliability of traffic management is becoming increasingly relevant. The aim of the research is to determine the effect of the frequency of measurements on the accuracy of determining the travel time and buffer indices. To achieve this goal, a mathematical model was developed that describes the daily dynamics of travel time along the route, taking into account the possible presence of a traffic light object and an unregulated pedestrian crossing. Based on the data of the mathematical model, one thousand different variants of the daily dynamics of travel time along routes taking into account the presence of a traffic light and unregulated pedestrian crossing and one thousand different variants of the daily dynamics of travel time along routes without interference were randomly modeled. From the simulated diurnal dynamics, a sampling was made with a frequency of one to sixty minutes of data on the time of movement. For each sample and daily dynamics variant, the travel time and buffer indices were calculated and their values were compared with the index values at the maximum sample size. Further, deviations of the index values were established with an increase in the intervals of measurements. Based on the revealed dependence, the maximum time intervals were proposed for determining the travel time and buffer index with 95% accuracy, subject to the presence of an unregulated pedestrian crossing and traffic light object and in their absence. In addition, the study showed that the obtained measurement result is affected by the possibility of coincidence or complete mismatch of the selected measurement intervals with the intervals of changes in the motion parameters on the selected route. Further research should include identifying the dependence and degree of influence of various objects, traffic conditions and other parameters on the accuracy of measurements at various intervals, as well as testing the results.

Transportation is an essential element for the development of countries economically, socially, and culturally. The progress in countries is measured through the progress in transportation systems and urban road network. Al-Fallah intersection which lies in northeastern of Baghdad city considered one of the highly congested urban centers, suffers congestion, particularly during morning and evening peak hours. The objective of this study is to analyses the delay time, degree of saturation, level of service in Al-Fallah intersection in Baghdad city using Synchro.10 software in addition to evaluate and analyze the intersection formchoosing the best suggestion. The technique of video recording has been used for collection the traffic volume data for all approaches from 7a.m to 4 p.m. for three days: Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. The operation analysis of isolated signalized intersection provides valuable and important information about the performance of transportation system in the city.The through movements of Al-Fallah Street illustrate the movement from center of Al-Sadir city to Al-Rusafa and reverse, they represent the heaviest traffic volumes in Al-Fallah intersection. The Results of analysis specified that the Al-Fallah intersection works under level of service F with an average control delay of (322.1) seconds per vehicle and degree of saturation (2.56) v/c during the peak hours.

Abstract Pedestrian level of service (PLOS) is an important measure of performance in the analysis of existing pedestrian crosswalk conditions. Many researchers have developed PLOS models based on pedestrian delay, turning vehicle effect, etc., using the conventional regression method. However, these factors may not effectively reflect the pedestrians’ perception of safety while crossing the crosswalk. The conventional regression method has failed to estimate accurate PLOS because of the primary assumption of an arbitrary probability distribution and vagueness in the input data. Moreover, PLOS categories in existing studies are based on rigid threshold values and the boundaries that are not well defined. Therefore, it is an important attempt to develop a PLOS model with respect to pedestrian safety, convenience, and efficiency at signalized intersections. For this purpose, a video-graphic and user perception surveys were conducted at selected nine signalized intersections in Mumbai, India. The data such as pedestrian, traffic, and geometric characteristics were extracted, and significant variables were identified using Pearson correlation analysis. A consistent and statistically calibrated PLOS model was developed using fuzzy linear regression analysis. PLOS was categorized into six levels (A–F) based on the predicted user perception score, and threshold values for each level were estimated using the fuzzy c-means clustering technique. The developed PLOS model and threshold values were validated with the field-observed data. Statistical performance tests were conducted and the results provided more accurate and reliable solutions. In conclusion, this study provides a feasible alternative to measure pedestrian perception-based level of service at signalized intersections. The developed PLOS model and threshold values would be useful for planning and designing pedestrian facilities and also in evaluating and improving the existing conditions of pedestrian facilities at signalized intersections.

