Temporal variations for monitoring traffic in urban areas

Abstract

The research designs, develops, and applies a methodology to characterize hourly traffic variations in urban areas. The research documents current traffic monitoring practices in urban areas and assesses the need to understand hourly variations using the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba as a case study. The methodology applied to develop temporal variations for traffic patterns in urban areas uses a hybrid approach that compares the results from the statistical analysis with variables that explain hourly temporal variations, including road class, traffic volume, and land use. The research specifically identifies: arterial and non-arterial roads, low and high volume roads, and residential, industrial, and commercial zones as variables that explain hourly temporal variations. Six traffic pattern groups in Winnipeg are developed and characterized based on this approach. These variables are used to develop decision flow charts to assign road segments to TPGs.