Stopping Sign Behavior

Stopping Sign Behavior
Paper details

This term paper is about STOP SIGN BEHAVIOR
I need you to write a Term Project for a four-way stop-controlled intersection – Palo Verde Avenue & Anaheim Road at Long Beach, California USA / Or any four-way stop-controlled intersection in California USA

Pictures of the location from Google maps for Parlo Verde

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.7815521,-118.1079555,3a,90y,208.13h,73.13t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sDPAN3GvJ8NvZuUm9Ncr7Ag!2e0

@The project will based on a data collection I will provide you later ( you can adjust the data)
@There is a paper similar to the Term Paper from my other class, i will provide later

In case you need some reference
The textbook I use is “Transportation Infrastructure Engineering A Multimodal Integration 1st Edition” by Nicholas J. Garber
The lab manual I use is Introduction to Traffic Engineering: A Manual for Data Collection and Analysis Paperback by Thomas R Currin

CE 426 – Transportation Engineering – TERM PROJECT

Department of Civil Engineering and Construction Engineering Management

Due December 12th, 2014

Please find attached a description of the three term project options, along with some information on the length.  I am looking for about 2,000 words, not necessarily including tables of data, figures, and references.  The report should be organized with an abstract, introduction, method, results, and conclusion.  A discussion is optional, as is a history or literature review section.  The abstract should be a brief summary of the entire report, while the conclusion should emphasize the findings, what they mean, and any suggestions for additional study.

There are three options for the term project – please choose one (each is worth the same as the others).  The assignment is to write an essay of up to 2,000 words on the selected topic.  The essay should include a list of references, supporting calculations (if any), and supporting tables and figures (if any).  Note that each of the options will require knowledge from subject matter in addition to that covered in class.  Option 1 (wayfinding) will involve some data collection near campus; Option 2 (stop sign behavior) involves some data collection on campus; Option 3 (traffic signal warrant) is intended to be an analytical exercise that will begin with some data collection.

Option 2 – Stop Sign Behavior (Palo Verde Avenue & Anaheim Road or any other four-way stop-controlled intersection)

Multiway stop signs, such as at four-way stop sign controlled intersections, are commonly located at intersections where traffic controls are needed on all approaches to the intersections, but where traffic volumes are not quite heavy enough to warrant a traffic signal.  Multiway stop signs are most useful where the traffic volumes on the approaches are nearly balanced, such that one or two of the approaches are not much more heavily used than the other approaches.  There may also be a need for stop sign control because of heavy pedestrian and-or bicycle crossings.

In this project, the objective would be to study how motorists and other intersection users “behave” at the intersection.  Stop sign protocol generally states “first in, first out,” and motorists are supposed to go in an orderly fashion.  The protocol gets disrupted when motorists disobey it, or when confusion develops over “who arrived first,” or even when pedestrian or bicycle crossings force motorists to wait.  After choosing an intersection, observe the behavior at the intersection over a given period – at least 15 minutes, and preferably 30 minutes to an hour.  Keep track of arrivals and departures, possibly by timing when a user arrives at and departs from the intersection, categorized by approach.  One way of organizing the data might be as follows:

Northbound        Southbound        Eastbound  Westbound

Time    Arrival Departure         Arrival Departure         Arrival Departure         Arrival Departure

Record the time in column 1, and the put a check mark in the appropriate column, along with any field notes.  Field notes might include such information as “blue car,” “motorcycle,” “bus,” “delayed by pedestrian,” and so forth.  It might also be useful to keep track of pedestrian activity, if it is busy.  Tabulate the data, and then summarize it, and then make some observations about intersection use.  Choosing a busy period during which to collect data should reveal more than a more lightly-used period.

The evaluation of the data could focus on measures such as average wait time, average wait time by approach, number of violations of first in-first out protocol, and so forth.  Use some creativity in examining the data, to best capture what is really happening at the intersection.