Bluetooth monitoring systems (BTMS) have opened a new era in traffic sensing, providing a reliable, economical, and easy-to-deploy solution to uniquely identify vehicles. Raw data from BTMS have traditionally been used to calculate travel time and origin–destination matrices. However, we could extend this to include other information like the number of vehicles or their residence times. This information, together with their temporal components, can be applied to the complex task of forecasting traffic. Level of service (LOS) prediction has opened a novel research line that fulfills the need to anticipate future traffic states, based on a standard link-based variable, accepted for both researchers and practitioners. In this paper, we incorporate BTMS’s extended variables and temporal information to an LOS classifier based on a Random Undersampling Boost algorithm, which is proven to efficiently respond to the data unbalance intrinsic to this problem. By using this approach, we achieve an overall recall of 87.2% for up to 15-min prediction horizons, reaching 96.6% predicting congestion, and improving the results for the intermediate traffic states, especially complex given their intrinsic instability. Additionally, we provide detailed analyses on the impact of temporal information on the LOS predictor’s performance, observing improvements up to a separation of 50 min between last features and prediction horizons. Furthermore, we study the predictor importance resulting from the classifiers to highlight those features contributing the most to the final achievements.

Traffic operations on two-lane rural roads differ substantially from those on divided carriageways due to vehicular interactions between traffic flows in the opposite directions. With the presence of grades and mixed (heterogeneous) traffic, traffic operations on two-lane highways become even more complex and challenging. The present study developed level-of-service (LOS) criteria for assessing the performance of two-lane rural roads with grades. Eight two-lane undivided study sections with grades varying from 1% to 8% were selected. The suitability of well-established performance measures such as percent time spent following (PTSF), number of followers per capacity (NFPC), follower density (FD), average travel speed (ATS), and percent of free-flow speed (PFFS) was evaluated. The results showed that the foregoing performance measures were not practically applicable for characterizing the operational LOS for two-lane rural roads with grades. A new performance measure termed density ratio (DR) was developed in the present study. The ATS, PFFS, and FD measures for different grades revealed no significant difference when visualized at similar DR ranges. Therefore, DR can be considered an effective measure for developing LOS criteria for such roads. The criteria were first developed using DR, ATS, and FD; subsequently, a design LOS was derived. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance and improvement of sanitation services in developing countries including India is usually monitored using the parameter 'availability of household toilets' and the tool 'sanitation ladder' which is defined using different excreta disposal systems. These assessment criteria are developed from the perspective of experts' rather than users' perspective and take into consideration only a few attributes which mask the quality of several other attributes of toilets which are essential for the functionality and sustained use of toilets. The current study determines appropriate level of service (LOS) scales/ranges for different aspects of household toilets from users' perspective using the concept of LOS and applies the same to analyze the quality of service of attributes of household toilets specified in sanitation programs. While LOS scale for quantitative attributes is directly determined through successive interval scaling technique, the LOS scale for qualitative attributes is developed by obtaining a quantitative score for qualitative data using RIDIT analysis and then employing the successive interval scaling technique. This study has found that the LOS of some of the attributes specified under sanitation program is below acceptable LOS (LOS C) which requires improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to develop motorized level of service models using advanced heuristic techniques like functional networks, ordered probit analysis, and multivariate autoregressive spline for uncontrolled intersections under mixed traffic conditions. A total of 13 uncontrolled intersections from India are chosen and geometric, traffic, and roadside environmental data are collected using highdefinition cameras. A novel influence area (INA) method for critical gap and follow-up time measurement is also developed. Over 7,000 effective uncontrolled intersection motorized driver responses are collected based on user satisfaction scores (1 = excellent to 6 = very bad). Eight variables with high significance (p < 0.001) effects on perceived scores from Spearman's correlation technique are modeled. Functional networks model showed greater efficiency as indicated by greater marginal ranking index of 11 (leading to lowest rank of first) among all the three level of service models proposed in this study. According to the sensitivity analysis, analogous to the proposed functional network model, volume to capacity ratio (highest effect), percentage of on-street parking (second highest effect), and service delay (third highest effect) showed superlative sensitivity toward level of service predictions at uncontrolled intersections compared to other parameters. The imperative outcomes of this research may help transport planners and traffic engineers to quantify operational evaluation of uncontrolled intersections and take crucial decisions toward their improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to assess operational performance of uncontrolled intersections by creating motorized level of service models using advanced heuristic techniques like functional networks, ordered Probit, ordered Logit, and multivariate auto-regressive spline for uncontrolled intersections under mixed traffic conditions. A novel "Influence area" method for critical gap and follow-up-time measurement is also developed. Over 7000 useful uncontrolled intersections, motorized driver responses are collected based on user satisfaction scores (1 for excellent to 6 for very bad). Eight variables with high significance (<0.001) effects on perceived scores from Spearman's correlation technique are modelled. According to the sensitivity analysis, analogous to the proposed functional network model, volume to capacity ratio (highest effect), percentage of on-street parking (second highest effect) and service delay (third highest