Chapter objectives:

-              understanding the elements of the urban transport system,

-               understanding the importance of effective operation of elements of the urban transport system.

Time required to study the chapter: 6 hours

Interpretation:

In the transport system of cities, the following parameters are taken into account most:

·         Transport infrastructure capacity (number of cars)

·         The vehicles intensity when passing from one intersection to another

·         The vehicles movement speed between intersections

·         Parameters of streets

·         Capacity of parking slots.

 

The transport network within the city's transport system consists of 3 elements:

·         Parking place

·         Intersection

·         Street

 

Parking place

In terms of the theory of systems, it represents the integration element. Arriving and departing vehicles represent the output value. Stock (inventory) of cars in the parking lot (place) represents the input value.

According to the purpose, they are divided into:

·         Parking place in residential zones,

·         Company parking place for employees and clients,

·         Parking place in front of public buildings,

·         Park and Ride (Kiss and Ride) parking place

 

Basic terms (key words regarding parking issues):

• parking - placing the vehicle at a rest state (vehicle idle) outside the traffic lanes of the road (short-time - t ≤ 2 h and long-time parking - t > 2 h)

• shutdown (pulling over) - placing the vehicle at a rest state outside the traffic lanes of the road in the place of residence / location of the vehicle operator

• vehicle stall - area necessary to pull over or parking a vehicle (longitudinal, oblique and perpendicular).

 

Intersections

Intersections are an important element of the city's transport system. From the point of view of the Graph theory, intersections are traffic nodes (junctions) within the transport system of the city in which individual roads meet (connect). They have their capacity, input and output edges and specific properties.

The most frequent are: intersections with junction roads, roundabouts and junctions controlled by traffic lights

 

Street

Street consists of one or more traffic lanes and particular number of parking slots (it can be 0). In the transport system, it performs the function of a buffer through which a certain number of vehicles flow and certain inventory of vehicles (vehicles at rest) is maintained. Operation is affected by the traffic lane width, especially in situations when vehicles are parked at both ends. They have their passability (transit capability) and also their capacity.

 

Traffic management

Traffic management on the road communications – it is part of the system solution of transport operation in the city. In terms of time aspect, it can be divided into:

·      Real-time management – the immediate traffic management – for example: by traffic lights at the intersection, traffic lights indicating the parking house capacity or manually unidirectional detour (bypass) operation,

·      Operative management – pre-planned regime of transport, e.g.: daily change of the traffic lanes direction, change of intervals (signal time intervals) at traffic lights in afternoon rush hours, streets closures, etc.,

·      Tactical management - reorganization of the transport system in a medium time period (seasonal streets closures due to maintenance),

·       Strategic management - major reorganization of the traffic management based on the systematic management using information systems, modeling and simulation software.

 

Study materials:

Basic literature:

Voženílek, V., Strakoš, V. City Logistics: Dopravní problémy města a logistika. Olomouc: Publisher – Palacky University, 2009, pp. 63-74. ISBN 978-80-244-2317-3

Recommended study materials:

TANIGUCHI, E. a R.G. THOMPSON. City Logistics: Mapping The Future.: CRC Press, 2014. 231 p. ISBN 978-1-4822-0889-4.

TANIGUCHI, E. et al. Urban Transportation and Logistics: Health, Safety, and Security Concerns. 1st. : CRC Press, 2013. 280 p. ISBN 978-1-4822-0909-9.

Questions and tasks

1.      In the transport system of cities, the following parameters are taken into account most:

2.      According to the purpose, parking places are divided into:

a)     parking place in residential zones, company parking place, roundabouts and parking place for vehicle stall;

b)     parking place in residential zones, company parking place for employees and clients, parking place in front of public buildings and Park and Ride parking place;

c)     company parking place, parking place for vehicle stall and Park and Ride parking place.

3.      Parking is:

a)      placing the vehicle at a rest state (vehicle idle) outside the traffic lanes of the road

b)      placing the vehicle at a rest state outside the traffic lanes of the road in the place of residence / location of the vehicle operator

c)      area necessary to pull over or parking a vehicle (longitudinal, oblique and perpendicular).

4.      Define the term intersection.

5.      In terms of time aspect, traffic management can be divided into:

a)      real-time, strategic, long-term and operational management

b)      tactical, strategic, operational and long-term management

c)      real-time, operational, tactical and strategic management

 

Key to solve the questions:

1)    Transport infrastructure capacity, The intensity of vehicles when passing from one intersection to another, The vehicles movement speed between intersections, Parameters of streets, Capacity of parking slots.

2)      b.

3)      a.

4)     From the point of view of the Graph theory, intersections are traffic nodes (junctions) within the transport system of the city in which individual roads meet (connect). They have their capacity, input and output edges and specific properties.

  5)   c.