A Bayesian assessment of the effect of highway bypasses in Iowa on crashes and crash rate

Introduction

A common contention is that the construction of highway bypasses negatively impacts the economy of local communities by reducing pass-by traffic for businesses. However, as access to specific business' account records is limited, this impact is difficult to quantify. Another common contention is that bypasses contribute to a reduction in overall crashes in the community and in the surrounding areas. Even though a large number of bypasses have been constructed in the State of Iowa over the past several years, their actual impact in terms of traffic safety has not been quantified.

Objectives

This study seeks answers to the following questions: (a) Are bypasses in Iowa associated with a reduction in crash frequencies and crash rates on the bypassed highway? (b) Do bypasses in Iowa introduce a reduction of overall crash frequencies and rates or do they merely shift crashes from the highways through the communities to the bypasses with no significant overall reduction?

Method

We obtained crash information from the Iowa DOT at 19 sites on which a bypass was constructed sometime during the past 23 years. We also obtained the same information at six sites used as comparison sites on which no bypasses were constructed at least until 2005. We them employed a Bayesian approach to estimating the association between the construction of the bypass and crash rates, while also accounting for other factors.

Results

The construction of bypasses in Iowa is associated with a significant increase in traffic safety both on the main road through town and on the combined main road and bypass roadway.     

Random parameter models for accident prediction on two-lane undivided highways in India

Introduction

Generalized linear modeling (GLM), with the assumption of Poisson or negative binomial error structure, has been widely employed in road accident modeling. A number of explanatory variables related to traffic, road geometry, and environment that contribute to accident occurrence have been identified and accident prediction models have been proposed. The accident prediction models reported in literature largely employ the fixed parameter modeling approach, where the magnitude of influence of an explanatory variable is considered to be fixed for any observation in the population. Similar models have been proposed for Indian highways too, which include additional variables representing traffic composition. The mixed traffic on Indian highways comes with a lot of variability within, ranging from difference in vehicle types to variability in driver behavior. This could result in variability in the effect of explanatory variables on accidents across locations. Random parameter models, which can capture some of such variability, are expected to be more appropriate for the Indian situation.

Method

The present study is an attempt to employ random parameter modeling for accident prediction on two-lane undivided rural highways in India. Three years of accident history, from nearly 200 km of highway segments, is used to calibrate and validate the models.

Results

The results of the analysis suggest that the model coefficients for traffic volume, proportion of cars, motorized two-wheelers and trucks in traffic, and driveway density and horizontal and vertical curvatures are randomly distributed across locations.

Conclusions

The paper is concluded with a discussion on modeling results and the limitations of the present study.     

省内公路可移动危险源的模糊综合安全预警

为了对公路可移动危险源进行有效控制,分析了影响公路可移动危险源危险程度的因素,采用模糊综合评判方法,并通过公路可移动危险源模糊预警系统实现了公路可移动危险源的实时综合安全预警.结果表明,此方法考虑危险因素较全面,且可在屏幕实时显示各公路可移动危险源的预警结果,有利于提高安全管理水平.     

广三高速公路扩建工程中桩承式加筋路堤的现场试验

结合广三高速公路扩建工程,对素混凝土桩和PHC管桩桩承式加筋路堤工作性状开展现场试验调查,在路堤填筑中以及填筑完成后对路基沉降、孔隙水压力以及深部水平位移进行监测和分析,试验结果表明:当软土厚度小于18m时,采用桩径为50cm的C15素混凝土桩,打穿软土层,桩中心间距1.8 -2.0m,平面呈三角形布置,桩帽采用C30混凝土浇筑成尺寸为1m×1m×0.4m的面板,拓宽路基孔隙水压力变化与填土高度和桩的龄期有关,路基工后沉降得到了有效控制;当软土厚度超过18m时,采用桩径为30cm,桩壁厚7cm的PHC管桩,按照桩中心间距2.5-3.0m间距呈正方形布置,桩帽采用设置双层钢筋的C30混凝土浇筑成尺寸为1.5m×1.5m ×0.4m的面板,路堤填筑完成后预压期内路基孔隙水压力基本未发生变化,路基几乎未发生侧向位移,路基剩余沉降很小,可以节省预压时间,尽早开展路面结构层施工,开放交通.     