effect) showed superlative sensitivity towards level of service predictions at uncontrolled intersections compared to other parameters. The imperative outcomes of this research may help transport planners and traffic engineers to quantify operational evaluation of uncontrolled intersections and take crucial decisions towards their improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge influence on air transport. For the first time two thirds of the global aircraft fleet were grounded; airports recorded a decrease of 70-95% in passenger traffic, and many airlines went bankrupt. The negative trends of air traffic operations automatically decrease airport aeronautical and non-aeronautical revenues, bringing airports to the very bottom level of financial survival. However, after several months and after implementing the World Health Organization anti-COVID-19 measures, a small positive trend starts to be seen. The measures that need to be implemented have presented an additional problem for passenger terminal planning and design, especially if the introduction of new subsystems into the existing traffic flow, such as health control, is taken into account. Considering that current international recommendations from IATA ADRM are no longer valid, it is necessary to redefine the traffic flows inside the terminal and adjust the procedures of passengers and baggage handling to the new conditions of social distancing. Following that, ICAO Annex 9 recommendation that passengers need to be processed on departure traffic flow in 60 minutes went under question. New requirements for terminal space to keep passengers on safe distance, the implementation of new contactless technology for quick passenger processing, a thermal camera and health checkpoints, as well as other measures are now "new normal" for the airport business. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of intermittent water supply in South Africa was investigated in this research study. Data on intermittent water supply in South Africa was collated by considering the following four sources: a targeted water services provider survey; published databases and related reports; open-access publications, such as online media articles; and field visits by the project team to selected areas. The data were spatially and temporally analysed to determine the prevalence of intermittent water supply. The population affected by intermittent water supply increased by ~26% between 2008 and 2017, which exceeds the population increase of ~12% over the same period. Moreover, 22 million people in South Africa were affected by intermittent water supply in 2017. Results from this study confirm an increased prevalence of intermittent water supply over time and show that 65 of the 231 municipalities in South Africa supplied water intermittently, 32 had continuous water supply and 134 had no data. Fundamentally, the outcomes highlight the widespread occurrence of intermittent water supply in South Africa, which is in line with the poor state of water services delivery in South Africa, as portrayed in the 2018 National Water and Sanitation Master Plan by the national Department of Water and Sanitatio [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fixed route shared motorized para-transit services works as a feeder from neighborhoods to public transit routes and also along transit corridors. These services play an important role in catering to the gaps left by existing public transit systems in developing countries. These services are similar to public transit in various aspects, though there are differences in the operation, organization, and ownership of both the services. Lack of formal regulatory policies and benchmarks plague these services which result in various service quality issues. Thus, there is a need to determine the level of service measures or scales to evaluate the service quality of the system. To accomplish this task, the level of service measures has been developed for different attributes of the system based on user perception. It would help transport authorities in cities to set acceptable and safe service delivery levels in the form of regulations. This research has been conducted in Kolkata, India where user perception data has been collected from para-transit users. The LOS scales have been developed using both existing and novel methods both for quantitative and qualitative service attributes. The results indicate that the existing service level is found to be poor for qualitative attributes in comparison to quantitative attributes and users have lower tolerances for para-transit services compared to bus services. • LOS scale values for quantitative and qualitative attributes of fixed route shared para-transit services based on user perception. • Both existing and novel methods are proposed for determining LOS scale values. • Users have lower tolerances for para-transit services compared to bus services. • Existing service level is found to be poor for qualitative attributes in comparison to quantitative attributes. • Study could also help in framing formal regulatory policies for para-transit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Level-of-service (LOS) is a key index that reflects the operational condition of the toll-plaza. Although it has been observed that the developed countries have a very effective system at the toll plazas; but, the developing countries are still struggling to achieve the properly managed system that could improve the customer satisfaction at toll plazas. Hence, a sample of 1431 respondents has been collected at four toll plazas located in India and analyzed, for users' perceived LOS. The ordered probit model was developed and the results show that humps at tollbooth is a highly influencing variable. The study results reveal that the users not only consider delay but also a multitude of factors such as age, education, experience, frequency, aesthetics etc. while evaluating the users' perceived LOS at toll plazas. The results obtained from the present study portrays that all significant factors need to be considered when planning of toll plazas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This report proposes a generalized process for evaluating the ridership impact and traffic impact of a bus rapid transit system. The process proposed aims at providing such evaluation at the sketch planning stage and has a specific focus on two aspects -- the ridership forecast based on the implementation of various ITS technologies and the degradation of level of service that results from converting a traffic lane into exclusive bus lane for the implementation of a bus rapid transit system. The proposed process is tested on the Van Ness Blvd site in San Francisco, California. It is also implemented as a web-based toolbox that is easily accessible.

