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All over the world, gridlock, stop and go driving and constant and sometimes dangerous lane changes are a daily frustration for highway motorists. However, new research by Dr Xiaobo Qu from Griffith University in Queensland ( http://www.griffith.edu.au ), Australia, in collaboration with Dr Shuaian Wang from Old Dominion University, USA, may provide the means to improving traffic safety, capacity and efficiency between cities.
Dr Qu and Dr Wang have used the M1 Motorway between Queensland's two biggest cities—Gold Coast and Brisbane—as the basis for computer modelling assessing the viability of a Long Distance Commuter lane (LDC).
"Because so many people live on the Gold Coast and work in Brisbane, a large proportion of M1 commuters travel during morning and evening peaks," says Dr Qu. "At these times, each lane of the M1 carries up to 2300 vehicles every hour and bottlenecks are common. "However, this modelling demonstrates that a dedicated LDC lane, with not only maximum but also minimum speed limits, could accommodate much higher traffic volume - up to 3000 vehicles per hour—by eliminating or at least minimising disturbances currently caused by lane changing, low speed vehicles and use of on-ramps and off-ramps.
[Abstract]:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mice.12102/abstract
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191261515000041
(Score: 3, Interesting) by carguy on Saturday March 07 2015, @03:42AM
Google maps shows both:
* Time for "no traffic". I quoted this as a way to characterize the general type and speed of this road.
* Time for current conditions, obviously a longer trip time when there is congestion.
I had assumed that Google Maps "no traffic" times were based on driving at the speed limit, but Wikipedia says that major portions of that northern section of the M1 have 110 kph speed limits. So now I'm puzzled--why is Google suggesting a much slower average speed (~80 kph) for "no traffic" conditions?
Wikipedia also noted that there are speed cameras in use, perhaps that has a chilling effect on the common tendency to drive somewhat above the posted limit?
(Score: 3, Informative) by lentilla on Saturday March 07 2015, @06:03AM
major portions of that northern section of the M1 have 110 kph speed limits. [..] why [..] a much slower average speed[?]
The M1 isn't one long highway - it's a collection of roads. The maximum speed is governed by the type of road. If it's a dual carriageway (each travel direction separated by a wide space), the speed will be 110 km/h. A single-carriageway will have a maximum of 100 km/h or lower, depending on other characteristics of the road. As a result the posted speeds will be any of the following: 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 or 110 km/h. Gives you a headache remembering exactly which speed you're meant to be travelling at!
Although this won't be applicable to the M1, it's not uncommon in Australia to have been barrelling along a highway for an hour to suddenly pop into a town and have the speed limit plummet to 40 km/h as you pass a rural school. Guess where the local police sit...
speed cameras in use, perhaps that has a chilling effect on the common tendency to drive somewhat above the posted limit?
For years the Australian Government has been frightening it's citizens with the slogan "speed kills" and have backed this up by regularly booking people. As a result Australians spend more time looking at their speedometers than at the road ahead. When the posted speed limit is 100km/h that really means the traffic travels at that speed (and likely slower). Queenslanders tend to be the most lax in their interpretation of speed limits and you might see people travelling 10km/h over the limit. As you head further south, enforcement becomes more strict to the point that only the foolhardy exceed the posted limits in Victoria.
You'll get fined if you get caught speeding, but it's the "points" [wikipedia.org] that people worry about. Get caught a few times, a few km/h over the limit and you're catching the bus.
(Score: 2) by carguy on Saturday March 07 2015, @07:56PM
Thanks for the explanation. Used to be many highways like that here in the USA and in Canada -- all of a sudden divided highway (dual carriageway) changes to surface street with lower speed limit (and opportunistic local cops). The ones near to me have been rebuilt to divided highway, limited access (on & off ramps, no level-crossings), but I'm sure there are still some left in other areas.
Back to the original article, how could a high speed commuter/express lane possibly be implemented on a road with variable conditions?