Road User Behavior

Association between Roadway Intersection Characteristics and Pedestrian Crash Risk in Alameda County, California

Schneider, Robert J.
Diogenes, Mara Chagas
Arnold, Lindsay S.
Attaset, Vanvisa
Griswold, Julia B.
Ragland, David R.
2010

Each year from 1998 to 2007, an average of approximately 4,800 pedestrians were killed and 71,000 pedestrians were injured in United States traffic crashes. Because many pedestrian crashes occur at roadway intersections, it is important to understand the intersection characteristics that are associated with pedestrian crash risk. This study uses detailed pedestrian crash data and pedestrian volume estimates to analyze pedestrian crash risk at 81 intersections along arterial and collector roadways in Alameda County, California. The analysis compares pedestrian crash rates (crashes per 10,...

Identification of High Collision Concentration Locations Under Wet Weather Conditions

Hwang, Taesung
Chung, Koohong
Ragland, David R.
Chan, Chin-Yao
2008

This paper focuses on identifying roadway locations that display high collision rates only under wet pavement condition. A unique approach of screening and identifying such locations, called the continuous risk profile (CRP) method, was utilized for this analysis. The CRP method was applied to over 380 miles of freeways in the San Francisco Bay Area to identify sites that display high collision rates only under wet pavement condition. Twelve of the identified sites were then further investigated to determine if there are any common geometric, topographic, or site conditions that may...

Addressing Inappropriate Driver Behavior at Rail-Highway Crossings

Cooper, Douglas L.
Ragland, David R.
2008

Driver behavior at rail highway crossings has been the subject of numerous studies, most of which show that violations are relatively commonplace. The focus of this paper will be on those drivers who drive around fully descended gates. Drivers commonly misjudge the speed and distance of trains. They must make a decision about the time remaining before the train arrives based on sensory signals as well as non-sensory factors such as expectations and motivation. At a gated crossing, where drivers have been alerted to the imminent danger by lowered gates, there is more to be gained by...

Estimating Bicycle and Pedestrian Demand in San Diego

Jones, Michael
Buckland, Lauren
2008

This paper introduces the concepts behind estimating bicycle and pedestrian demand and provides an example of the development of a sketch-plan method for estimating bicycle and pedestrian demand from land use in San Diego County. The paper describes the methodology involved in collecting counts for the currently ongoing Seamless Travel project. The Seamless Travel project intends to develop a model for estimating bicycle and pedestrian demand within San Diego County. The project methodology includes conducting bicycle and pedestrian counts and intercept surveys over a two-year period...

Comparison of collisions on HOV facilities with limited and continuous access

Jang, Kitae
Chung, Koohong
Ragland, David R.
Chan, Ching-Yao
2008

This paper describes comparisons of traffic safety during the morning and afternoon peak hours in extended stretches of eight High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes with two different types of access – four corridors with continuous access and the others with limited access. Traffic collision patterns in two different types of HOV lanes were investigated by evaluating 1) the differences in collision distribution, severity, types of collisions and per lane traffic utilization, 2) spatial distribution of collision concentrations by using Continuous Risk Profile (CRP) approach, and 3)...

High Visibility Enforcement Programs: California’s State and University Traffic Safety Partnership

Cooper, Jill F.
Kan, Irene
Cadet, Akilah
Rauch, Sharleen
Murphy, Christopher J.
2009

Traffic collisions are a leading cause of death and injury in California and the number one cause of death for people between the ages of one and 44. High-visibility enforcement programs (HVEs) are administered nationwide by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and combine intensive enforcement of a particular traffic safety law with widespread media and public education campaigns. HVE programs have been shown to be effective in reducing alcohol-impaired driving and promoting seat belt use. A major challenge in implementing HVEs, however, exists among local police...

Analysis of Wet Weather Related Collision Concentration Locations: Empirical Assessment of Continuous Risk Profile

Oh, Soonmi
Chung, Koohong
Ragland, David R.
Chan, Ching-Yao
2009

The objective of the study described in this paper is to identify common site features that may contribute to high collision rates under wet pavement conditions. To minimize falsely identified high collision concentration locations (HCCL) in evaluating factors contributing to high collision rate, this study accessed the magnitude of false positives (i.e., identifying sites for safety improvements that should not have been selected) by comparing HCCLs identified by the existing conventional sliding moving window approach with the ones identified by the Continuous Risk Profile (CRP)...

Evaluation of an Urban Travel Training for Older Adults

Babka, Rhianna JoIris
Cooper, Jill F.
Ragland, David R.
2009

The size of the aging population in the United States is increasing, and transportation is critical to maintaining older adults mobility, independence, and quality of life. Travel training programs designed to increase individual knowledge are one way to encourage older adult use of fixed- route transit and improve the transportation options for older adults. The analysis conducted in this paper explores characteristics of travel-training participants in Alameda County, California in 2007-2008 and their knowledge and concerns regarding public transit. Specific issues addressed...

A Methodology of Quantifying Precipitation Exposure for Wet-Weather Collisions and Evaluating Effectiveness of Open-Grade Asphalt Concrete as a CountermeasureWeather-related crashes represent a significant concern in roadway safety.

Chan, Ching-Yao
Jin, Eui-Jae
Oh, Soon Mi
Ragland, David R.
2010

Weather-related crashes represent a significant concern in roadway safety. Wet collisions often resulted in injuries or fatalities, at a ratio higher than collisions that occur in dry roadway conditions. Therefore, it is of strong interest to identify and manage the locations where collisions are prone to happen under wet pavement surface or adverse weather conditions. This paper introduces a method to estimate precipitation exposure of roadway segments by linking weather station data to collision database. Subsequently, the corresponding crash rate for a subject location is...

A Dynamic Congestion Pricing Strategy for High-Occupancy Toll Lanes

Jang, Kitae
Chung, Koohong
2010

High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes are emerging as a solution to address the underutilization of High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes and also means of generating revenue for state department of transportation. This paper proposes a method for dynamically determining the HOT toll price in response to the changes in traffic condition and documents procedures for estimating parameters needed for the proposed pricing strategies: revenue maximization and delay minimization. The proposed strategies have been applied to 14-miles of freeway segment in the San Francisco Bay Area, and the findings...