The percent time-spent following (PTSF) is a key measure for estimating the level-of-service for two-lane highways. However, PTSF is currently estimated indirectly using various measured field data. This study proposes two alternative direct models for estimating PTSF: (1) a general linear regression model using typically-used input variables and (2) a non-linear form using only the follower density. Both models are based on data generated from the corridor micro-simulation (CORSIM) software. Comparison of the proposed models with the new directional PTSF analytical model of the Highway Capacity Manual shows that the proposed models are capable of predicting simulation-generated PTSF quite closely with absolute mean error

This paper presents a model for the management of passenger service operations at airports by the estimation of a global index of the level of service. This paper presents a new approach to the scheduling of resources required to perform passenger service operations at airports. The approach takes into account the index of level of service as a quantitative indicator that can be associated with airport revenues. Taking this index into account makes it possible to create an operating schedule of desks, adapted to the intensity of checking-in passengers, and, as such, to apply dynamic process management. This offers positive aspects, particularly the possibility of improvement of service quality that directly translates into profits generated by the non-aeronautical activity of airports. When talking about level of service, there can be distinguish other important indicators that are considered very often (eg maximum queuing time, space in square meters). In this model, however, they are considered as secondary. Of course, space in square meters is important when designing a system. Here this system is already built and functioning. The concept of the model is the use of a hybrid method: computer simulation (Monte Carlo simulation) with multiple regression. This paper focuses on the presentation of a mathematical model used to determine the level of service index that provides new functionality in the current simulation model, as presented in the authors’ previous scientific publications. The mathematical model is based on a multiple regression function, taking into account the significance of individual elementary operations of passenger service at an air terminal.

Macroscopic parameters, such as density, volume-to-capacity ratio, and speed, are traditionally used to assess the level of service (LOS) of freeway/expressway or arterial road links. Capturing real-world data pertaining to these macroscopic parameters for all the links in the transportation network is expensive, tedious, and challenging. Additionally, density and volume-to-capacity ratio are not easily perceived by the commuters. Recent trends indicate that large-scale travel time data can be collected anonymously and without the use of field technicians, through global positioning systems (GPS), sensors, smartphones with apps, and other technological devices. The focus of this research is to develop link-level travel time measures-based LOS thresholds for urban areas, using large-scale travel time data from a private data source. The posted speed limit for each selected link in the city of Charlotte, North Carolina was integrated with the raw travel time data for the corresponding link. Travel time measures such as the average travel time, the 95th percentile travel time (planning time, PT), the planning time index (PTI), and the buffer time index (BTI) were computed and categorized by the posted speed limit of each selected link. The relationships between estimated speeds from the regional network model and computed travel time measures were then examined to develop LOS thresholds at link-level by the posted speed limit.

Level of service (LOS) is used as the main indicator of transport quality on urban roads and it is estimated based on the travel speed. The main objective of this study is to determine which of the existing models for travel speed calculation is most suitable for local conditions. The study uses actual data gathered in travel time survey on urban streets, recorded by applying second by second GPS data. The survey is limited to traffic flow in saturated conditions. The RMSE method (Root Mean Square Error) is used for research results comparison with relevant models: Akcelik, HCM (Highway Capacity Manual), Singapore model and modified BPR (the Bureau of Public Roads) function (Dowling - Skabardonis). The lowest deviation in local conditions for urban streets with standardized intersection distance (400-500 m) is demonstrated by Akcelik model. However, for streets with lower signal density (

