Peak Volume Characteristics of Urban Road Intersections: Case in Shanghai

The peak volume characteristics are of great significance to transportation planning, design, and management. However, the amount of researches conducted on the subject of site-to-site variability of the peak volume characteristics is relatively limited, which largely restrict the identification of appropriate peak volume factor and other pertinent parameters in traffic analysis. This paper discussed the site-to-site variability of the peak volume in Shanghai in detail based on three-year data. In this paper, 49 automatic traffic recorder stations at intersections were selected to collect traffic data in the central city of Shanghai from 2006 to 2008. The statistical characteristics of a.m. peak hour volume and peak period volume were then analyzed based on the data of intersections and approaches, respectively. The relationship between peak hour factors (or the ratios of peak hour volume to peak period volume) and volume, location, and road class were obtained by linear regressions. It was concluded that the peak volume characteristics varied from site to site evidently. Furthermore, the peak volume characteristics of intersections and of approaches were different. Lastly, the significant influencing factors were different for intersections and for approaches.