ABSTRACT This research models the relationship between traffic characteristics and lane position on a six-lane divided highway. Both macroscopic and microscopic models were developed to analyze speed-density, speed-flow, and flow-density relationships for each lane, using linear and nonlinear approaches. Additionally, microscopic models were created to investigate speed-spacing, speed-headway, and headway-spacing relationships. Data was gathered using video recordings and radar speed guns, and traditional methods were applied to calculate density and spacing distance, which are typically challenging to measure in the field. Microsoft Excel and SPSS ver.26 software were utilized for analysis. The coefficient of determination (R-square) and the chi-square test were employed to assess the goodness of fit for the models. The results indicated no significant differences between the predicted and observed data, demonstrating critical traffic characteristics and providing insights into vehicular and driver behavior. These models can be utilized to identify various parameters of traffic characteristics in future studies on the examined highway.
ABSTRACTAn operational analysis is an analytic evaluation of operation on an existing freeway ramps. In this case, all traffic and roadway conditions must be specified. The output of operational analysis is an estimate of the level of service for the ramp in question and of the approximate speed and density at which the traffic stream operations.A ramp is length of roadway providing an exclusive connection between two highway facilities. On freeways, all entering and exiting maneuvers take place on ramps those are designed to facilitate smooth merging of on-ramp vehicles into the freeway traffic stream and smooth diverging of off-ramp vehicles from the freeway traffic stream onto the ramp.The aim of this paper is the operational analysis of ramps on existing 6-lane freeway. This analysis involves the consideration of known freeway of Mohammed Al-Kasim freeway in Baghdad city. Given known geometric roadway conditions and projected traffic conditions, the operational analysis yields an estimate of the level of service and of the speed and density of the traffic stream. This paper has described the procedure for determining the level of service on Mohammed Al-Kasim freeway ramp sections as presented in the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM, 2000). Levels of service are determined for all ramps of the freeway using )HCS2000( software. Level of service of all ramps are similar at AM and PM peak hour periods, because the data was collected under ordinary traffic conditions.