Multi-view video surveillance is a highly valuable tool to ensure the safety of the crowd in large public space. By utilizing complementary information captured by multiple cameras, the issue of limited views and occlusion in single views can be addressed to gain better insight into the whole monitored space. However, multi-view surveillance has been widely applied to microscopic crowd analysis, for example pedestrian detection and tracking, while macroscopic level analysis, which deals with the whole crowd, has received little attention. We propose a multi-view framework for the generation of level of service maps, which are the most commonly used measure of congestion at macroscopic level, based on an ensemble of state-of-the-art Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs). Several combination rules are compared and evaluated on two datasets, both in sparse and dense scenarios. Our results show that this fusion framework improves the accuracy of level of service map generation, from 83.2% to 89.8%, and eliminates blind spots in single views. Our framework is implemented on a 3 D GIS platform, which provides a suitable interface for multi-view crowd congestion management. The results of a loading test show that a maximum of 48 cameras can be processed at a map refresh rate of 2 seconds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assesses the performance of selected intersections in Akure, Nigeria. The identified intersections were Road block, Bye-pass and Cathedral intersections. Data for this study which included traffic volumes was collected through semi-automatic method, personal observations and questioning of individuals. The results of the data analysis revealed that the Level of Service (LOS) for Road block intersection was critically low (LOS = F) due to on-street parking and the absence of traffic signals to aid drivers. Likewise, the LOS for Cathedral intersection is low (LOS = E) while that of Byepass (LOS = C) appears to be adequate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All editions of the Highway Capacity Manual have dedicated chapters to analysis of weaving sections. These chapters are taken as the base of action in many regions of the world including Iran. Therefore, this study aims at evaluate and compare the precision and effectivity of models proposed in four recent editions of HCM. Results indicate that in terms of adaptation with observed values in Iranian highways, the third edition performs best in estimating the speed of non-weaving vehicles, edition six in estimating the rate of lane change, and edition five in estimating the rest of variables and the level of service. Consequently, a combined model is suggested which presents more satisfactory results than the evaluated models. In detailed analysis of the evaluated models, it is determined that simultaneous increase of volume ratio and total demand would increase the discrepancies of the output of these models' actual values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vehicular traffic at Obafemi Awolowo University has increased over the years, resulting in delay at The Main Gate -- Ede Road Intersection. This paper evaluated its present level of service with a view to addressing this situation. Geometric survey of the intersection was carried out. Peak hour traffic studies were conducted for a week and the traffic characteristics and volume were determined using standard procedure. The level of service (LOS) of the intersection was thereafter obtained. The geometrics of the intersection showed that, two lanes exist on the East Bound (EB) and West Bound (WB) approaches, as well as a dual lane on the North Bound (NB) and South Bound (SB) approaches. The traffic volume count was 1378, 931, 1168 and 1123 veh/h for the NB, SB, EB and WB respectively. The level of service at the intersection is B, thus implying that it exhibits a slight delay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to find the optimal intervention program for municipal infrastructure networks (e.g. road, gas or water distribution), a combined methodology is necessary to take into consideration the costs of interventions in terms of owner costs, but also potential losses of service before, during and after the execution of the interventions, and the costs due to the loss of service when interventions are being executed. It is also necessary to take into consideration: 1) intervention cost reductions are possible when interventions are executed on multiple networks simultaneously and 2) interventions on one network can increase the failure probability of another network. This paper presents a methodology to determine optimal intervention programs for multiple infrastructure networks simultaneously using a single mathematical representation, taking into consideration these issues. The service loss is modeled using a new generic model applicable to all networks. The methodology is discussed, and recommendations for future work are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quantification of probable network-related consequences resulting from the occurrence of (natural) hazard events supports network managers in determining the most suitable interventions to execute. This assessment should include the modelling of consequences related to the use of the network and the levels of service. A method is presented to quantify the temporal functional capacity losses of the individual objects of which networks are comprised due to hazard events to ultimately support the estimation of consequences at a network level. The method is designed to handle the effects of (i) time-varying hazards, (ii) multiple hazards, (iii) functional capacity losses that are independent of (structural) physical capacity losses and (iv) functional capacity losses that demand preventive interventions. An example demonstrates how the functional capacity losses of objects in a road network change over time as rainfall-triggered flood and mudflow events, inspection events and restoration events occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simulation of pedestrian flowrepresents an advanced approach inmodeling and evaluating train stations. In this study, pedestrian simulation was done using the simulation software Simio to assess the passenger capacity of MRT 7 Station 1-North Avenue Station through level of service (LOS), queuing system, and train