Establishing and applying road classification and access management techniques on Bird street in Stellenbosch, South Africa

Date
2020-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Bird Street is one of the roads in Stellenbosch with the slowest movement of traffic and the highest level of congestion during peak hour periods (06:00 to 09:00 and 16:00 to 19:00). The optimum functioning of the transport network cannot be achieved, due to outdated transport systems and changes that have occurred over the past few decades. The purpose of this study is to investigate the traffic operation along the road, with the intention of establishing whether there is a discrepancy between the actual and intended road classification and access management of Bird Street, and to determine the impact of this potential discrepancy on traffic parameters. Vehicle movement and traffic volume data were analysed for further use in other components of the study. From the analysed data, Bird Street was classified according to the functional classification system techniques. These techniques were used to classify Bird Street under two conditions, namely the current designed condition and the current operating condition. Thereafter, different scenarios were developed based on the classification of the two conditions and by representing different techniques identified for each of them within the context of the literature. A microscopic traffic modelling software package from PTV Group was used to construct a traffic model (static) for the simulation of different scenarios and to obtain results for further analysis. From the results, the impact of jaywalking activities within the network, current signal plans vs optimised signal plans, functional classification and functional classification vs without jaywalking were determined. Ultimately, the economic impact and the change in emissions for the best-case scenario category were compared to the base scenario. From the results, it was concluded that jaywalking activities and the optimisation of the current implemented signal plans had a minor impact on the current traffic conditions. It was also concluded that by redesigning outdated road networks within a realistic context and according to the standards identified by the literature, the same outcome can be achieved as within a utopian context. For the realistic design condition, an average percentage speed and volume increase of 66% and 100%, respectively, was determined. The total cost saving was determined as R11 951 548.76 per year and the improved design proved to be more environmentally friendly by reducing the carbon footprint. Overall, it was concluded that the main cause of the current traffic conditions along Bird Street was the outdated functional classification and access management thereof.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Bird Straat is een van die paaie in Stellenbosch met die stadigste verkeer en die hoogste vlak van opeenhoping gedurende die piek ure van die dag (06:00 tot 09:00 en 16:00 tot 19:00). Die optimale werking van die vervoer netwerk kan nie bereik word nie, weens verouderde vervoerstelsels en veranderinge wat die afgelope paar dekades plaasgevind het. Die doel van hierdie studie is om die verkeer operasie langs Bird Straat in Stellenbosch te ondersoek, met die doel om vas te stel of daar 'n verskil tussen die werklike en beoogde pad klassifikasie en toegang bestuur van Bird Straat is, en om die impak daarvan op verkeer parameters te bepaal. Data oor voertuig beweging en verkeersvolume was geanaliseer vir verdere gebruik in ander komponente van die studie. Uit die geanaliseerde data was Bird Straat geklassifiseer volgens die funksionele klassifikasiestelsel tegnieke vir twee toestande, naamlik die huidige ontwerp of uitleg toestand en die huidige werkings toestand. Daarna was verskillende konsepte (scenario's) ontwikkel, gebaseer op die klassifikasie van die twee toestande en deur verskillende tegnieke voor te stel wat vir elkeen geïdentifiseer was, binne die konteks van die literatuur. 'n Mikroskopiese verkeer modellering sagteware pakket van die PTV Groep, was gebruik om 'n verkeer model (staties) te konstrueer vir die simulasie van verskillende scenario's en om resultate te verkry vir verdere ontleding. Uit die resultate was die impak van “jaywalking” - aktiwiteite binne die netwerk, huidige sein planne teenoor geoptimiseerde sein planne, funksionele klassifikasie, en funksionele klassifikasie teenoor sonder “jaywalking” bepaal. Vir die beste scenario kategorie was die ekonomiese impak sowel as die impak op die hoeveelheid uitlaatgasse bepaal. Uit die resultate was daar tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat “jaywalking” - aktiwiteite en die optimisering van die huidige geïmplementeerde sein planne 'n geringe invloed op die huidige verkeer omstandighede het. Daar was ook tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat deur die herontwerp van verouderde padnetwerke, binne 'n realistiese konteks en volgens die standaarde wat deur die literatuur geïdentifiseer was, dieselfde uitwerking sal hê as binne 'n onrealistiese konteks. Vir die realistiese ontwerp toestand was 'n gemiddelde persentasie snelheid- en volume-verhoging van onderskeidelik 66% en 100% bepaal. Die totale kostebesparing was bereken as R11 951 548.76 per jaar en die uitwerking op emissies was bevind om meer omgewingsvriendelik te wees deur die koolstof voetspoor te verlaag. In die algemeen was daar tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat die hoofoorsaak van die huidige verkeer omstandighede langs Bird Straat was die verouderde funksionele klassifikasie en toegang bestuur daarvan.
Description
Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2020.
Keywords
Road construction industry, Bird Street, Stellenbosch, South Africa, Traffic flow -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch, Traffic engineering -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch, Roads -- Classification, Roads -- Design and construction -- Management, UCTD
Citation