PURPOSES : The travel times of expressway buses have been estimated using the travel time data between entrance tollgates and exit tollgates, which are produced by the Toll Collections System (TCS). However, the travel time data from TCS has a few critical problems. For example, the travel time data include the travel times of trucks as well as those of buses. Therefore, the travel time estimation of expressway buses using TCS data may be implicitly and explicitly incorrect. The goal of this study is to improve the accuracy of the expressway bus travel time estimation using DSRC-based travel time by identifying the appropriate analysis period of input data. METHODS : All expressway buses are equipped with the Hi-Pass transponders so that the travel times of only expressway buses can be extracted now using DSRC. Thus, this study analyzed the operational characteristics as well as travel time patterns of the expressway buses operating between Seoul and Dajeon. And then, this study determined the most appropriate analysis period of input data for the expressway bus travel time estimation model in order to improve the accuracy of the model. RESULTS: As a result of feasibility analysis according to the analysis period, overall MAPE values were found to be similar. However, the MAPE values of the cases using similar volume patterns outperformed other cases. CONCLUSIONS: The best input period was that of the case which uses the travel time pattern of the days whose total expressway traffic volumes are similar to that of one day before the day during which the travel times of expressway buses must be estimated.

PURPOSES: Climbing lanes on expressways managed by the Korea Expressway Corporation (KEC) have been hot potatoes due to conflicts between slow-moving vehicles such as trucks and other vehicles at the merging section as well as the less popularity with the slow-moving vehicles. In order to resolve such problems, KEC has altered existing climbing lanes to passing-type climbing lanes in 1999. The new type of climbing lanes showed an apparent improvement in mobility. For example, the speeds of vehicles using both climbing lane and other lanes improved a lot. However, there has been no clear evidence about improved safety. METHODS: This research effort was initiated to evaluate the safety of the new passing-type climbing lanes using the comparison-group(CG) method based on three-year-long traffic accident data sets before and after the change, respectively. RESULTS: The passing-type climbing lanes showed twice increased traffic accidents even though the traffic accidents on old type climbing lanes increased 1.1% during the same periods. In addition, in-depth study, the merging area of the passing-type climbing lanes was found out to be the weakest section where 43.8% traffic accidents out of total traffic accidents happened. It is noted that the merging area of the old type climbing showed only 25.0% traffic accidents. CONCLUSIONS : The new passing-type climbing lanes were found to be weak in terms of safety when compared with the old type climbing lanes. Especially, the merging area should be improved to reduce the risk of traffic conflicts between slow-moving vehicles and other vehicles.

PURPOSES: Using the collected data for crash, traffic volume, and design elements on ramps between 2007 and 2009, this research effort was initiated to develop traffic crash prediction models for expressway ramps. METHODS: Three negative binomial regression models and three zero-inflated negative binomial regression models were developed for individual ramp types, including direct, semi-direct and loop, respectively. For validating the developed models, authors compared the estimated crash frequencies with actual crash frequencies of twelve randomly selected interchanges, the ramps of which have not been used for model developing. RESULTS: The results show that the negative binomial regression models for direct, semi-direct and loop ramps showed 60.3%, 63.8% and 48.7% error rates on average whereas the zero-inflated negative binomial regression models showed 82.1%, 120.4% and 57.3%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Conclusively, the negative binomial regression models worked better in traffic crash prediction than the zero-inflated negative binomial regression models for estimating the frequency of traffic accidents on expressway ramps.

터널, 교량, 커브구간 등 교통사고위험이 연속적으로 존재하는 도로구간에서의 대형교통사고를 예방하기 위하여 경찰청은 2007년 1월 위험도로구간에서 교통관리 대책의 일환으로서 무인구간속도위반단속시스템 시범설치 운영을 결정하였다. 2007년 12월 영동고속도로 둔내터널 강릉방면을 시작으로 2011년 7월 현재까지 고속도로 8개 구간 및 국도 3개 구간, 총 11개 구간 85km에서 무인구간속도위반단속시스템이 운영 중에 있다. 하지만 이러한 무인구간단속시스템의 설치가 교통사고 감소에 얼마나 기여하는지에 대한 실질적인 연구가 부족하였다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 고속도로를 중심으로 무인구간속도위반단속시 스템 설치 전 후 교통사고건수를 체계적으로 비교할 수 있는 비교그룹방법을 이용하여 무인구간속도위반단속시스템의 설치효과를 분석하고자 한다. 이를 위하여 2008년 고속도로에 설치된 무인구간속도위반단속시스템을 대상으로 설치 전 후 각 1년의 사고이력자료를 수집하여 분석하였다. 그 결과, 무인구간속도위반단속시스템을 설치하지 않았을 경우에 비해 사업을 시행함으로서 49.97% 사고감소효과가 있는 것으로 나타났다.

교통정보를 이용자에게 제공하는 것은 도로의 효율성을 높이는데 있어 매우 중요한 역할을 수행한다. 이중 VMS는 불특정 다수에게 실시간으로 교통정보를 제공하는 대표적인 교통정보제공수단으로 널리 보급되어 있으나, 이러한 정보가 이용자에게 제공하는 금전적 가치를 계량화하지 못하고 있다. 특히 기존 VMS와 관련된 연구는 대부분 정보제공후의 경로변경 또는 출발시간 변경 등의 운전자 행태 분석에만 국한되어 있다. 본 연구에서는 선호의식조사를 통하여 수집된 자료를 바탕으로 개별선택이론의 하나인 로짓(Logit)모형을 적용하여 VMS 교통정보에 대한 화폐적 가치를 계량화 하고자 한다. 특히 이러한 개별선택이론을 이용한 분석방법은 장래 VMS외에도 인터넷, 네비게이션, 휴대폰등 다른 매체에서 제공되는 정보에 대한 가치측정을 위한 접근방법으로 활용될 수 있을 것이다.