facility utilization. This paper presents the actual situation inside the train station while predicting the behavior of queuing pedestrians and provides an accurate estimate of the volume-to-capacity ratio of passengers entering the station. The study's approach debugged the conventional assignments of pedestrians currently used in the field. The constructed three-dimensional building of the North Avenue Station served as framework for the simulation. Sources, sinks, servers, and paths of the software were the main elements of the simulation. Each library was defined by their time usage based on data gathered. Time usages of 1.21 sec. and 240 sec. for sources and sinks, respectively, were used in the simulation. Servers were defined by the train facilities utilized in the simulation, namely, automatic ticketing machines (TVM) with time usage of 43 seconds, ticketing toll gates with 1.4 seconds, and manual ticketing windows (BOM) with 20 seconds. In addition to the libraries, paths that provided the flow, direction, and distribution of pedestrianswere calibrated using 10% for TVM users, 35% for BOM users, and 55% for others (regular tickets, beep cards, promo trips) based on data obtained. Simulation results showed that the new proposed plan has a higher passenger capacity than the original plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An optimization approach was provided to construct efficient evacuation network. • The study on using LOS concept in evacuation planning was extended. • The approach was validated by computational experiments on a hypothetical three-story building and a twelve-deck cruise ship. • Sensitivity analysis of the optimized LOS design was concluded. This paper introduces a novel technique to design the level of service (LOS) for facilities or sub spaces of buildings for the purpose of evacuation planning. LOS is a standard qualitative indicator used to describe flow characteristics in a pedestrian environment. Some evacuation planners use LOS to help determine the network parameters when solving evacuation planning problems by the network flow approach. However, there is currently limited research into the optimization of the LOS parameters themselves to construct more efficient evacuation networks. In this paper the authors used a genetic algorithm optimization approach to determine LOS for facilities to improve the evacuation performance of building networks. Each individual chromosome containing a LOS design represents a fully defined evacuation network that can be solved. The fitness of each network is measured by minimum clearance time, which is calculated by the Capacity Constrained Route Planner (CCRP) approach. A comparative computational test in a hypothetical three-story building shows that the evacuation network under the optimized LOS design has a roughly 11% less minimum clearance time compared to the network under the original LOS design. Sensitivity analysis is also included, focusing on how the population size and the building layout influence the LOS design. In addition, an additional computational test for a twelve-deck cruise ship shows that the approach is scalable to solve more complex evacuation networks. The proposed approach has the potential to provide better LOS assignments for facilities for the government officials to develop effective emergency management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pedestrian level of service (PLOS) is an important measure of performance in the analysis of existing pedestrian crosswalk conditions. Many researchers have developed PLOS models based on pedestrian delay, turning vehicle effect, etc., using the conventional regression method. However, these factors may not effectively reflect the pedestrians' perception of safety while crossing the crosswalk. The conventional regression method has failed to estimate accurate PLOS because of the primary assumption of an arbitrary probability distribution and vagueness in the input data. Moreover, PLOS categories in existing studies are based on rigid threshold values and the boundaries that are not well defined. Therefore, it is an important attempt to develop a PLOS model with respect to pedestrian safety, convenience, and efficiency at signalized intersections. For this purpose, a video-graphic and user perception surveys were conducted at selected nine signalized intersections in Mumbai, India. The data such as pedestrian, traffic, and geometric characteristics were extracted, and significant variables were identified using Pearson correlation analysis. A consistent and statistically calibrated PLOS model was developed using fuzzy linear regression analysis. PLOS was categorized into six levels (A–F) based on the predicted user perception score, and threshold values for each level were estimated using the fuzzy c-means clustering technique. The developed PLOS model and threshold values were validated with the field-observed data. Statistical performance tests were conducted and the results provided more accurate and reliable solutions. In conclusion, this study provides a feasible alternative to measure pedestrian perception-based level of service at signalized intersections. The developed PLOS model and threshold values would be useful for planning and designing pedestrian facilities and also in evaluating and improving the existing conditions of pedestrian facilities at signalized intersections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Procedures for capacity analysis of two-way stop controlled (TWSC) appeared in scientific literature in the 1970s. In addition to standard TWSC intersections, there are also non-standard unsignalised intersections. The main characteristic of these intersections is that two major approaches are not placed opposite, but next to each other. Because of the non-standard layout of the major and minor approaches, there are unique major and minor movements at these intersections. For these movements, standard procedures for capacity analysis of standard TWSC intersections cannot be used. This paper describes a procedure for capacity analysis of non-standard unsignalised intersections with a new model for rank distribution for all major and minor movements, as well as the conflict flow calculation, and the procedure for the calculation of potential and movement capacity, according to the non-standard layout of the major and minor approaches.