新疆315国道公路水毁病害形成机制与治理

水毁是新疆315国道主要病害类型。根据现场调查,将新疆315国道公路水毁分为淘底塌滑、冲蚀啃边、冲刷截断3种类型;从自然因素、气候、河床地质条件和公路自身建设缺陷系统分析了新疆315国道茫崖-且末段公路水毁的形成环境;开发了适用于该段公路的格宾箱体结构和格栅笼两类新技术,前者适用于干沟及冲沟地段的水毁防治,后者适用于戈壁滩地段的水毁防治,并分别依托工程得到了应用,通过室内物理模型试验验证了其防治效果。试验结果表明,所提治理技术具有较强的实用性及经济优势。     

基于LCA的聚乳酸快递包装环境友好性评价

以聚乳酸快递包装为研究对象,运用生命周期评价（LCA）方法对聚乳酸快递包装的原料获取、加工、使用及5种处置情景的环境影响进行比较,并采用累积能源需求（CED）方法对能源消耗情况进行分析.功能单位（1000个规模为25×35cm的聚乳酸快递袋,918kg）快递袋原材料获取、加工及使用阶段的环境影响潜能值分别为1.09×10^-9、5.64×10^-10、1.24×10^-10.海洋水生态毒性是聚乳酸快递袋环境影响的主要类型,占77%;非生物资源耗竭潜能值、人类毒性次之,分别占9%和6%.能源消耗主要类型为不可再生能源,占总能源消耗的89%,其中,快递袋使用阶段为主要贡献阶段,占比为91%.处理阶段5种处置情景中情景Ⅴ（焚烧47%,填埋13%,回收40%）对环境最为友好,通过增加焚烧和回收处置的比例,减少填埋比例对环境有着更为积极的影响.     

隧道入口冰雪环境下驾驶员心生理特性研究*

为提高高速公路冰雪环境下隧道入口行车安全水平,探究隧道入口冰雪环境下驾驶员心生理反应特性,依据心生理理论,通过模拟驾驶试验采集驾驶员在冬季晴、雪天气下隧道入口行驶的心率增长率、速度等数据,分析照度变化率、路面摩擦系数、速度对驾驶员心生理的影响规律,明确不同影响因素下隧道入口驾驶员心率增长率变化特征,利用Matlab构建多因素耦合下隧道入口驾驶员心生理反应模型,并设计实车试验验证心生理反应模型有效性。研究结果表明:冰雪环境下隧道入口驾驶员心率增长率紧张阈值为28%,隧道入口冰雪环境下照度变化率安全阈值为51%,心生理反应模型误差小于10%,吻合程度较好。研究结果对提高山区高速公路隧道入口冰雪环境的行车安全性、降低隧道入口事故风险具有重要意义。     

谭裕沟隧道VOCs污染特征和排放因子研究

在谭裕沟隧道实验中,采集和分析了隧道内在一定机动车流量和构成情况下近70种挥发性有机化合物(VOCs)的浓度,研究了VOCs的污染特征并计算了其排放因子.      

化学工程固沙在塔里木沙漠公路沙害防治中的适宜性

由于天然材料日益紧缺 ,研制适宜于流动性沙漠地区公路沙害防治的人工替代材料势在必行 .结合塔里木沙漠公路沙害环境 ,实验室优选出 L VA、LVP、WBS和 STB 4种抗性较好的固沙剂 ,对其理化性能、粘结体力学性能和抗风蚀性能等测试结果表明 :颗粒粒径 0.2μm～ 0.5μm,粘度 12 Pa·s～ 15Pa·s;10℃～70℃温度下无沉淀 ,不燃烧 ;实验抗压强度 1.0 MPa～12.1 MPa;10℃～-20℃低温下重量损失率 0%～ 1.8%;紫外光照射 300h强度损失率 0%～ 42%;在 5m·s^-1～253m·s^-1实验风速下 ,风蚀量 0g·(106cm²·h)^-1～4.0 g·(106cm²·h)^-1 ;现场试验固结层厚度 0.2 mm～0.5mm,强度高 .化学工程固沙技术适宜于塔里木沙漠公路沙害防治 .     

青藏公路取土场高寒草原植被的恢复进程

按照青藏公路建设和整修的不同阶段,利用样方调查植被空间分布变化,得出高寒草原植被的自然演替进程遵循以下规律,在工程结束2年,8年,26年后,群落植被覆盖度和生物多样性指标分别达到原生植被的2%～4%,6%～23%;32%～54%,46%～50%;95%以上和100%左右.青藏公路沿线高寒草原植被的人为破坏影响是明显的,植被的自然恢复需要20年左右的时间.工程建设破坏面积大于1500m2,植被难以恢复,土壤沙化和水土流失,影响周边地区生态环境质量.因此,在青藏铁路工程建设中首先应当减少对地形地貌的破坏,其次应当重视对地表土壤的保护并辅助人工植被恢复措施,促进植被的自然恢复.