The planning of passenger intermodal transport nodes consider like an important part of sustainable transportation system. For projecting of passenger transport junction give consideration in the current urban planning. This article shows the concept of the level of service for functional estimation of different types of transport infrastructure and network of streets. Supposition was made by author about the main indicator of service level of intermodal nodes functional which is used to estimate the transport junction. Author suggests to estimate the level of service of users of intermodal passenger using indicator of total cost of time required to transfer, which are a sum of costs of time required to move from landing to boarding area and time of transport expectation. It is offered to set the boarders of level of service on the basis of inverse distribution indicators of the whole duration of interchanging that was determined using results of researching of different types of intermodal passenger nodes. The development of evaluation scale of levels of service will be performed on the basis of data that were got during the researching of transfer hubs in Vienna. In the future the approbation of this scale using the example of function quality evaluation number of passenger transport nodes of Irkutsk and Moscow and following development of practical recommendation.

The main objective of this paper, based upon the extensive empirical research of free flow in local conditions, is to quantify the unfavourable impact of the flow structure on the road capacity using PCE (Passenger Car Equivalent) values as a function of longitudinal grade. Based on literature reviews and empirical research, it has been proved that the PCE value for all vehicle classes is directly correlated with the road gradient. The PCE values in free flow conditions have been determined for the approved vehicle classes. Based on the measured values, models for determining the average PCE value depending on the upward grade on two-lane roads have been developed. Comparison of the developed models in conditions of free traffic flow with the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) models has shown lower PCE values in this research. Models for the percentage of PCE values PCE15%, PCE50% and PCE85% have also been established.

A disparity between developed and developing countries is not only in the terms of economy and geography, but also on the pedestrians’ perceptions and expectations about the level of service of sidewalks. Therefore, it is paramount to find the effect of various built environment measures, that impact perceived Pedestrian Level Of Service (PLOS) in the context of developing nations. This study investigates the most influential factors of the built environment that affect perceived PLOS of sidewalks in the Indian context. This is one of the first studies in India that utilize Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) technique to assess pedestrian satisfaction and thereby qualitative PLOS of sidewalks. A total of 502 personal interviews was conducted to extract the pedestrian perception about the quality of sidewalks of Thiruvananthapuram city, a typical Indian city. The results identified four latent exogenous constructs named “Safety”, “Security”, “Mobility and infrastructure” and “Comfort and convenience” that represent the main aspects of the PLOS of sidewalks among which factors of security has exhibited highest loading (λ = 0.60). The study identified that parameters like police patrolling, street lighting, cleaner sidewalks, sidewalk obstructions, sidewalk surface have an evident impact on the level of service of sidewalks. The results of the study provide a significant information for interpreting the aspects of the walking environment that mainly influences the PLOS. This information can help city planners to prepare new strategies, policy interventions that enhance the quality of sidewalks and thus making the city more walkable.

This paper presents a qualitative study on automobile users’ response pattern to assess the provided transportation service quality under heterogeneous traffic flow conditions. An Automobile Users’ Satisfaction index (AUSi) is established using data sets of questionnaire survey collected from 34 urban street segments of three midsized Indian cities. About 977 respondents with a suitable cross-section of gender, age, driving experience etc. were participated in travellers’ intercept survey. Rasch Model (RM) was applied to identify a set of quantitative measures to analyse the complex process of measuring perceived service quality and degree of drivers’ satisfaction together. The present study comprehends the multidimensional nature of users’ perception to evaluate AUSi with the help of six-dimensional variables such as roadway geometry, traffic facilities, traffic management, pavement condition, safety and aesthetics. RM offers a particular score to each user and each dimensional attribute along with a shared continuum. This way, the attributes those are more demanding to produce satisfaction as well as the variation in response of different modes of transport are evidently identified. The key findings indicate that the participants reported lower satisfaction level mainly due to the absence of separate bike/bus pull-out lanes, improper parking facilities and interruption by non-motorised vehicles/public transit or roadside commercial activities. Fuzzy C-Means (FCM) clustering was applied to classify AUSi scores into six auto Levels Of Service (LOS) categories (A–F) for each street segment. The model was well validated with a significant matching of predicted Automobile users’ LOS (ALOS) service categories with the users’ perceived Overall Satisfaction (OS) scores for fourteen randomly selected segments. This prediction model is new to mixed traffic flow condition, which uses linguistic information and real-life issues of drivers for the current state of services. Hence, the proposed method would be more credible than conventional models to support the decision makers for long term planning and designing road networks on a priority basis.

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